HAPPY CAMP FIRE UPDATE U.S. Forest Service Klamath National Forest 1711 South Main Street Yreka CA 96097 Voice: 530-842-6131 Email: [email protected] News Release Fire Information: (530) 493-1510 Web: fs.usda.gov/klamath inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4078 Happy Camp Complex August 22, 2014 9:00 PM Inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4078 Date Started: August 11, 2014 Size: approximately 15,550 acres Percent Contained: 15% Total Personnel: 1, 539 Community Meetings: Two community meetings will be held August 23. One will be held at 7 p.m. at the Salmon/Scott River Ranger District Office located at 11263 N. Highway 3, Fort Jones, California. The other will be held at 7 p.m. at the Karuk Tribe Senior Nutrition Center, located at 64101 Second Avenue in Happy Camp, California 96039. Operational update: A weak inversion layer settled over the fire area throughout the morning—resulting in moderate fire activity. As the inversion layer lifted in the early afternoon fire activity picked up and made a push to the south towards Doolittle Ridge. Frying Pan Fire: The Frying Pan Fire now totals 13,696 acres. Fire movement will continue to the east toward Grider Ridge and south toward Doolittle Ridge. The fire is also slowly backing down toward Elk Creek and China Grade roads. Due to extremely dry weather conditions, heavy fuels, steep slopes, and roll-out of burning materials, fire growth is expected to continue. The main body of the fire has merged with the East Fork/Elk Creek spot fire located south of East Fork Elk Creek Road (45N19) and Forest Road 15N09. Firefighters have begun structure assessment in the Scott River area. Falkstein: Reduced solar radiation has moderated fire spread in the last few days. The fire is expected to continue backing north into Grider Creek and south into Stones Valley. Fire behavior on the Falkstein Fire will increase if the plume from the Frying Pan fire does not continue to shade the area. Kemper: This fire remains at 185 acres with 60% containment. Fire Behavior: Fire activity is expected to moderate after sunset with a low rate of spread and intensity level. The inversion layer will begin to settle in after midnight and will further minimize fire behavior. Fire will continue to back toward drainages and consume surface fuels well into the night. Heavy fuels will hold heat throughout the night. Roll-out of burning material remains a high concern and has been a large factor in fire growth. Weather Conditions: Overnight temperatures are expected to drop to 53-57 degrees in the valleys and 55-59 degrees on ridges. Valley winds for the evening are predicted to be down slope/down valley at 0-3 mph. Ridge top winds are predicted northeast at 3-6 mph. Maximum humidity levels are expected to reach 73-80%. A ridge of high pressure is expected to build off the north coast of California and gradually shift east over the fire area on Tuesday. Safety: Falling snags continue to be a significant threat to firefighters. Vehicle traffic along Highway 96 remains a significant risk to the firefighters and community members. Motorist are urged to slow down, limit distractions, and help keep everyone safe when driving through the area. A Clean Air Respite Center is available at the Karuk Tribe Senior Nutrition Center, located at 64101 Second Avenue in Happy Camp. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and will remain open longer if needed due to smoky conditions. For more information about air quality in the area, please visit: californiasmokeinfo.blogspot/ An Evacuation Advisory was issued August 13, 2014, at 10 a.m. for residents of Happy Camp along China Grade Road from Elk Creek Bridge to Frying Pan Creek. China Grade Road is open to residents only. For more information on the Happy Camp Complex wildfires, please visit: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4078/ Acreage and containment levels of fires managed within the Happy Camp Complex, August 22, 2014. Fires Acreage Containment Level Huckleberry 5 acres 100% Mill 2 acres 100% Noranda 1 acre 100% Ranch 6 acres 100% Tims 13 acres 100% China 3 acres 100% Bear 4 acres 100% El Capitan 0.2 acre 100% Sutcliffe 27 acres 98% Delta 150 acres 100% Jackson 21 acres 95% Thompson 17 acres 95% Kemper 185 acres 60% Frying Pan 13,696 acres 10% Falkstein 1,519 acres 0% Luther 1 0.4 acres 100% Luther 2 0.1 acres 100% #
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 17:33:07 +0000