Hill Fire: Hotter, Drier Weather Could Be Problematic Today

The moon and sky turned glowed red last night over the #HillFire due to the rising smoke from the tactical burning operations off 6NO6 Road. [Image from 2024 Hill Fire Facebook]

Favorable weather patterns earlier in the week allowed firefighters to gain a better position and increase containment. According to the Incident Command’s press release, “Tactical firing along Forest Road 6N06 on the eastern boundary of the fire has enabled crews to create as much as 200 feet of depth between the fireline and the primary fire expanding the fire footprint 7074 acres. This strategic approach continued with unmanned aircraft assisting in the evening, further extending the depth.”

It added, “Crews have successfully connected these firing operations with a combination of dozer and hand lines connecting to Mosquito Creek and the western edge of the fire.”  Firefighters are now working on extinguishing hot spots.

However, the forecast predicts rising temperatures and lower relative humidity in the coming days, and “fire activity is expected to increase.” Today, the temperature could climb to 100 and in areas the humidity could be near 20%–which is challenging to say the least.

The Incident Command noted, “Structure defense teams remain active to identify potential risks and implement mitigation strategies as part of the larger contingency plan.”

Below, we’ve gathered information about the fire and organized it:

Stats:

Today’s Total Resources:

Yesterdays Total Resources:

The Plan:

The Weather:  

According to InciWeb, “High pressure will peak today with heat approaching 100 and relative humidity near 20 percent in clear valley. Smoke, especially on the east side will generally moderate conditions, but still expect to be hotter and drier than yesterday. Increased lift will help disperse smoke but weak and battling winds switching from south to north will not be favorable to efficient smoke transport.  Compressing inversion will bring poorer overnight recoveries to mid-elevations. Despite high pressure at the surface, instability and moisture aloft will bring a slight chance of dry thunderstorms by early Wednesday morning.”

The Roads, etc:

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.

Evacuation and Meeting Information:

• Click here for the latest evacuation information from Humboldt County
• Click here for information the next meeting.

Earlier:

• Lightning Activity Starts Fires in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
• At Least 50 Lightning Strikes in the Six Rivers National Forest Cause Multiple Fires
• Evacuations as the Hill Fire South of Willow Creek Grows
• Hill Fire in Humboldt County Jumps to 3,437 Acres, 0% Containment
• Extreme Fire Behavior Possible on the Hill Fire Today Due to Weather Conditions
• Hill Fire Grows to about 4600 Acres, Still 0% Containment
• Pyrocumulus Cloud Forming Over the Hill Fire Early Today
• Firefighters Still Have 0% Containment on the Hill Fire Burning South of Willow Creek
• New Evacuations in Place as Hill Fire Continues to Grow
• Brand New Evacuation Orders and Warnings Issued This Afternoon on the Hill Fire
• Hill Fire Grows to 5,563 Acres with 4% Containment
• Hill Fire Barely Grew Yesterday as Firefighters Slowly Corral It