McFarland Fire Spreads to Nearly 16,000 Acres

[Photo by Scott Taylor taken the night of Aug 1/2]

The Sheriff’s Office warned Post Mountain and Trinity Pines communities yesterday to be ready to evacuate. However, this morning, reports over the scanner indicate that the Forest Service and Post Mountain VFD are on the scene of an approximately two acre fire in the Trinity Pines area.

Because of the number of large fires burning in northern California at the moment, minimal resources were on the fire overnight. According to a press release from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Public Affairs Office,

The McFarland Fire grew rapidly yesterday with moderate to high fire intensity that actively backed down steep drainages and then exploded in a slope-reversal with crowning in tree canopies and spotting 200-300 feet ahead of the fire perimeter. Fire on the northern edge pushed towards Highway 36 and has burned up to the highway in several places. Dozer lines were built in this area to halt fire spread and are currently holding.  Fire growth doubled what the fire behavior models predicted. Firefighters are working hard to contain this fire.

Overnight, firefighters were able to hold the fire from crossing Highway 36.  There were small spot fires that crossed the line but were quickly extinguished by crews.

Today, firefighters will continue to work towards containment which may be aided by the August Complex Fire burn scar from 2020.  Temperature in the fire area will be warmer by 3-5 degrees with critically low relative humidity (RH) between 8 to 12%. Mostly light, terrain driven winds are expected over the lower elevations of the fire with southeast winds over the higher elevations. Gusty afternoon gap winds are common in this topography and are expected in and adjacent to major drainages and canyons. The combination of these hot temperatures and very low RH will create critical fire weather conditions over the fire through Wednesday.

The fire is located within both Shasta County and Trinity County. Smoke could impact Hayfork to the North, Yolla Bolla Middle Eel wilderness to the south and the Sacramento Valley to the east. The fire will also be producing large amounts of smoke that could increase threat to the health and breathing concerns for the northern Sacramento Valley.

EVACUATION ORDERS AND WARNINGS:

Fuels are critically dry causing fire conditions to be extreme and is causing the fire to be fast-moving. Residents are urged to heed Warnings and Orders for their own safety. If you are in the fire area, continue to monitor the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office Facebook account and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Facebook and Twitter accounts for important updates.

The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office issued an EVACUATION ORDER for the town of Wildwood, CA.  Evacuation areas are SR 36 at Wildwood Canyon Road and north on Wildwood Road for 10 miles.

An Evacuation Warning has been issued for the community of Post Mountain near the junction of the 36 and the 3 and the community of Trinity Pines.

Nearby residences and commercial properties will continue to be threatened and there is the possibility of further evacuations east and west along the 36…

Forest visitors are reminded that fire restrictions remain in effect prohibiting building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire. For more information visit:

Inciweb:https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7746
Twitter:@ShastaTrinityNF
Facebook: @ShastaTrinityNF
Email: [email protected]
Fire Information Line: (530) 330-4048 (8am-8pm daily)

Compelling Imagery:

Smoke from the McFarland Fire as seen from SoHum yesterday. [Photo from Linda Dillon]

Smoke pouring over the hill towards Hwy 36 yesterday. [Photo from the Shasta Trinity National Forest]

The Weather:  

Hot and dry weather could challenge firefighters again today. Temperatures could reach 96 degrees in Wildwood today, according to the National Weather Service. The humidity could drop as low as 14%. Luckily, wind isn’t predicted to be a factor today.

The Roads:

Hwy 36 is closed from White Rock to the junction with Hwy 3. The Wildwood Road is closed from Hwy 36 to Hwy 3.Caltrans suggests choosing alternate routes. See here for alternate routes.

For the most current road conditions, click here.

The Maps:

• Public Map
• 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.

Evacuation Information:

EVACUATION CENTER:

First Baptist Church
1261 Main Steet
Weaverville, CA

This center is also serving evacuees from the Monument Fire.  Those who are evacuating take precaution as there are emergency vehicles working in the area.

UPDATE: Shasta County Sheriff Issues Evacuation Warnings for Residents Along Hwy 36 in Western Shasta Because of McFarland Fire

Earlier Chapters:

• 40 to 50 Acre Wildfire South of Hwy 36 in Trinity County
• Yesterday, Wind, Rain, and Hail Didn’t Stop Three Fires in Trinity County
• Evacuation Warning Issued by Trinity County Sheriff’s Office for McFarland Fire
• Evacuation Warning Still in Effect on McFarland Fire Near Hwy 36
• Evacuation Orders Issued for Wildwood in Trinity County; Hwy 36 Being Closed
• Evacuation Warning for Post Mountain and Trinity Pines