No Additional Firing Operations Planned on the Pearch Fire as Firefighters Take Advantage of Moisture and Natural Barriers to Contain the 2023 SRF Lightning Complex

Pearch Fire at night on 9.1.23 [Photo from InciWeb]

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Special Note: This update covers 9 of the 19 fires currently being managed as part of the Complexes plus one  new initial attack fire. The remaining 10 fires are listed in the accompanying Complex Overview. Those fires,  totaling 1,746 acres, are contained and in patrol status. They are checked daily, and their size and containment  status are unlikely to change. 

Current Situation: The 19 fires in this incident total 16,478 acres and overall containment is 20%. The nine  uncontained fires described below total 14,731 acres. Hog Fire and Lost Fire are in Redwood National and State  Parks. All other fires described in this update are in Six Rivers National Forest. 

Hog Fire (0.2 acres) – This is a new fire detected on Saturday in the southern end of the National Park. It was  an initial attack assisted by the Rocky Mountain team and is not an official part of the Complex. The fire is a  lightning strike in a single cedar tree. The burning tree has been felled and the fire is lined and in mop up status. 

Lost Fire (722 acres, 55% contained) – Indirect line construction has been completed on the north side of the  fire in Division AA. A short portion of the fire perimeter in the northwest corner is too steep and rocky to safely  put firefighters in. The current focus of activity on this fire is backhaul of unneeded equipment for use in other  areas. 

Pearch Fire (4486 acres, 5% contained) – Crews are continuing to mop up and secure firelines in the southeast  portion of the fire in Division Z and to improve lines in the southwest corner in Division J. No additional firing  operations are planned on the fire at this time. The structure protection group is conducting structure  assessments along the Salmon River corridor to the east of the fire in Division Y. These will be compiled into a  product that will be useful to local agencies in the event of any future emergencies. Hoses, sprinklers, and other  structure equipment have been deployed in some locations as a preventative measure, 

Bluff #1 (1993 acres, 0% contained) and Mosquito (2447 acres, 5% contained) Fires – Mastication on an  indirect fireline north of Mosquito Fire is done and chipping occurred yesterday. A dozer line along a portion of  Bean Ridge has been cleaned up, and hand crews will extend the line further northeast to Highway 96. The east  side of Mosquito Fire is contained by direct line along the Cedar Camp Road in Division M. An indirect line has been completed westward from the southeast corner of Mosquito Fire in Division M. Mastication has been  completed along an indirect line that runs from north of Bluff #1 Fire, along the west side of that fire, and  southward in Division N. The plan is to connect the south end of this line to the line running west of Mosquito  Fire with handline starting today. Four chippers will be working to remove slash from the masticated indirect  lines, with an expected four days of operations needed. 

Blue Creek #2 (2898 acres, 0% contained), Marlow (1491 acres, 0% contained), and Copper (619 acres, 0%  contained) Fires – These fires are being patrolled by aerial resources as weather conditions allow. They are  bounded by indirect control lines to the east and south, and significant movement of these fires is not expected.

Monument (2 acres, 0% contained) and Let er-Buck (73 acres, 0% contained) Fires – Due to limited values  at risk, the remote, steep terrain and associated safety concerns for our firefighters, and the low probability of  success using standard suppression tactics, these fires are being addressed with a confinement strategy. Terrain,  natural fire barriers such as rock outcroppings, and old fire footprints where fuels are limited will be used to  confine fire growth until season ending precipitation extinguishes the fires. These fires are checked regularly by  aerial patrols to ensure they remain within acceptable bounds, and little to no fire growth has been observed. 

Weather: Following 0.5 to 0.75 inches of rain across the Complexes over the past few days, today will bring a  10% chance of precipitation with decreasing clouds. A warming, drying trend begins today and will intensify  over the next several days. Temperatures will be seasonal in the 60s and 70s. Winds will be light from the west. 

For information on Closures, Evacuations, and Alert Notifications please see the accompanying Complex  Overview. 

Fire Information Contacts 

Phone: 530-536-0767 | Email: [email protected]  

InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/casrf-2023-srf-lightning-complex Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2023SRFRedwoodLightning 

Redwood National and State Parks Information Hotline: Phone: 707-464-6101  

https://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/conditions.htm  

Hoopa Information Hotline: Phone: 530-618-2995 | Email: [email protected] More Fire Information Links: www.linktr.ee/srffirepio

From the Supplemental Update:

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
• Lost Fire Near Orick Continues to Blaze Uncontained and Unnoticed in the Midst of Wildfire Overload
• Wildfires from Orleans to Orick to Hoopa United Under New Name and One Command
• From Hoopa to Siskiyou and Over to Orick–the Six Rivers 2023 Lightning Fires Current Situation
• Firefighters Battle Lightning Complex in Humboldt County
• Six Rivers Lightning Complex: Much More Active Yesterday and More Activity Expected Today
• Rainfall Offers Hope to the Six Rivers National Forest 2023 Lightning Complex
• After Recent Lightning Storm, Five New Fires Added to 2023 Six Rivers Lightning Complex, Bringing Total to 17 Fires
• Pearch Fire and Several Unstaffed Fires Remain Uncontained in the 2023 Six Rivers National Forest Complex
• 2023 SRF Lightning Complex Sees New Evacuation Orders as the Pearch Fire Remains Untamed
• Firefighters Act Quickly to Extinguish New Fire in 2023 SRF Lightning Complex (16,478 Acres, 20% Contained)