Helena and Fork Fires: Together They Have Consumed Over 16,000 Acres
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The fire is pushing past the top of the Weaver Bally ridge but is still behind dozer lines. According to the InciWeb, “Firelines are being constructed and strengthened from Junction City northeast to Glennison Gap. On the northern perimeter, the fire is backing into Brock Gulch and is holding along Brock Road. The fire has crossed into the Trinity Alps Wilderness near Canyon Creek.”
WEATHER: Though temperatures are expected to only reach a high of 83 degrees today, the National Weather Service continues to have bad news for residents of the area. “Scattered to numerous thunderstorms with abundant lightning” are expected to develop through Thursday. Today, there will be only a possibility of isolated thunderstorms but on Thursday the chances increase to 30% after 11 a.m.TRAVEL on Hwy 299: According to the US Forest Service,
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will open Highway 299 to through traffic only at the following times: 5:30am, 9:00am, 2:00pm, 5:30pm, and 9:30 pm. This schedule is for Wednesday 9/6 only. Eastbound and westbound traffic in line at these times will be allowed through the area under traffic control, depending on fire activity and operations. All areas under evacuation orders remain closed to access. Highway closures are currently east of Big Flat and east of Junction City. Officials are estimating 40 minutes to get through the area at opening times.
SCHOOLS: Click here for more information: Some Schools Opting to Close or Go to Minimum Day Schedule for the 6th
UPDATE Thursday: Lightning Striking Near Helena Fire This Morning
Earlier Chapters on the Helena Fire:
- Hwy 299 Closed at Helena Due to Fire
- A 17-Year-Old Mendocino Girl Recounts How She and Friends Fled the Helena Fire in Trinity County
- Hwy 299 Still Closed After 6000 Acre Wildfire Burned Homes and Sent Around 2000 Residents Fleeing
- Smoke Levels Near Helena Fire on 299 Are Hazardous
- Helena: Maps and 299 to Remain Closed
- Governor Brown Declares State of Emergency for Trinity County Due to Wildfire
- Helena Fire Disrupts Frontier Communications’ Service
- Helena Fire Pushes Toward Junction City After Destroying Over 140 Structures; Fork Fire Spreads West
- Helena and Fork Fires: Maps and Morning Update
- As Their Home Burns in the Helena Fire, a Mother and Daughter Are Saved by Passing Heros
- 299 to Open Twice This Evening
- Hwy 299 to Open Multiple Times Today
- Helena: Containment Creeps Upwards in Some Areas But Fire Continues to Expand
- Schools Closed Due to Smoke or Wildfires
- Is the Helena Fire Impacting You? Trinity County and CalOES Have a Place to Help
- Hwy 299 Will Again Be Open for Only Brief Periods Tuesday
- A Short Drive on Hwy 299 Shows Some of the Devastation Left by the Helena Fire
- Helena and Fork Fires Together Now Over 16,000 Acres
- Some Schools Opting to Close or Go to Minimum Day Schedule for the 6th
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Kym, you and your network of information and hard word always amazes me. I love this site. Thank you.
Yes, so right. Trying to wade through difficult government websites is a horrible chore that may prove fruitless in the end. Thank you for making sense of it all for your readers.
Hi…the two fires have not merged yet. They will probably do so at Gwin Gulch in canyon creek. What merged was the Helena Fire to the containment lines on weaver Bally. Thought you would want correct info. New map I posted on my timeline should help you. Randall also posted it on Trinity alerts.
Connie, I know they haven’t merged yet. The maps show that clearly. But they are also clearly going to merge and the fires are being fought under one management team so I’m reporting on them in a way that makes sense. They will soon burn as one and they are being fought by the same team. It seems silly to insist on reporting them separately.
To some your headline makes it seem that they have merged.
I tried changing it slightly. I hope that helps the folks that were confused.
I understand your point. Just trying to be factual. Also..it was incorrectly reported on inci web that the had merged at Weaver Bally. Sorry..didn’t mean to step on your reporting.
If I sounded cranky, I apologize. I didn’t mean to. I was just explaining.
Air Attack ordered aircraft 4 heavy tankers and 2 VLATS they are all enroute now
Default Re: CA-SHF-Helena
Helena just attracted a bunch of heavy tankers right before noon. Not sure if this is on Helena itself or the lightning hit chiefnicholls reported last night on Weaver Bally (aircraft are circling on Weaver Bally and Monument Peak)
T944
T910
T167
T105
T01
http://hotlist.wildlandfire.com/threads/61336-CA-SHF-Helena/page6?highlight=Helena
Tankers done for the day still have last least 3 type1 copters working
Track the lightning :
https://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=en#m=sat;r=0;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=2.66;n=0;y=41.0963;x=-122.3255;z=8;d=2;dl=2;dc=0;ra=1;