[UPDATED 9:07 p.m.] Day 7: Lightning Fires

2015_08_05-10.29.27.419-CDT

Firefighter scouting the line on the Fork Complex. [Posted to Inciweb 8/5]

Last Thursday lightning rained over remote communities from Mendocino to Siskiyou. Multiple blazes boiled outward from lightning strikes. In response, each day we’ve been keeping you up on all things wildfire.

Here’s a quick recap of the latest information on today’s fires. As we update each incident throughout the day, we’ll note the time the facts were posted so you can quickly see if there is something new on the fires you need to know.

  • Fork Complex (Trinty Pines and north to Hayfork):(Last updated 8:30 a.m. as of 3 p.m. this is the latest information) 11,461 acres burned and 7% contained. “Continued dry conditions Wednesday, particularly hot and dry on Thursday. Lightning event expected late Thursday night or Friday. A smoke inversion will impact visibility each day.”New Evacuation Information: 13 Dips Road Mandatory EvacuationsThe Mandatory Evacuations which have been requested by US Forest Service and ordered by the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department for residences on 13 Dips Road. 
  • New Wildwood Area Evacuations:~Wildwood Area Mandatory EvacuationsMandatory Evacuations have been requested by U S Forest Service and ordered by the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department for Wildwood Road (302) from Gemmill Gulch to the East Side of East Fork Road and all of East Fork Road. Shiell Ranch has been upgraded from Voluntary to a Mandatory Evacuation.Voluntary Evacuations have been requested by US Forest Service and ordered by the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department for residences in the area ofWildwood Road (302) from Gemmill Gulch to Hwy 36 including the town of Wildwood and all of its residents.            Road Closures of Wildwood Area:Hard Closure: Wildwood Road (302) is closed from the north side of Carrier Gulch (31N49) at Stafford Crossing, south to the Gemmill Gulch picnic area (30N04)**All of Hwy 36 is open to just east of Forest Glen (Hell Gate) where there is a hard closure.

    (More info here)

  • Gasquet Fire: (Last updated 4 p.m.) 910 acres burned and 2% containment. “Warming and drying for the next several days with a return of thunderstorms”(More info here)
  • Humboldt Fires (Alderpoint and surroundings):(Last updated 11 a.m. as of 3 p.m. this is the latest information) 3,702 acres burned and 30% contained. “After a damage assessment, it was determined that no residence was destroyed. Four outbuildings were destroyed in the Dobbyn Fire. A total of 7 fires over 100 acres have burned 3,242 acres. Active fires range in size from 142 to 953 acres. Threat continues to commercial timberland.” Capture(More info here)
  • Mad River Complex (Ruth Lake and Surroundings):14,028 acres burned and 8% contained (Last updated 4:45 p.m.) “A high pressure system will dominate the area through Wed bringing warmer and drier conditions. Low pressure is predicted to move into the area Thurs bringing with it a 20% chance of thunderstorms and dry lightning through Friday.”(More info here) (Precautionary evacuations issued for 10 Humboldt residences.) Telephone number for the public information officer is 707-574-6289
  • Route Complex (south and west of Hyampom and Buck Mt. area):(Last updated 1:50 p.m. as of 3 p.m. this is the latest information) 12,164 acres burned and 2% contained. “A public meeting is scheduled for today at the Hyampom Volunteer Fire Department at 2pm. This meeting will cover both the South Complex and the Route Complex.”(More info here) Telephone number for the public information officer is 707-574-6865.
  • River Complex:(Last updated 9 a.m. as of 3 p.m. this is the latest information) 8,536  burned and 0% contained. “There will be a community meeting Wednesday, August 5, at 6:00 p.m. at the Trinity Village Fire Hall… Fire crews are remaining in Denny continuously to defend structures in the event that they are impacted by fire.”(More info here and here) Telephone number for the public information officer 530-276-8559.
  • Rocky Fire (Lake County): (Last updated 10 a.m. as of 3 p.m. this is the latest information) 68,000 acres burned and 20% contained, 39 residences and 52 outbuildings destroyed; 4 structures damaged. “Hotter drier conditions are expected to return during the day increasing the potential for fire activity throughout the fire area.” (More info here) Telephone number for the public information officer is (707) 967-4207.
  • South Complex (north and west of Hyampom):(Last updated 11:45 a.m.) 12,156 acres burned and 0% containment . A Public Meeting will be held at the Hyampom Volunteer Fire Department at 2 p.m. today, Wednesday, August 5, 2015. A Public Meeting will be held at the Burnt Ranch School in Burnt Ranch at 4 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, August 6, 2015. “I]ncreased fire activity was observed throughout the complex last night. A small spot (less than ¼ acre) was observed ahead of the main fire on the east side of the South Fork of the Trinity River in the area near St. John’s Road. The spot was quickly contained and will be staffed today. Another spot occurred between the Pelletreau and Kerlin Fires; that spot is also currently contained and will be staffed. The Clark Fire backed toward the road, and firefighters walked it slowly down with the intention of creating anchor points for future suppression efforts.” (More info here)

