Two Spot Fires From the Monument Fire Jumped the New River This Evening

Firefighters on the Monument Fire. Photo from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Facebook page]

Information from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Facebook page:

The August 20 evening update for the #MonumentFire North Zone. For a South Zone update, go to the CAL FIRE Shasta Trinity Unit Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CALFIRESHU
Acreage on the Monument Fire decreased slightly on Friday to 142,066 acres while containment increased to 16%. The decrease of almost 200 acres was due to better mapping. There are 1,429 personnel working on the fire.

While a blanket of smoke from fires burning to the north shaded the fire from the sun and limited fire behavior much of the day, that changed early in the evening when two spot fires were reported west of the New River in the area of Bell Flat. Fire managers initiated a quick and aggressive response, deploying a strike team of five engines and a six-person squad to attack the fires on the ground while three helicopters made water drops from the air to slow the spread of the two fires. Helicopters dropped more than 51,000 gallons of water on the two spot fires in the matter of about two hours. Firefighters were still battling the two spot fires at the time of this report.

Fire managers are trying to keep the fire east of the New River and prevent it from advancing toward the communities of Denny, Hawkins Bar and Trinity Village, which are currently under an evacuation warning. The fire is backing down the west side of Ironside Mountain and six firefighters had hiked in earlier in the day to patrol the area for spot fires.

Elsewhere, two bulldozers began pushing a dozer line down Big Creek Ridge to the New River and progressed about one-quarter mile before being pulled out due to potentially hazardous fire behavior. Firefighters also attacked two small slop-over fires that popped up along Big Creek Road. Unlike a spot fire, which is a small fire ignited by ember showers cast ahead of the main fire, a slop-over is an existing fire that crosses a control line or natural barrier intended to confine it.

Further east, two firefighters hiked into a pair of spot fires that were discovered east of the North Fork Trinity River three days ago. They reported little movement or fire activity. A drone equipped with infrared technology was used to get a better look at the fires and gauge heat intensity and little heat was detected. Fire managers want to keep the fire west of the North Fork to prevent any possibility of it moving toward Weaverville. Firefighters also continued cutting brush and hazard trees along the East Fork and Hobo Gulch roads. The roads are being prepared as possible control lines and firefighters have almost progressed as far north as Hobo Gulch Campground.

Fire managers also scouted a dozer line constructed by CAL FIRE north of Weaverville about 10 days ago to determine if it can be extended to the northeast. The dozer line parallels Felter Gulch Road and could be used as a control line in the event the fire jumps the North Fork Trinity River and East Fork Road toward Weaverville.

On the south side of the North Zone, the containment line along the powerline north of Pattison Ridge is holding and firefighters are working to deepen the line by mopping up farther into the burned area. That section of line is now considered contained. Dozers continued construction of a dozer line west across Pattison Ridge and turned the corner to push south down the Pattison Ridge Jeep Trail. Fire managers are scouting for a good route to tie the dozer line into another dozer line that CAL FIRE is pushing in west of Hayfork. The goal is to box in a portion of uncontained line to the east of Pattison Ridge.
Firefighters continued to patrol and mop up a firing operation conducted in the Underwood area along the N60 Road near Chaparral Mountain three days ago. A drone equipped with an infrared camera was used to look for hot spots in the burn area and none were found.

Firefighters also pulled the majority of hose around structures that were protected along the Highway 299 corridor in Big Bar, Del Loma and Burnt Ranch.
Photo: The Fairbanks #1 Type 2 Crew from Fairbanks, Alaska walks into the setting sun along FSR 60 in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest on Thursday, August 19, 2021. Andy Lyon/Alaska Incident Management Team

Evacuation and Help Information Including Community Meetings:

