[UPDATE 8/15] New Fire Erupts Near Bull Creek and Women’s Federation Grove
Fire crews are battling a new fire in Southern Humboldt this afternoon.
Cal Fire Spokesperson Laura Coleman writes:
The Bull Incident: ¼ acre off Bull Creek Road also can be accessed by Women’s Federation Grove off of HWY 245; ¼ acre; ground and air resources committed.
Here are some tweets about the incident:
At scene of 1/4 acre vegetation fire off lower Bull Creek Road, Humboldt Redwoods SP. Full wildland response arriving.
— CAL FIRE HUU (@CALFIRE_HUU) August 14, 2015
Bull Creek fire holding at 1 acre. Aircraft returning, engines taking action to contain.
— CAL FIRE HUU (@CALFIRE_HUU) August 14, 2015
We’ll update this post when we have more information.
Update 3:16 p.m.: Cal Fire personnel are telling us they have requested “another type 2 helicopter with crew.” Here’s another photo provided by Cal Fire.
UPDATE 3:42 p.m.: Cal Fire says the fire has now expanded to 2 acres.
Chris Carroll of Timberland Resource Consultants says he discovered flames about 2 p.m. “I was on the hiking trail [near] the mouth of Bull Creek when I saw it,” he said. He ran down to the Eel River and “hollared across for help.”
Then, he says, he ran back. “At that point [the fire] had got into a snag…The big snag was shooting embers everywhere.” He tried to stomp out the flames and make a fire line but the flames kept growing.
Not long afterwards a Cal Fire plane dropped retardant that missed the fire, he said. “It was like War of the Worlds. The sky was dripping red.”
Not long afterwards a Cal Fire crew showed up. “Thank God, those guys got there so fast,” he said. Currently, Carroll said he saw a helicopter dipping out water, five engines as well as several transport vans for inmates.
UPDATE 4:08 p.m.:
UPDATE 6:05 p.m.: Cal Fire spokesperson Laura Coleman reports that the fire is contained. Helicopters “are still helping” but the fire is no longer advancing. Coleman is waiting on final acreage. UPDATE 6:23 p.m.: Chatter on the scanner indicates that two crews and two engines are being left on site.
UPDATE 7:22 p.m.: More photos from readers.
UPDATE 8/15: The final count was 2.5 acres burned. The cause is still under investigation but Laura Coleman said that it wasn’t caused by power lines or lightning. She said it was “possibly human caused” but her agency is still investigating.
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There was some filming going on near there day before yesterday. Did something get ignited by a hot light?
Looks like bucket drops from copters are effective. Wind blowing 4 to 6 MPH upriver.
Right when it when down. I was across the river. Then got hit by retardent
Towards bull creek from weott
If that film crew had anything to do with this, I would hope they would be held accountable for the expense it costs us to put the fire out!
There is a crew still filming in the area?
Thank you for the update. Someone was just saying they hoped they got the fire out so I take it, it is still burning?
I am not sure Kym, it was thru the grapevine that I heard that there was an indie film crew in that area last week, not sure if they are still here or not. Would be nice to know the reason the fire started, since we haven’t had lightning.
I tried uploading a video but it’s noy working. Looks like they have as many as 5 choppers out here. Got a video of them dipping in the river right next to me. Kym, is there a way to email it to you?
The Choppers have refueled and are back at it. Smoke has died down alittle or the smoke is headed down river, i am not sure.
Downriver we can smell smoke this AM. The smoke smells like campfire smoke.
A warning for folks to be extremely careful out there.
All the best to our firefighters.