Firefighters Struggling to Hold the Southwest and North Line of the August Complex

POSTED 9:27 a.m.

“Yesterday, Soldiers attached to the @RuggedSix, carry hoses & equipment to create a grid line to search for hotspots working to ensure a wildfire does not reignite at the #AugustComplex fire in @MendocinoNF.” [Photo from US Army North Twitter]
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WEDNESDAY, September 16th’s updates: Click here:

• August Complex Grows to Almost 800,000 Acres

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Yesterday, firefighters fought several challenging battles against the August Complex. The fire forced new evacuations to the northeast in the Forest Glen area along Hwy 36. And new evacuations to the southwest in the Eden Valley area of Mendocino County.

The massive behemoth of a fire is now 755,603 acres and 30% contained. All of that containment though is on the eastern side of the fire and away from Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino Counties.

Winds pushed the fire north yesterday. The northern part of the fire had spotting that jumped a mile to a mile and a half in front of the fire.

Areas to watch today are the Ruth Lake to Forest Glen area, the Zenia and Kettenpom area, and down in the southwest toe of the fire burning in Mendocino County, the Eden Valley area.

A bit of good news is that firefighters are hopeful that the area around Covelo may be the first area on the west side of the fire to get a black containment line. The fire continues to stay east of the Main Stem of the Eel River and out of Humboldt County.

The Plan:

Below is this morning’s briefing in Ukiah which looks from north to south on the west side of the August Fire.

The Weather:  

In Mendocino County the temperatures could reach 90 degrees but mostly the temperature in the areas of the fire, from the top to the bottom, will be low seventies to low eighties. Winds could gust as high as 17 mph over parts of the fire. Mostly the wind will be coming from the south and southwest so in general the fire will move to the north and northeast.

The Smoke:

Less smoke today which is good for lungs and allows aircraft to fight the fire but it allows sun to heat the vegetation and makes the fire grow faster.

The Images:

Soldiers in the US Army working on the August Complex.

Yesterday, Soldiers attached to the @RuggedSix, carry hoses & equipment to create a grid line to search for hotspots working to ensure a wildfire does not reignite at the #AugustComplex fire in @MendocinoNF. #FireYear2020@NIFC_Fire | @DeptofDefense
? @USArmy Spc Michael Ybarra pic.twitter.com/v0YpA4jkQH

— U.S. Army North #JFLCCresponds (@USArmyNorth) September 15, 2020

https://www.facebook.com/FlowerMoundFireDepartment/posts/2719772168265716

The Roads:

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

The Meetings:

• August Complex-North Zone:  Virtual Community Meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020.The meeting will be live streamed on:
  • Shasta-Trinity National Forest Facebook @ShastaTrinityNF
  • Six Rivers National Forest Facebook @SixRiversNF
  • Mendocino National Forest Facebook @MendocinoNF
• August Complex-West Zone: Virtual Community Meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020.The meeting will be live streamed on:
  • Cal Fire Medocino Facebook: @CALFIREMEU

The Maps:

• Public Information Map –to see details zoom in. PIO_E_Port_AugustComplexWestZone_20200915_1245_CAMEU10843
• Operations Map –to see details either zoom or click on the map and download a pdf.
• KMZ Map–Zoom for detail or for 3D imagery, click on the map and download a file that connects with your Google Earth program. [Click the photo for the North KMZ files. Click here for the South KMZ files.]
• Humboldt County’s Interactive map
• Mendocino County’s Interactive map

Evacuation Area information:

• • Trinity County: See interactive map
  • Mendocino County: See map
  • Humboldt County: See interactive map

USEFUL Information:

• Evacuation for animals Humboldt: “If you have a need to evacuate animals please contact the Humboldt County Fairgrounds to arrange for drop off. HCF is also arranging for trailers if needed to transport animals. Please call 707-496-8841.”
• Evacuations for animals Mendocino:
  • The Laytonville rodeo grounds are open for livestock. They are located at Harwood Road Laytonville, call ahead at 707-984-8100
  • Covelo Rodeo Grounds for small/large animals/livestock (22830 S. Airport Road in Covelo)
• Evacuation place for Trinity residents:
  • Humboldt Fairgrounds in Ferndale.
• Evacuation place for Humboldt residents:
  • • The Mateel Community Center located at 59 Rusk Lane is an evacuation shelter. “Small pets are welcome with leashes outside the hall, no pets are allowed inside the hall due to potential allergy reactions for some individuals.  For more information about the ongoing fire evacuation center located at the Mateel visit mateel.org.
    • The Northern California Regional Evacuation Shelter at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds in Ferndale is discontinuing overnight sheltering operations due to the absence of demand for on-site overnight sheltering of evacuees…The Humboldt County Fairgrounds will return to functioning as a Temporary Evacuation Point for persons evacuated from Humboldt and Trinity counties due to wildfire activity. See more by clicking here.

