Evacuation Warnings Sent to Southeastern Humboldt–Island Mountain, Palo Verde, Alderpoint, and Harris–as August Complex Spreads West
Morning in southeastern Humboldt. [Photo from Deborah Morton]
Resident Deborah Morton who lives in one of the evacuation warnings told us she received a warning from the Palo Verde fire department at 3:39 a.m. She said she was told that they could see flames from Big Rock Ranch looking towards Kettenpom.
She said when she had to head to her neighbor’s, ash was falling thickly. “The ash was so bad this morning,” she told us, “I had to put my windshield wipers on.”
Here is the evacuation warning from Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services:
The Hopkins Fire is moving west towards Humboldt County from Trinity County. The following communities are under EVACUATION WARNING: Alderpoint, Palo Verde, Island Mountain, and Harris.
People in these communities should prepare for potential evacuations, including personal supplies and overnight accommodations. Be ready to go at a moment’s notice. More information will follow if an Evacuation Order is issued.
UPDATE 7:50 a.m.: Casterlin School is closed this morning. This is being sent to families.
CASTERLIN SCHOOL CLOSED SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
As of 3:15 am, September 9, 2020, the Humboldt County Sherriff reported that The Hopkins Fire is moving west towards Humboldt County from Trinity County. The following communities are under EVACUATION WARNING: Alderpoint, Palo Verde, Island Mountain, and Harris. Southern Humboldt USD has closed Casterlin school and canceled all packet pick up and lunches for today Wednesday, Sept. 9. Alternate food sites in Redway, Garberville, & Miranda are open for those in need of food. Visit our Food Distribution page at https://sohumusd.com/food-dist
ribution for alternate food sites and times. More info will continue to be sent out as necessary, for more info regarding the Hopkins Fire, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incid ent/7136/ or the Humboldt county Sheriffs Website https://humboldtgov.org/187/Sh eriffs-Office
UPDATE 9:30 a.m.: Hopkins Fire in the August Complex Burning in Trinity County and Moving Towards Humboldt
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Thanks for the info as always
I know this info has been shared many times on this site but could someone provide a source for the most current fire maps to help track the speed and direction of spread for the current wildfires. Thanks in advance.
This is the one I’ve been using, but there might be better ones out there….
https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=766d1d6a78d04e83af1d56c6c33b2532&extent=-122.3011,38.2279,-121.7099,38.5975
There is a real serious lag in information.
Unacceptable at a time like this…
Try kmud. Updates
On the hour.
Kym could probably use a little rest.
Give her a break.
hope this helps in time!
Calfire.com has links to maps and their most current sutuation report with regard to fire movement and containment.
What is cal fire doing? There just letting it burn us all out? I’m in Harris packing now! I’m not happy with this shit.calfire is stopping nothing at all
Fire fighters are spread thin and fires have been spreading fast due to high temps and wind. Not cal fires fault ?
No one is happy to evacuate. But the folks at cal fire are heroes. Period.
Anyone want to start bitching about that $150 cal fire parcel tax now?
Great Point
Chop a twinkie in to 30 pieces, what is your satisfaction? Get it done your self, there is no help. Clear EVERYTHING away from you buildings, scrape 4ft of fire line down to mineral earth around anything you want to survive, give it a good hosing and GTF out
The power has been turned off for a wind storm that didn’t happen so no well water.
It’s not Cal fires fault the blame lies with Forest Service. This fire started from a lightening strike early in August on Forest Service land. Their policy is to do nothing. It burns unchecked until it reaches private property then it is Cal Fires issue. These fires come out of the Forest Service like raging monsters that are so big it’s hard to stop or contain them.
Your a fucking idiot
No I believe she’s right and knows first hand. She’s been through it before.
Dawnita, That is bullshit. The USFS doesnt let every fire burn. This one has been fought by multiple agencies since the start. USFS firefighters are out there risking their lives fighting this whole their own homes burn. Your stupidity is staggering.
Charlie and Ice. Really name calling. You both need to get a clue. I know for a fact when there is a fire on national forest they do not allow any equipment to fight it. Which essentially leaves us with a roaring monster of a fire to deal with. Maybe when its your home that’s in danger you will understand. Grow up …
Sorry, but that’s not true. Equipment is definitely used on USFS land. Wilderness areas have their own set of rules and require low impact methods, but equipment is still used.
Calfire fires default to putting out fires with all available resources.
