East Fire Update: 378 Acres, 5% Containment

This is a press release from the Mendocino National Forest Service:

Elk Mountain Hotshot on the East Fire. [Photo credit U.S. Forest Service]

Friday’s infrared flight mapped the East Fire in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness at 378 acres. The East Fire is five percent contained. The Haynes Fire is 99 percent contained at 23 acres. The fires started June 17 approximately 23 miles northeast of Covelo in Trinity County.

On the East Fire, crews plan to reinforce the confinement area between East Ridge, Buck Ridge and Wrights Ridge as the fire continues to spread to the south. The confinement area totals about 1,200 acres in size. On the Haynes Fire, crews plan to extinguish any remaining smoldering vegetation near the containment line.

There are 120 personnel working on the two fires including smokejumpers, Hotshot crews, wildland fire modules, EMTs, helicopters and support personnel. Some of these support personnel are managing the logistics involved with keeping the crews well fed and supplied deep in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness. Every day, logistics personnel pick up and transport supplies, pack containers, prepare materials and food for delivery and importantly, arrange for all of the trash and empty containers to be hauled out of the wilderness. Fire crews cannot operate efficiently on an incident without this critical logistical support.

The weather for Sunday will be clear with 6 to 11 mph northeast winds shifting to the northwest in the afternoon and temperatures in the mid to high-70s. There is a cooling trend forecast for early next week.

Wilderness hikers are asked to avoid travel near Buck Ridge and Wrights Ridge. Maps and photos are available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6394/. Photos are also available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mendocinonf/albums.