      

      Ferndale Fairgrounds Evacuation Center

  • Redwood Acres is preparing to take in fire evacuees, both livestock and those who have an RV or are willing to camp.
  • Fire Evacuation Information Line at 707-268-2500 for questions regarding current county evacuations and resources.
• Evacuation place for Mendocino Residents-
  • Covelo High School for people (76280 High School Street)
  • The Laytonville rodeo grounds are open for livestock. They are located at Harwood Road Laytonville, call ahead at 707-984-8100 Harwood Hall is also open for residents feeling the Hopkins fire. They are located 44400 Willis Ave, Laytonville
• You can listen to Trinity County Scanner by clicking here Trinity County Public Safety
• You can listen to Southern Humboldt County Scanner by clicking here Humboldt County Law, Fire and EMS – Eureka and South
• You can listen to Mendocino County Scanner by clicking here Mendocino County Sheriff, Fire, EMS, Cal Fire and CHP
• Good fire and smoke info here: Click here. (Please remember the info here isn’t always up to date. If you are given an evacuation order, leave–no matter what this says.)
• Good Social Media Site–FIRE EVACUEE INFO – Humboldt/Northern Mendo/Trinity Fires: Click here
• Water Station Open for Fire Evacuees at Rio Dell City Hall
• The Humboldt Transit Authority is currently offering regular services to Southern Humboldt County.
• Wildfire Evacuation Checklist
  • 15 minute packlist
  • 30 minute packlist
  • Sixty and 120 minute packlist
• Number to call for information on evacuation in Humboldt County=707-268-2500

How You Can Help:

• GoFundMe for Trinity County’s Southern Trinity VFD. Click here.
• If you would like to donate, the addresses for Southern Humboldt Fire Departments can be accessed by clicking here.
• To volunteer or donate to assist regional wildfire evacuees, please contact:
  • Pay it Forward Humboldt
    • Volunteer: 707-499-2364
    • Donation: 707-499-3840
    • [email protected]
  • Humboldt Area Foundation
    • Hafoundation.org
  • American Red Cross
    • Redcross.org
  • Humboldt CERT
    • Humboldtcert.com

Earlier Chapters:

• Evacuation Warnings Sent to Southeastern Humboldt–Island Mountain, Palo Verde, Alderpoint, and Harris–as August Complex Spreads West
• Fire Forcing Evacuations in Three Forks, South of Ruth Lake
• Hopkins Fire in the August Complex Burning in Trinity County and Moving Towards Humboldt
• Elkhorn Fire (New Name for Fire Causing Evacuations in Trinity, Humboldt, and Mendocino) Slowed With Cooler Weather
• Wind Shift Helps Keep Fire East of the Main Stem of the Eel River This Afternoon But Drives ‘Erratic Fires’ in Zenia/ Kettenpom area
• Good News: Hopkins Fire–Still Holding East of the Main Eel River, Lots of New Resources on the Ground, and Rain Predicted Next Week
• Reinforcements Arriving! Firetrucks From Texas in SoHum
• Last Night, Firefighters Fought a Battle for the Community of Ruth as They Conducted a Firing Operation on the Hopkins Fire in the Massive August Complex
• Northern California Regional Evacuation Shelter established for wildfire evacuees
• Trinity County Sheriff’s Department Increases Evacuation Orders and Warnings
• Evacuation Orders Downgraded for Hopkins Fire, Some Progress Made, and Firefighters Say, ‘We Feel Loved, But, Please, No More Food’
• Firefighters Are Still Keeping the Hopkins Fire Out of Humboldt County
• Possible Light in the Tunnel of Ash for Growers: Law Enforcement, Cal Fire, and OES Working on a Plan to Allow Cultivators Access to Their Cannabis Crops
• Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Issues New Evacuation Orders for Their Residents
• Dangerous Fire Weather Today in the Areas Between Ruth Lake and Island Mountain
• Pyrocumulous Cloud Formed in the North Fire Areas Yesterday and the Main Complex Pushed About Five Miles Westward Forcing New Evacuations in Mendocino County
• Trinity County Sheriff’s Department Issues More Evacuations Orders for Forest Glen and Warnings for Post Mountain and Trinity Pines
• Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Issues New Evacuation Orders
• Evening Update on the North Zone of the August Complex
• Evening Update on the West Side of the August Complex
• Firefighters Struggling to Hold the Southwest and North Line of the August Complex