August Complex: Firefighters Struggle Against Tough Weather Conditions to Keep Fire South of Hwy 36

Pyrocumulous cloud by Lake Pillsbury about 6:55 p.m. yesterday [Screenshot from AlertWildfire]

The north end of the fire is pushing towards Hwy 36 and will likely reach there either today or tomorrow so if you need to travel east through Hwy 36 please keep alert for any updates. “What we’d like to do is keep that fire south of Highway 36 and keep that highway open,” said Incident Commander Norm McDonald. “But I think one thing we’ve got to get across is that it’s going to be a tough order, considering the fire behavior that we have and the weather conditions that we having coming over the next few days.”

The south end of the fire is burning to the north west of the Pillsbury Ranch and the Mill Creek area.

Containment has grown along the west side of the fire. It is now 40% contained. Over 2100 personnel are assigned just to the west portion of the fire.

Information from the management team over the North Zone of the August Complex:

Critical fire weather is expected today and Thursday as a trough of low pressure moves through the area. Winds out of the southwest at 10-20 mph are expected to clear the air on the western portion of the fire, and aid firefighters working around and north of Ruth. Helicopters and airtankers will be working today as the inversion lifts this morning. These winds, gusting to 25 mph on the ridges, will also challenge containment lines on the north and west perimeter. Spotting up to 1 mile ahead of the fire is possible.

The “surge resources”, Type 2IA fire crews on loan from other fires, are working day and night to strengthen the dozer lines south of Highway 36, handline down from Rattlesnake Ridge, and contingency dozer line along the 29 Road to the east of the fire. The North Structure Group continues to work to improve access in Post Mountain/Trinity Pines, and widen the existing fuel break that the Forest Service has built surrounding the community. Dozer lines are nearly complete to the south and west of these communities.

“What we’d like to do is keep that fire south of Highway 36 and keep that highway open,” said Incident Commander Norm McDonald. “But I think one thing we’ve got to get across is that it’s going to be a tough order, considering the fire behavior that we have and the weather conditions that we having coming over the next few days.”

Yesterday, improved air quality allowed helicopters and airtankers to assist crews working on the ground above Ruth. Heavy equipment bosses are working with dozer crews to cut two lines above Ruth Lake. Strategic firing operations are also being used while winds and weather are favorable to strengthen these lines and protect the homes and businesses there. Structure assessment and protection is ongoing in the area.

The winds that cleared the air in Ruth and Forest Glen are bringing increased smoke to the communities to the north and east of the fire. Air quality is expected to remain poor in Post Mountain, Trinity Pines and Hayfork through Thursday evening, when winds are expected to shift again to the northwest.

Although resources are limited, engines crews continue to patrol and mop up portions of the perimeter on the east and west portions of the North Zone. This includes the control lines south of Ruth and in the west near Yolla Bolly.

The Plan:

The North side plan from the U.S. Forest Service – Shasta-Trinity National Forest as of yesterday evening: (About 50 minutes long with a lot of details for those who want to understand the battles firefighters are making.)

A shorter version here: Summary from the Forest Service:

Crews continue to work in Kettenpom area to mop up by identifying and cooling hot spots. Crews in the Ruth Valley, firefighters are bringing fire down on the dozerline to improve structure protection efforts. If there is clear air in the Ruth Valley aircraft will be able to support the firefighters’ efforts in that area. In the South Fork Trinity River area, firefighters have the area lined with hoses and are working to tie that into State Route 36 as the fire progresses slowly down the hill. State Route 36 has been selected as the primary control line. In Post Mountain, structure preparation continues including adding portable water tank “pumpkins” into that area that to support hose lines throughout that area. Crews continue to mop up on the east side of the North Zone. The southwest corner near Nielson Place is part of the West Zone, managed by CAL FIRE where crews are making good progress to increase containment.

For the west plan see here:

See below for information on the South Zone:

The Images:

“We love you firefighters.” A 30 foot long banner was unfurled last night near Rancho Sequoia in southeastern Humboldt. [Photo by LaDonna Avera]

The Smoke:

The Roads: