[UPDATE Monday] Multiple Fires Started Up Tonight along Hwy 299 and Hwy 169:; Hwy 299 Now Closed

Fire on Hwy 299 7/31/16 [Photo by Quinn Fry

Fire on Hwy 299 7/31/16 [Photo by Quinn Fry]

Fires began breaking out about 8 p.m. in northeastern Humboldt.

Several spot fires started about at that time along Hwy 299. Fire personnel at approximately 8:45 p.m described these as being about five acres in total, slow rate of spread, with some trees torching.  Hwy 299 is closed at mile marker 24.5 and traffic is being diverted onto Chezem Road.

A second fire area has also been reported off Hwy 169. Cal Fire tweeted about 8:55 p.m that they received a report of a vegetation fire one mile west of Weitchpec.

We will update as soon as we know more.

UPDATE 10:11 p.m.: Referring to Hwy 299, the California Highway Patrol Incident page states, “Per CalFire, closure will last at least 2 more hours, [possibly the] entire night.”

Cal Fire has been unable to locate fire on Hwy 169.

UPDATE 10:22 p.m.: Quinn Fry who shared these photos with us was one of the first to report the incident. She said that she called the incident in at 8:03 p.m.

She described the flames as “scary”  and said, “I had a bad feeling as I watched it spread alongside my truck. I also had a feeling that the car (or two) in front of me may have tossed a cigarette or match out. It was only 6″ tall when I first saw it…then it moved alongside our trucks as we drove almost like we were helping it up the hill with the draft off our vehicles. I pulled over once I felt safe & called 911.”

Fire on Hwy 299 7/31/16

Fire on Hwy 299. [Photo by Quinn Fry]


UPDATE Monday: According to Laura Coleman, spokesperson for Cal Fire, the fire is contained at 4.6 acres. Crews are mopping up.

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Capt. Bueatiful
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Capt. Bueatiful
7 years ago

Two legged lightening!

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
7 years ago

Are these fires being set??we sure don’t need that

Henchman Of Justice
Guest
Henchman Of Justice
7 years ago
Reply to  G-ma

They are being set, no doubt.

Ever since Cal Fire illegal tax was passed, road side fires have increased dramatically.

Opinion:

1) political extremists – religious and/or state insiders sabotaging mother nature for false Cal Fire political support. Self sabotage is a condition more people commit to yield favorable results at a later date once the story telling has been pre manufactured.

Our lives are so very deceited.

2) Flicking of tobacco stick or blunt or match stick – highly doubtful in today’s reality of educated dummies (sarcasm but not really), but intentional arson by way of flicking is an absolute interest to prove.

3) Who drives in situations like this, claiming a car in front may have been the “flicker”, but the driver does not get a license plate number or description of vehicle? Educated dummy driver, no doubt.

SERIAL ARSON, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR ALONG ROADS, BETWEEN HOOPA AND ORICK, ETC……ARSONISTS ARE ON THE LOOSE!

Poetic Justice —-》You build it, they will come = you regulate it by taxation, more of the problems occur……..ya, interesting connections with politics and taxation. Set fires to justify illegal taxation to create paying gubbamint jobs to fight the fires set by sabotage…..ya, its a circle jerking of mass corrupt regulatory proportionalities with known arsonist retaliatory intentions that feed into justifying taxation for faux services created by unnatural means.

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago

People used to love CalFire, but since the illegal tax due to fraud accounting they are despised by many.
Instead of taxing rural landowners CalFire could have spread the theft around to $1 a state resident and saved face.
The puppet masters couldn’t help but to openly fly an Agenda 21 flag and display hatred towards those that choose not to live in the cities they are trying to force us into.
This is what America deserves for believing in the moon landings.

Americans don’t believe anything, until they see it on television -. Richard Nixon

Life is Beautiful
Guest
Life is Beautiful
7 years ago

To the wonderful, Henchman Of Justice, I am that “Educated dummy driver” that called this in and I do not care for your remarks but after reading more of your comments, it looks like you are the bully behind a computer type. *talk to the hand*
Anyway, I’d never been in a situation like this and it wasn’t until the remainder of my drive home that I began wondering how this could have happened and mentioned the cigarette or match comment to Kym when she contacted me later. The road was clear and normal one minute… then it wasn’t. The flames were so small (1foot) when I first glanced at it that I wasn’t sure I was seeing it correctly. No-one was nearby, no homes I could see. I do hope they contain it soon. Last year was bad enough.