Here’s our tools to keep you abreast of what’s happening:

Newest Info: Next, the twitter feed near the bottom right of our home page is continuously updated with the latest tweets from Cal Fire, other local news organizations, weather, etc.

Above that are two scanner feeds–one that will take you to Eureka/north coverage. The other that will take you to Eureka/south coverage.

Past Info: Reminder, at the bottom of this post under Earlier Chapters are links to our previous coverage. Much of it still very relevant. Particularly note our newest fire maps. We’ll be updating them throughout the day.

Don’t miss a post: In our right hand column is a subscribe box (for those accessing on mobiles, scroll down to the bottom and the box is just above recent posts.) Fill that out and a link to every story will appear in your email.

UPDATE 10:30 a.m.: According to Caltrans, Hwy 36 is closed at the Humboldt Co Line to just west of  Wildwood Road in Trinity CO. and Hwy 3 is closed at Morgan Hill Rd to Jct 36 i n Trinity CO.

UPDATE 12:48 p.m. More evacuations issued and changed in Trinity County. Click here for more.

UPDATE 1:56 p.m.: Precautionary evacuations issued for about 10 residences in Humboldt. Click here for more.

UPDATE 5:12 p.m.: Overview of the Fires in Six Rivers National Forest

See new evacuations for Trinity CO. by clicking here.

Earlier Chapters:

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Thanks!
Guest
Thanks!
8 years ago

Again, thank you for all of this!

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[…] Also, summaries and links to the latest information as it rolls out can be found here. […]

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

Was just at the Alderpoint VFD and talked to their captain. The Steelhead and Dobbyn fires were combined into one with backfires. It is now called 1-40.

Laurie Jensen
Guest
Laurie Jensen
8 years ago

kymkemp–Thank you so much for your hard work on keeping us informed. Hubby and I stay on 40 acres up at Burr Valley off HWY 36, Buck MTN is our backyard, no fires in our valley yet. Hopefully conditions will improve for the tire-less work of our fire fighters so they can get this monster put out!! Even if a fire did come into our valley, I leveled all the grass on the flat our trailers are on to bare dirt, no trees, or bushes anywhere near us. My concern is for the safety of all the other residents up there who do live in the wooded sections Thank you again

Holly Brown
Guest
Holly Brown
8 years ago

Seen some of these firefighters today, wow these guys are fit, makes an older (okay not that old) lady like me so glad that we have these strong guys out there taking care of us.

M
Guest
M
8 years ago

Ow ow Holly Brown!

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
8 years ago

I think you meant lightning “reigned”, not “rained.” A couple of inches of rain would have been fantastic. Excellent coverage of this tragic situation. Best wishes to everyone and thank you firefighters, pro, volunteer, and citizen alike. Best maps by far, Kempster.

36 open?
Guest
36 open?
8 years ago

Curious about highway 36 closures. It says here ALL of 36 is open to east of hell gate, but cal trans still says it’s closed at hum/trin line. Was going to try driving through this morning does anyone know for sure that it’s open at the county lines?

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