• Evacuation Centers are at
  • The American Red Cross is opening a shelter for #DixieFire and #MonumentFire evacuees at Shasta College, 1155 Old Oregon Trail, Building 1900, #Redding, CA.
  • The shelter at Trinity Valley Elementary School will move to Willow Creek Bible Church, 39 Barannan Mountain Road, Willow Creek, CA 95573.
  • Trinity County Fairgrounds announced, “Evacuees: The Fairgrounds is currently Open, if you have vehicles, boats, trailers, etc. that you would like to move to our parking lot please complete a form, located on our bulletin board and put into the mailbox. Everyone is welcome to use this space if you feel it is safer than your property.”
• Areas under Evacuation Warning are
  • In effect for Weaverville, Douglas City, areas south from Barker Mountain
  • Hayfork–South section (See here for details)
• Areas under Evacuation Order are:
  • Barker Mountain
  • Big Bar
  • Big Flat
  • Burnt Ranch
  • Canyon Creek
  • Cedar Flat
  • Coopers Bar
  • Del Loma
  • Areas Northwest of the Hayfork Summit (See here)
  • Hayfork–north section (See here for details)
  • Helena
  • Junction City east to Oregon Summit including:
    • La Grange Road,
    • Castle Road
    • Slattery Gulch Road
  • Red Hill
  • Sky Ranch Road
• Anyone impacted by Wildfires in Trinity County can receive free referral support, group support, and one-on-one crisis intervention by reaching out to (530) 461-0257 and [email protected].
• According to the Trinity County Animal Shelter, “If you are being evacuated and need help moving or a place to take large animals please call either the sheriffs office at 530.623.2611 or us here at the shelter at 530.623.1370.” More information here: Animal Shelter Evacuation Information From the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department
  •  In addition, Domestic + Large Animals can be taken to the Hoopa Rodeo Grounds on Pine Creek Rd in Hoopa, CA. Click here for a map. 
  • Trinity County Animal Shelter, 563 Mountain View St, Weaverville, CA
• Mandatory evacuations caused by fast moving wildfires in the local area have resulted in the temporary closures of several Trinity County Post Offices. Customers impacted by these closures may pick-up mail at alternative locations. See details below:

Earlier Chapters:

• Evacuation Warnings Issued for Del Loma Area Along Hwy 299; 1000 Acres and 0% Contained
• Hwy 299 Closed at Big Bar Due to the Monument Fire
• Hwy 299 Reopens, But ‘Subject to Closure at Any Time’
• Trinity County Sheriff Issues Evacuation Orders Tonight in Big Bar Area as Monument Fire Grows; Hwy 299 Closed!
• Breakout Spots From the Monument Fire Crossed 299 and Trinity River, Threaten Structures
• [UPDATE 6:52 p.m.: Monument Fire Now 9000 Acres, 0% Contained] Evacuation Order for Cedar Flat and Evacuation Warning for Burnt Ranch Areas Along Hwy 299
• Monument Fire’s Behavior Causes Sheriff to Issue Evacuation Warning for Big Flat
•  Monument Fire Grows Another 6000 Acres, Now at 15,000 and 0% Contained
• Monument Fire Grows Over 2500 Acres Today
• About 240 Customers Without Power as the Monument Fire Continues to Disrupt the Lives of the Small Communities Along Hwy 299
• Monument Grew Another 7000 Acres to Almost 25,000 and Remains Uncontained
• Evacuation Warning For Helena, Junction City, Coopers Bar, Red Hill, and Canyon Creek
• Trinity County Sheriff Issued an Evacuation Order for Big Flat
• Monument Fire: New Evacuation Orders and Warnings as Fire Ramped Up Activity Today
• Structures in the Tiny Tourist Town of Big Flat Burned as Monument Fire Swallows Another 10,000 Acres, Still 0% Contained
• Trinity County Sheriff’s Office Issues Evacuation Order for Helena
• Monument Fire Grows to 42,567 Acres, Still 0% Containment
• Spot Fire Northwest of Junction City
• Monument Fire Just Under 50,000 Acres and 0% Contained as It Spread Quickly Overnight
• Monument Fire Surpasses 50,000 Acres
• Evacuation Order Issued for Burnt Ranch Area
• Temporary Evacuation Point Set Up for Evacuees From the Monument Fire
• Monument Fire Captures Just Under 58,000 Acres, Firefighters Hold at 3% Containment
• Thirty-One Structures Destroyed so Far as the Monument Fire Takes 62,490 Acres
• After a Night Where the Fire Grew a Mile to the East in One Area, Red Flag Warning Will Challenge Crews Battling the Monument Fire Today
• Red Flag Conditions Again Today as Monument Fire Closes in on 75,000 Acres With Only 5% Containment
• Monument Fire Swells Another 4000 Acres; Containment Remains at 5%
• Wind and Hot Dry Temperatures Could Challenge Crews on the Monument Fire Particularly on the East Side Today
• The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office Issued an Evacuation Order on the Monument Fire for Sky Ranch Road
• Leaping Almost 15,000 Acres Since Yesterday, the Monument Fire Closes in on 100,000 Acres
• As Monument Fire Grows, Trinity County Sheriff’s Department Issues an Evacuation Warning for Wildwood Road to Hayfork Summit
• New Evacuation Orders Issued on the Monument Fire (MAP)
• Monument Fire Roars Over Another 22,000 Acres in the Last Day
• Smoke From Fires Cooled Temperatures and the Monument Fire Had a Calmer Day Than Expected
• Monument Fire Continues to Push Towards Hayfork, Growing Almost 7000 Acres Overall
• Monument Fire Grows About 6000 Acres; With the Wind Changing, the Fire Is Expected to Move to the West Today