THC
Guest
THC
7 years ago

Next time you see a fire with one foot Flames, instead of getting your phone out and taking a picture maybe you should get off your butt and put out the fire.It’s okay, you don’t have to call a government official to do it, grab some water take a shirt and wet it and start smothering out the flames. Or just use your foot to kick some dirt on it. This reminds me of last year’s lightning fires, we’re so many local residents stop to take pictures of the small fires only to drive off and let them turn into multi acre fires. because what you’re too lazy to get out of your car and put them out, it’s not your job, you might get burned? people have become so complacent.

DeerFan
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DeerFan
7 years ago
Reply to  THC

You weren’t there. How do you know people didn’t try to put it out. At least she called it in and didn’t just drive off. Don’t kill the messenger!

WhoAreThesePeople?
Guest
WhoAreThesePeople?
7 years ago

Sounds like a manifesto to me.

J
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J
7 years ago

Shockingly people don’t right down every license plate they see in case they see a fire later and they can blame it on them. The conclusions you jump to are illogical.

Stephen
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Stephen
7 years ago
Reply to  G-ma

I wouldn’t be surprised if they were I know the fires in the marsh/north 40 area were set intentionally if I’m not mistaken

Ice
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Ice
7 years ago

These kind of fires start a few ways, by a car or truck dragging something making sparks, hot brakes throwing off embers, a tire on a truck trailer dragging, or people deliberately throwing out something to start them, There was no lightning in the area…and its bone dry up there…

Henchman Of Justice
Guest
Henchman Of Justice
7 years ago
Reply to  Ice

True, but along this stretch of 299, no way in hell. If you drive 299, you’ll agree. This stretch is the most maintained portion of 299 between Coast and WC.

No chains started this, it was arson.

Ginger
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Ginger
7 years ago

Is traffic still being diverted on to Chezem this morning?

beel
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beel
7 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp
Henchman Of Justice
Guest
Henchman Of Justice
7 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Road construction to last through summer.

From weigh station to north fork mad river bridge/overpass is major repaving (20 years too late), then come back projects where road sections are caving in. Delays are up to 20 minutes.

Near canyon bottom between Lord Ellis and Berry Summit is a curve widening project (20 years too late) 5 minute maximum delays.

Below Berry Summit on WC side where last death occured a few months ago. Curve realignment for STAA standards.

The dynamite used to blow up the big ass rock exposed a HUGE ROCK. Initial reports were yet more gubbamint bs misleading the general public.

The reason rock go bang with boomstick was because of project conditions.

Cal Trans misleads by saying rocks were falling onto road……as if construction related causes and anticipation of project cause and effect scenarios dont exist.

Cal Trans has a bad habit at distorting facts.

the misadventures of bunjee
Guest
the misadventures of bunjee
7 years ago

So the rocks blowing up didn’t happen? Man you sure have a lot of conspiracies in your head, and zero facts to back them up.

sharpen your pencil
Guest
sharpen your pencil
7 years ago

And you have all the facts…. RIGHT….. You seem to be more ilinformed than a person in a coma!

Doug s.
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Doug s.
7 years ago

I hope it wasn’t on purpose……if it was-lock them up! FOREVER!!!

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
7 years ago

Not to change the subject but,is their any word on where Marci killer mom is?

beel
Guest
beel
7 years ago

People have been intentionally burning in this area for over 10,000 years.
It’s the century of wildland fire suppression coupled with the development of the area that makes wildland fire so dangerous now. Burning is in the DNA of native peoples. I’m not saying it’s appropriate, just complicated.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
7 years ago
Reply to  beel

Burning intentionally by someone (no matter what race they may be) who has been trained and qualified is completely different than some Injun Joe Schmoe committing Arson. I hear the same shit every year about natives have been burning for thousands of years so its just part of the natural cycle. I believe burning is beneficial when it’s done by someone with the knowledge, but not by some guy who leaves a lit book of matches and then splits.

