Progress Being Made on the South Fork Complex Fires

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UPDATED here:

• The South Fork Complex in Eastern Humboldt Near Hyampom Is Now 2,338 acres and Has 20% Containment

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As the South Fork Complex fires continue to burn mostly in Humboldt County, the biggest impact is mostly to residents west of Hyampom in Trinity County. The good news is that the Complex has had very little growth over the last few days.

On the frontlines of the 3-9 Fire, progress has been marked by the construction of a dozer line along its southern perimeter, according to a press release from the National Forest Service. The strategic priority continues to be the southeastern corner, with the intent to shield Hyampom and Lake Mountain Ranch.

The National Forest Service press release says that they are reopening the 3N14 road on the eastern flank. Additional dozer line work is underway, extending from Bennet Peak to the eventual endpoint at Grapevine Creek. The northern boundary, characterized by a dense concentration of snags due to the fire’s location in a 7-year-old burn scar, presents challenges in the safe construction of defensive lines which slows progress.

Across the landscape of the Pilot Fire, substantial strides have been taken. The northwest and southern flanks now have the protection of dozer lines. According to the National Forest Service, although the fire saw two spot overs on the containment line yesterday, they were promptly stopped. Encouragingly, Cal Fire crews have made headway along the southwestern perimeter, particularly on privately owned land. According to the press release, “The Team priority for this fire is the northwest corner to prevent any runs up to the PG&E KV transmission line that supplies electricity to Eureka and surrounding communities on the coast. In some ways this is an easier fire to fight as there is no recent fire history to create snags that complicate safety issues for firefighters.”

Turning attention to the Pellitreau Fire, containment lines have been successfully established, allowing it to enter a patrol status.

Equally promising is the progress made on the Sulfur Fire, which is now under the mop-up and patrol phase.

Stats:

3-9 Fire:400 acres with 0% containment

Pilot Fire: 500 acres with 6% containment

Pelllitreau Fire: 3.4 acres with 100% containment

Sulphur Fire: 33 acres with 75% containment

The Weather:  

According to command staff, “An area of low pressure west of the Bay Area, coupled with increasing tropical moisture from tropical storm Hilary will bring increasing clouds, spotty showers and thunderstorms today and Tuesday. Firefighters will be watching for erratic and gusty winds from thunderstorm outflow and frequent lightning from the storm.”

The Roads:

There are no closed major roads.

The Overview for Northwestern California:

The Maps:

• 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.
  

  South Fork Complex heat map.

Evacuation and Meeting Information:

• There are evacuation warnings in the Hyampom area.  For the most up-to-date information on evacuations in Humboldt County use the evacuation map at https://protect.genasys.com/search. For the most up-to-date information on evacuations in Trinity County go to https://tinyurl.com/29f8uwmk

Other Important Information:

There is a forest closure order. Hunters and other folks who want to visit the area be aware. See here for the closure order. See Map of area here.

• Important links to also watch:
  • Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department
  • Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services
  • Trinity County Sheriff Department 
  • Trinity County Office of Emergency Services
  • Six Rivers National Forest Service
  • Shasta-Trinity National Forest Service
  • InciWeb

Earlier:

• Red Flag Warning Issued as Lightning Strikes Pepper the Emerald Triangle
• Powerful Lightning Storm Leaves Multiple Fires to Combat in Northwestern California
• Lightning-Sparked Wildfires Stretch Resources in Northwestern California; Head Fire in Siskiyou County Estimated Over 3000 Acres
• Wildfires Unleashed on Northwestern California: Thousands of Acres Covered by Flames, Evacuations Ordered Following Lightning Storms
• Red Flag Warning Over the South Fork Complex Mostly Burning in Humboldt County But Threatening Hyampom in Trinity County
• The South Fork Complex, Burning Mainly in Humboldt County but Perched Near Hyampom in Trinity County, Grows