[UPDATE 5:44 p.m.: New Evacuation Orders and Warnings in Trinity County] Firefighters Are Still Keeping the Hopkins Fire Out of Humboldt County

Posted 11:22 a.m.

Looking from the Kettenpom store towards Covelo on September 10. [Photo from a local resident]

Looking from the Kettenpom store towards Covelo on September 10. [Photo from a local resident]

Firefighters kept the Hopkins Fire east of the Main Stem of the Eel River and out of Humboldt County again last night.

The fire has once again had a name change. It is now being called the August Complex West Zone, but is still grouped with the August Complex as part of the largest fire in California history.

We’ll update here as needed.

UPDATE 4:26 p.m.: New evacuation orders and warnings for Trinity County. Click here for the full details: Trinity County Sheriff’s Department Increases Evacuation Orders and Warnings

UPDATE 5:44 p.m.: The Shasta Trinity National Forest requested a strike team, 3576c, to the Ruth Guard Station about an hour ago. This was reported as an immediate need.

The Plan:

Firefighters will be strengthening structure defense for the Hettenshaw Valley, the Kettenpom Valley, and Ruth areas.

The Weather:  

Smoke will help keep the temperatures down into the low seventies in the higher elevations to the low eighties in the lower elevations. Smoke will likely be lighter today and there will be better visibility than yesterday. Expect some wind with light gusts up to 10 mph. Moister air will help firefighters.

The Roads:

Here is the latest information: Information on Highways Closed Due to Fires

The Maps:

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24 Comments
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Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago

I hate that you have had cause to get so proficient at fire reporting they are very helpful. Thank you.

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Thanks for your reporting Kym, It is some comfort to know that you really care, and know that it is important for everyone to feel that they know what is going on, from someone that they can trust.

As I looked around our house, there is ashes everywhere. My brown roof is now grey, my petunias are covered, the deck is so ashed that it gets tracked into the house, and all that I can think is… My God how lucky we are. All we have to deal with is ashes!

Those ashes most undoubtedly contain the ashes of someone else’s home… Or even worse… I can’t bring myself to say what those ashes may contain.

If you are a young and capable person, please consider joining a volunteer fire department. It is not at all as scary as you think. You will be given, free of charge, much, much training. You will discover that you will end up understanding, and how to deal with the dangers and remain safe.

I can honestly say that being a firefighter for 39 years was the best gig of my life, and the most rewarding thing that I have ever done. Think about it, you owe it to yourself to do something worthwhile.

Bushytails
Guest
Bushytails
3 years ago

I used to help out with fundraising back in the day, but never tried for an actual firefighter… I still keep the fundamentals of firefighting skills, vehicle rescue and extrication, and such on my bookshelf, though.

Even if you’re not young and capable, there may be other ways you can help out, like fundraising or maintenance.

researcher
Guest
researcher
3 years ago

But if you’re going to be in the ground force you better be in good shape or start training.

I’ve never worked on a serious out of control rager, but I know that the feeling it gives an FF when they have successfully brought a rager to the ground and tamed it is a feeling they cherish forever. And you’ll be universally loved by all.

AND WE REALLY REALLY NEED YOU.

Chuck U
Guest
Chuck U
3 years ago

We are about 10 miles north and our RH was 78% this morning, hope that keeps up!

Sad to see the comments about the food at the evac center even though grateful. I planted a bunch of extra garden this year to donate to Food For People because of Covid-19 but because of their warehouse being destroyed they won’t accept it. I took 150lbs of produce to the stated evac center at the high school at Van Duzen on Wed during the 2 hours someone was actually there but the Red Cross said they couldn’t accept it. They did let me leave it on the lawn, don’t know what happened to it when they left. If anyone has any ideas to get some to refugees that is legal and won’t go to waste let me know.

Things that make you go hmm...
Guest
Things that make you go hmm...
3 years ago

Omgaaash Kym, you are awesome and amazing ❣️ I haven’t even started to read it yet but I saw that you listed the time of the posting for us who are using a mobile device and cannot hover over the date 😉 I thank you so much!!!! Now please go take a well deserved nap 😴💤

Gimmie a break
Guest
Gimmie a break
3 years ago

Yes, thx Kym for adding the time stamp!!

Guest
Guest
Guest
3 years ago

The largest fire in California history and the one with the most name changes. Yes I realize there were a few that morphed into one but they were changed after that lol…

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
3 years ago

Were they able to save the store in kettenpom. I heard they were giving it one hella fight.