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
7 years ago

Maybe the construction going on sparked it?or the hot asphalt that shit is hotter than HELL.when they did our road it started green grass on fire!!yikes,glad they caught it.i got caught in the reno fires years ago,I saw fire jump the highway.scary shit

Seamus
Guest
Seamus
7 years ago

That is the long downhill above Redwood valley across from Chezum road. Really good chance a truck was loosing hot pieces of brake material or more likely someone tossed a cigarette. You have never seen anything more shocking than seeing the driver in front of you flick a burning cigarette butt out of a car window in the middle of summer on highway 299.

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
7 years ago
Reply to  Seamus

Yes I have it ended up in my car!!!!and about 20 years ago my hubby thru a cigg butt out the window,not lit and chp pulled him over.didnt get a ticket.it wasn’t lit but it scared the crap out of him never done it again.would have been up to 1,500.00.wow forest fire millions.

Henchman Of Justice
Guest
Henchman Of Justice
7 years ago
Reply to  Seamus

Not when just driving several miles uphill only to then crest over the top to that section of 299 which is not steep…..yet.

Billy Bob
Guest
Billy Bob
7 years ago

Cal Fire did not have anything to do with the tax thank your government for that they just put it on Cal Fire. Honeydew Bridge Chump do a little research before you slander people. I highly disagree with that road side starts have increased because of a tax give me a break dude. Did you notice we have been I a 5 year drought go outside and look around it’s dry.

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago
Reply to  Billy Bob

They hid money in foreign banks to show on cooked books they were broke.
Soon as they got their Agenda 21 tax, or fee, 200 million appeared.

The accounting goons robbed country folk, and pinned the crime on the firefighters.

Honestly, I’ve been through 5 wildfires and it was neighbors that cut lines only to have CalFire use it as a meeting place to argue with FS over who was in charge.

Of my properties I plan on keeping, they all have no commercial grows, and neighbors that are fine with cutting lines and letting the tough firemen take credit.

Solid communities don’t need CalFire or any services, including power lines for the record.

Progress brings leeches that all dress alike.

ConspiracyTheoristsSuck!
Guest
ConspiracyTheoristsSuck!
7 years ago

There’s no way this was deliberately set. We counted at least 10 separate spot fires, equally spaced apart. They ranged from 6inches up to about 12 foot flames as u went past. The nearest pull out in either direction was too far for a person to have set 10 separate fires and make it back to their vehicle without being seen by someone. It’s just not possible. It was more likely started by a chain creating sparks or some other vehicle related cause. I do believe that the up draft from the passing vehicles was definately fanning the fire. How dare any of you to blame the very people who are out there putting out these fires, that are saving your homes. People need to stop thinking the worst about other people and this world might start to be a better place.

John Davis
Guest
John Davis
7 years ago

How about a flare gun, no need to stop.

Bushytails
Guest
Bushytails
7 years ago

I’d guess a dragging chain or load too. I saw one last week on 36 that was quite nicely sparking… was about to start honking to try to get the them to pull over, but it seemed they had noticed and were just waiting for a safe pullout, because they stopped at the first one and got out. Dragging chains make a _lot_ of sparks. Know what a piece of steel pressed into a grinding wheel looks like? The road makes a pretty good substitute for a grinding wheel. From some quick back-of-envelope grade math, 50mph of asphalt is roughly equivalent to a 6″ grinding wheel at 3000rpm, so that’s actually a dead-on comparison. Flat trailer tires can do it as well, as the rim grinds on the asphalt, and if it’s a compact trailer behind a full-size truck, you won’t even feel the problem, nor be able to see it in your mirrors. Secure your load properly, and check it often!

As to tossing cigarettes out the window… possible with one fire, unlikely with multiple. There’s a rather steep fine for doing so, but it seems it’s never enforced. For some reason a large percentage of the population is defective enough to smoke, and that same defect makes them not care about leaving garbage for others to clean up or starting fires.

Adam
Guest
Adam
7 years ago

Tailpipe sparks caused a fire on the same hillside about two years back. It’s not the driest it’s ever been but we’re in fire season now and it doesn’t take much. Cal fires tax is illegal but their services are important. Blame your state government and your fellow voters for failing to fund essential services