USFS approaches each fire differently and will often “manage” the fire to reduce fuel load.
Here’s a dozer on the Elkhorn fire:
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/photograph/7071/18/103822
That’s right Brandy ! Momma D is right! Who was fighting fire to save casterlin school ? Not these trolls ! Oh wasn’t fire fighters and food and gear shuttled to pine mountain back roads. I love you guys ! Get your back down, I’m nervous, lol
People are not in the loop to get a clue.
ULLR Rover is right and the blather about USFS not permitting equipment and not caring is BS. As Rover says, it’s case-by-case and Designated Wilderness Areas are dicey; how to fight fire and not destroy the wilderness.
No wonder the country’s going to hell with the crap people believe. Let’s hate the government until the National Guard airlifts campers out of an inferno. Or fight fires locally. Let’s vote morons into office who deny climate change, deny the virus and kiss dictator ass. Yeah, that’s the way.
Or maybe vote for people who do what can be done and don’t spend their waking hours whinging over other people.
I’m pretty sure she has first hand experience from the fires in 2015
The National guard came in 2015 . I remember that afternoon a bunch of clouds just quietly aproached Blocksburg & Alderpoint . In a matter of 15 minutes it let go thunder & lightning. It started five to eight fires instantly . Then the clouds left as calmly as when they came, “clouds on a mission” ?
For a couple weeks or so the fires were going , then the National Guard came with their huge camouflage trucks and things came to a calm hault in less than a week.
Thanks to “EVERY ONE”
who fights fires !
God you guys, maybe she didn’t know. Do you really need to attack her for it?
Clear enough we have a supply and demand problem that will need solving.
Incorrect fire caused since logging wasn’t allowed to clean up after logging.
August complex Fire started on national forest , I believe they handle fires on gov land.the Hopkins fire at 27,500 acres is part of aug complex .fire perimeter map in link
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6983/
This is 200 foot flames going 4 miles an hour. No aircraft can fly on this. Every available Wildland firefighter in the US, Camafa, Australia, and Spain are here working fires. What would you have them do?
Why don’t you volunteer. You can’t complain about something you don’t participate in! You obviously have no idea what those guys are going through!
Disrespectful behavior is not going to help. If you think you can do better then by all means get to it! Do you have fire training? Do you know what they are doing out there? Do you know what or why they are doing what they are doing? You shouldn’t just shove blame or be rude.
After all this start a campaign to stop relying on prison labor for fires. That dependence got upended by covid and now we’re screwed withnot enough personnel.
Also the rules need to change regarding hiring fire folk whovebeen arrested in past. We train all these guys in concamp to fight fires but theycant get a job doing it once released as theydont hire anyone who has done time. Super stupid system.
Donate to your local vfd!!!! We are beyond lucky to have them!!!
Apparently there is pending legislation in CA to change that, so released prisoners will be able to get jobs as firefighters. A sliver of good news during these challenging times.
Yes. I saw that too.
There is literally fires all over the West Coast, I cannot imagine the long hours they have been working and how stretched thin they must be. They are not just letting stuff burn. Times are changing and they cannot protect everything at the rate everything’s burning. Their priorities are saving people first, saving property comes second, so best to just be prepared to flee and save your animals and loved ones. Much more important than property.
Lee stop acting like a douch!
Thank you Kim! Please keep keeping us updated, you are the only news we have about the area. And there are alot of people without cell service out there that take time to contact.
Peace, and if possible, someone near you may need help, Check in with your Neibor’s!
Hah! Ignorance is bliss? How many fires are burning right now , Lee?
How many firefighters do you think Cal Fire has? How many trained volunteer firefighters do you think we have locally? How many fire engines and crews do you think are available? How do you stop the
wind or the heat and low humidity? And finally, how many of the above do you think it takes to fight just one major fire?
George
Picture looking up the Freshwater Valley from Three Corners. Can’t see Kneeland, and still can’t see the sun. I think it’s darker now than earlier… mask up and headlights on folks…
Folks in Rancho PLEASE evacuate early because that road is so rutted out & narrow it could creat a major traffic jam if people scramble out all @ once A very dangerous situation & could be a potential death trap
Remember when that vehicle caught on fire earlier @ the entrance to Rancho could have been bad & folks realized then the potential danger Be safe Be smart Be prepared
It’s on Calvin Stewart’s ranch headed toward Lone Pine. The have bulldozers and people fighting it. That is what I heard from a friend that’s there.