Chuck U
Guest
Chuck U
3 years ago
Reply to  Legallettuce

According to the local Facebook page, from people on the ground, yes. And surrounding houses.

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
3 years ago
Reply to  Chuck U

Sweet, thanks!

Fog Dog
Guest
Fog Dog
3 years ago

Good news! Thank you firefighters!

Dave Kirby
Guest
Dave Kirby
3 years ago

Working in Gville today . Followed three of the big portable restroom and shower trailers headed to the con camp, A number of engine convoys from all over passing thru town headed that way. Reinforcements have arrived. Bless em all.

Dave Kahan
Guest
Dave Kahan
3 years ago
Reply to  Dave Kirby

Over the years, everywhere I went to work on fires, there’s been signs on the roadsides thanking firefighters. Always appreciated, but I have to admit, I kinda got used to it over time. In 2015 I went to work on the Butte fire in Calaveras County that took out about 550 homes. Every day on a state jurisdiction fire (because CAL FIRE does 24 hour shifts, as opposed to 12+ hour for the US Forest Service) there’s huge convoys of fire vehicles and apparatus going in both directions as the shift changes each morning. One day, as we were heading out of camp towards the line, the whole damn town was out on the streets, waving their signs and cheering like we just won the World Series or something. It was awesome; I got choked up.

Chuck U
Guest
Chuck U
3 years ago

Unofficial word is it jumped Horse Ridge east of Ruth and new evacuations from Journey’s end south, and over to Forest Glenn. I am 12 mi north of Horse Ridge, RH 57%, dead calm, heavy smoke.

researcher
Guest
researcher
3 years ago

A new addition to info maps on fire damage. This is for people who have evacuated and want to know if their place survived. From the site;

“Field damage inspection is still ongoing and subject to change. The points shown in this map are being updated regularly. Data is subject to change as information is gathered and verified. The icons on the map indicate the current known status of the structure. If your structure is not identified by an icon, it has not yet been identified.

Addresses may be entered into search bar to find a specific location.”

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d91553ea739b4e8882150bfc19ab7294&extent=-13600251.4551%2C4766414.8856%2C-13365436.9042%2C4870674.9922%2C102100

The above map is only for the North Complex. Looking to see how to get this map on the Slater or Hopkins.

Timmy
Guest
Timmy
3 years ago

Kym code red alert evacuating forest glen and from journeys end to highway 36

researcher
Guest
researcher
3 years ago

The above map is only for the North Complex. Looking to see how to get this map on the Slater or Hopkins.

Michele
Guest
Michele
3 years ago

I think RHBB and Kym Kemp should receive a Pulitzer for timely, accurate and potentially life-saving journalism in a rural area with limited media access. Who will nominate RHBB? There are other awards that may be ‘on point’ as well.

Dave Kahan
Guest
Dave Kahan
3 years ago
Reply to  Michele

I’m nominating her for Queen of the North Coast, at the very least. No, make that Empress. Or, what was it they called the Head Woman in Black Panther? That’ll do.

Sovereign Sally
Guest
Sovereign Sally
3 years ago

My youngest child and I agree: we couldn’t care less.

We – my other half, my children and I – moved up to Humboldt County seeking a kinder, gentler way of life.

What we found was ignorance, bigotry, prejudice, racism, backwoods politics – backwoods lawyers, backwoods judges, too. Rampant unemployment. A culture of informers.

Child Welfare Services and a vindictive Superior Court and a government run by criminals and rentiers [1] leave me with ZERO loyalty to this county or its predatory inhabitants.

As an amateur radio operator I could probably be very valuable to my local volunteer fire department, but I know that the day would come when I would be called upon to protect the home of a local judge or lawyer who had betrayed me, my family, and the United States Constitution, and when that day came, I knew that I would lay down my fire-fighting tools and refuse to fight that fire – and so, to avoid the inevitable controversy, I simply refuse to fight ANY fires.

I encourage everyone else who has been abused by this county, its legal system, or its agencies to consider moving elsewhere. Let this county’s inhabitants drown in their own poisons. Come back after the fire has cleansed it.

You cannot invoke a spirit of community from individuals you have systematically betrayed, repressed, and censored. I’m not part of your community. Nor are any of my descendants. Deal with it.

I think you sanctimonious assholes should contemplate the possibility that God is angry at you. God knows, I am.

Go fight your own fires.

Pay yourselves a dollar a day, too, fuckers.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rentier_capitalism