[UPDATE 9:42 p.m.] Delta Fire Surges and Takes New Ground

A spot from the Delta Fire burning as seen from the Trinity County Airport last night.

A spot from the Delta Fire burning as seen from the Trinity County Airport last night. [Photo by Matt Busher]

The Delta Fire which started at the beginning of September and forced the closure of I-5 for several days shot out a spot fire yesterday which forced evacuations in Trinity County late last night.

According to the Northern California Geographic Coordination Center,

[The fire] burned actively overnight with short runs and spotting. Structures are… threatened in the area of East Fork Rd. on the west side of the incident. There is also a structure threat in the area of Clear Creek Ranch and Clear Creek Campground. NorCal Team 1 has been ordered.

The fire had been 98% contained Wednesday but a spot fire which started on Tuesday in the Bear Gulch area exploded to a 1000 acres. Warm and dry conditions exacerbated the problem over the next few days. The Delta Fire has increased almost a 1000 acres since yesterday and is now at 63,093 acres and 97% containment.

According to InciWeb, mandatory evacuation notices were issued “for residents on East Fork Road, north to Ramshorn Road and east to the Trinity/Shasta line due [to] the fire burning on the Trinity/Shasta County Line. The fire has crossed Slate Mountain Road at Dog Creek.”

InciWeb also states, “Operations from the night shift reports that the fire activity moderated overnight under overcast skies. It had advanced to the northwest and is still at Slate Mountain Road and Dog Creek on the Trinity/Shasta county line.”

Press release from Shasta Trinity National Forest:

Delta Fire Summary: Resources Assigned:
Acres Burned: 63,069
Total Personnel: 914
Containment: 97 percent
Hand Crews: 22
Expected Containment: October 5, 2018
Engines: 37
Cause: Human Bulldozers: 12
Structures Destroyed: 20
Helicopters: 10

Federal, state, and local firefighters are working around the clock to aggressively fight this fire. The eastern edge of the 2,376-acre spot fire continues to hold in place west of Damnation Pass, north of Dog Creek Road and east of Clear Creek. There is a mandatory evacuation in place for residents along East Fork Road in Trinity County.

Yesterday, the fire crossed over the dozer line in the north east section of the spot fire. This morning night operations reported the fire has reached Slate Mountain Road on the Trinity/Shasta county lines. Scouting operations have identified areas to construct new line. Firefighters will be building indirect fire lines and where safe to do so, direct fire
lines. The main body of the Delta Fire as well as the Hirz Fire remain in patrol status. Patrol resources will continue to actively extinguish any hotspots that are detected in the proximity of the fire line.

A spike camp has been set up for crews in the Coffee Creek Forest Service Fire Station to decrease the driving time for firefighters from the Incident Command Post in McCloud.
Air tankers and helicopters will be utilized to slow the forward rate of spread of the fire allowing time for dozers and crews to gain access to the fire perimeter where safe to do so. Fire fighters are in place for structure defense in the East Lake Road area.

According to the incident meteorologist precipitation is expected to enter the fire area this evening with the heaviest rain between 8 p.m. and midnight. Total rain fall is expected to be a quarter to half inch in total. Ten to 15 mph winds are expected with gusts up to 25 mph on the ridges.

Interstate 5 is open in both directions with short one-lane traffic areas between Lakehead and Mount Shasta City due to construction.

Evacuations:
At the recommendation of the Delta Fire managers the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department and Trinity County Office of Emergency Services have issued a mandatory evacuation notice for residents on East Fork Road, north to Ramshorn Road and east to the Trinity/Shasta County line due the fire’s location.
Area Opening/Closures:
To provide for public safety during suppression and repair, a Shasta-Trinity National Forest Closure Order is in place
for the Delta Fire (order number 14-18-19). For specific recreation information, please call the Shasta Lake Ranger
District at (530) 275-1587 or the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station at (530) 926-4511.

UPDATE 9:42 p.m.: According to a tweet by the Shasta Trinity National Forest, “The mandatory evacuations for residents on East Fork Road ahead of the #DeltaFire has downgraded to an advisory as light precipitation began over the fire area this evening.”
UPDATE Sunday: According to a tweet by the Shasta Trinity National Forest, “Good news from the #DeltaFire all evacuation advisory’s have been lifted!”

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5 Comments
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Dot
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Dot
5 years ago

Thanks for the update

Let it rain!!!
Guest
Let it rain!!!
5 years ago

Kym any chance youd wanna start a thread about rain?
10:15 am actual rain in whale gulch!!!! Picturing it heading to shasta 💝

Dan F
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Dan F
5 years ago

Hoping we get some significant moisture from the incoming storm to help with all these fires!!!

CLAUDIA Johnson
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CLAUDIA Johnson
5 years ago

Please let Fire season be over we’ve lost so much this year people buildings way too many losses we already get some rain but I don’t think it’s going to be enough please be careful out there everyone

shak
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shak
5 years ago

What a great update! Let’s hope the next update is even better.