Caught in the Claws: Butler Fire Closes in on Forks of Salmon
“The Butler Fire spotted over the Salmon River July 17 into the Boyd Gulch area.” [Image and caption from InciWeb]
The Butler Fire in the Orleans Complex just east of northern Humboldt County sent spot fires over the hills near the Forks of Salmon overnight forcing the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department to put out urgent evacuation warnings. These orders which came out just after 10 p.m. saying in part, “Anyone in this area is ordered to LEAVE IMMEDIATELY! Evacuate down Cecilville Road. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. GET OUT NOW!”
According to press release from command staff for the Orleans Fire, “Within the main body of the fire west of Salmon River Road, wind and slope alignment led to rapid fire spread—up to a half-mile an hour at times—as the fire moved southward into Fong Wah Gulch, throwing spot fires ahead of the main fire.”
By this morning the Complex had reached 14,342 acres timber with only 2% of the fire contained. This was a jump of over 2500 acres. Fueled by hot weather and rugged terrain, the fire remains highly active, and immediately threatening the small community of the Forks of Salmon area in southwestern Siskiyou County after a 700-acre spot fire crossed the Salmon River Thursday.
In a statement from this morning’s fire briefing, Planning Operations Chief Leif Matthiessen reported ongoing progress in certain sectors but acknowledged the fire’s continued spread: “The fire continues to flank along near the Forks of Salmon Road… Firefighters are on the road with engines just following that along.” He said the plan is to use a piece of dozer line and build out from that to stop the fire’s eastward progression.
Large portions of the fire remain unchecked, and additional tactical fire operations may be launched tonight if conditions permit.
Conditions today remain concerning. According to the National Weather Service, Friday will be sunny and hot, with highs near 95°F and light southwest winds expected in the afternoon. Wildland fire analyst Zeke Lunder of The Lookout warned the fire “has all the ingredients needed for extremely unpredictable spread this afternoon” due to terrain, fuel loads, and weather conditions.
With fire activity expected to escalate throughout the day, emergency responders remain on high alert. For the residents of Forks of Salmon, already under evacuation, Saturday promises to be another tense day as firefighters fight to hold the line.
Stats:
| Total Personnel: | 1253 as of Friday |
|---|---|
| Acres | 14,342 this morning |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 2% this morning |
The Plan:
https://www.facebook.com/SixRiversNF/videos/1847903075793048
The Weather:
Temperatures remain hot, with highs in the mid 90s and some wind. These conditions, combined with extremely dry fuels, continue to pose significant risk for rapid fire spread.
The Maps:
- Map
- 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:
Last night the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department issued urgent evacuation orders. See here: EVACUATION ORDER for Forks of Salmon. There are multiple zones with evacuation warnings and orders. The Sheriff’s Office urges all residents to check their zones at https://protect.genasys.com and to call (530) 340–3539 for shelter assistance for people or animals.
Earlier:
- See more by clicking here
- Butler Fire Threatens Remote Siskiyou Communities, Evacuations and Extreme Heat Complicate Response
- Butler Fire Expands to 8,156 Acres with No Containment; Red Fire Nears Full Control
- Butler Fire Grows to 9,191 Acres, New Evacuation Orders Issued for Forks of Salmon Area
- Butler Fire Surges Across Salmon River, Threatens Forks of Salmon
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This is so awful for locals. So many of us could be in that position so easily. I live in a place with only a single way to leave. It’s a problem that I can’t see easily solved.
BTW RHBB has developed a concise format for valuable information on wildfires and it is much appreciated.
World-class cutting edge wildfire reporting here at RHBB!
I just hope the lack of comments doesn’t make the team feel their work is in vane, I’ve just kept my comments to myself on this one. The evacuation map says enough. Lots of memories up there, that spot run across the river yesterday broke my heart…be safe!
700 acres is a heck of a spot fire.
Things are dicey out there.
Are you safe?
Me, oh yes, I live safely in SoHum. But as Farce would say I have a high level of “misplaced compassion” and I worry about the folks who live in the Forks. I remember being on the front lines of the Canoe Fire and it was ugly.
She’s over in the Eel River Valley… Salmon Creek…kinda near the G’Ville/Redway area. No fires over there (right now).
curious if this is where the smoke is from in bell springs currently
Yes. https://www.weather.gov/eka/AreaSmokeForecast
More than likely.
I was up FH1 today. (Goes from Berry Summit to Hwy 36)
In the morning:
To the West… huge grey smoke layer on top of the coastal fog.
Looked like something from Mordor. I should have stopped and taken a photo.
Dark Blue/Grey smoke was laying the bottom of the valleys.
To the East, Trinity Alps was obscured… that was just a white wall of smoke.
To the South… smoke was bottled up at the head of the Redwood Creek valley…where the ridge crosses over from Snow Camp Ridge to Pilot Ridge.
Further South on South Fork Mountain, you could see way over to the East where the ‘Green Fire’ (Shasta Lake/Fenders Ferry Road) smoke had obscured Bully Choop Mountain… and was headed down the Central Valley.
Mid day… Westerly wind filled in. Drove most of the smoke away.
Turned into a gorgeous summer day. (95F down in the valleys, 85F up on the ridges) .