Godspeed to the people fighting this, and to everyone who is in danger
Double that.
Anybody know how Salmon Creek is? Thomas Road area. Besides a lot of smoke and ash. I would think just because of the quality of the air one should leave? I’m not there. I’m in La. but have a son in that area.
I’m in Salmon Creek reporting from here. The fire is miles and miles away.
What’s scary is how many miles the fire can travel in only hours… I think the LNU fire traveled 20 miles in one night… it might have only been 15, but it moved so fast!
Smoke is bad though right? He is asthmatic…I heard the fire jumped the river at Alderpoint. Not sure where is the best place to go…he is in Eureka now.
Hi, Melanie: there was confirmation the fire did jump the Eel River today, though that’s still a ways from Salmon Creek. I hope your son is able to stay indoors with an air purifier, because it’s “snowing” super-fine ash in So Hum– it’s been dark as dusk all day. Eureka may have better air quality being closer to the coast. Hope everyone stays safe out there.
Just got back from Palo Verde. Around 8-830 I ran into the volunteer firefighters out there. They were hanging out alongside the road and said the fire had not jumped the Eel to the base of Walker Ridge/Palo Verde/Island Mountain. The winds have died down and have shifted to blowing to the South/southeast. Not sure about Alderpoint though.
Bell springs under evacuation,
Don’t blame CalFire! There’s not enough people or aerial assets to handle the load. They’re flying around the clock with what they have! Out of state contractor’s are fighting fires in their own states so there’s less coming here. BTW everyone is hiring for AME’s to keep air tankers and chops flying but the wages have been so low and housing so expensive for seasonal contract employment for years that no one wants to spend 4 years of education to make minimum wages to work around the clock in hazardous environments. Now there’s not enough skilled personnel to fill the cup with a hole in it. Think this might be a good career for you get a FAA A&P certificate from an accredited school to start, 2 years. Then AME, 4 years. And prepare to live out if your truck. Yeah you’ll need about 50k of tool investment and a truck.
Your local contract AME turned pirate.
KMUD update on the hour .. best updates I have found so far.. excellent reporting
??Wow now we have a real reason to wear the masks. Prayers and strength to all those fighting the fires to keep us as safe as possible. And thank you Kym for keeping us updated with the information. ????
We had a good reason before to wear masks: to save other people’s lives from Covid. Now we can also wear them to save our own. Both are valiant reasons.
thank you kym kemp.❤
I can’t believe peeps would be laying blame on FS and CalFire. They have no idea what fire fighters (FFs) are doing, the sacrifices being made. Right now there are about 500 people who are alive because in the last few days they were stupid enough not to heed evacuation orders or tried but didn’t have time to get out. Last night alone the FS and CalFire risked their lives repeatedly to save people from the Bear and Creek fires. To do this they had to drive through walls of flames that would melt their tires if they went to slow. One FF is in critical condition from fire burns. There is no pain like skin melting, yet they do this for low wages and some for almost no wages.
We honor our military soldiers for putting their lives on the line to keep us safe yet that is what FFs do repeatedly, and not for questionable wars in countries far away but for a war that is raging in our backyards. If I was president I’d create a national holiday for them like we do for soldiers and laborers.
All I know is if a fire approaches me I’m gonna be praying there are all whole bunch of them guys running around in head to toe nomex on a hot day risking their lives to keep me safe. And so will all the complainers.
Here is a novel idea you can all argue about. Most of the whole state is on fire with strained resources of personnel and equipment and many weeks or months of fire season left. Why isn’t the military more involved in fire suppression whether it’s people or equipment or both. Sonoma County has spent over 20 million dollars fighting fires these last two weeks. Military spending the last two weeks: 28 billion, with a “b”, dollars. Anyone, like myself, that has spent time in the military knows how much dust collects on unused equipment and personnel.
As of 12 am last night…
The National guard came in 2015 . I remember that afternoon a bunch of clouds just quietly aproached Blocksburg & Alderpoint . In a matter of 15 minutes it let go thunder & lightning. It started five to eight fires instantly . Then the clouds left as calmly as when they came, “clouds on a mission” ?
For a couple weeks or so the fires were going , then the National Guard came with their huge camouflage trucks and things came to a calm hault in less than a week.
Thanks to “EVERY ONE”
who fights fires !