NEWS RELEASE
Klamath- Six Rivers National Forest Update 9/25/08
FIRE UPDATE USDA Forest Service Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests(530) 842-6131 www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath or (707) 442-1721 www.fs.fed.us/r5/sixrivers for September 25, 2008 Contact:... more
Approximate Location
41.592 latitude, -123.431 longitudeSummary
Thursday, September 25, 2008
FINAL UPDATE Unless Conditions Change
Questions on fire conditions should be directed to:
530-841-4451 - Klamath NF Fire Information Center
707-441-3673 - Six Rivers NF Fire Information Center
The remaining lightning-caused fires on the Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests that started on June 21 are now 90 percent contained overall, with a total acreage of 191,292 acres for all the fire areas involved. Continuing warm and dry weather will influence fire activity where heat sources remain within the Marble Mountain and Siskiyou Wildernesses. The fires are confined in these wilderness areas and will continue to smolder, creep, back-down slopes until a significant rainfall occurs over the northern California area.
Management of the remaining fires will be transferred back to the Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests from the Boise National Incident Management Organization on Friday, September 26. Most of the fire suppression repair work has been completed on firelines and access roads. Firefighters, heavy road repair equipment, and support personnel are being released over the next few days. The Whites Gulch Base Camp was closed on Wednesday. The Orleans Base camp will close on Friday. The Incident Command Post at the Yreka Armory will close on Monday. A contingent of local firefighting resources and equipment will remain in the area to continue to monitor, patrol, mop-up, and complete repair work until fire activity is extinguished by the fall rains.
Slightly cooler temperatures and improved humidity is expected today. Fire activity increased yesterday due to low relative humidity and increased winds on the Siskiyou/Blue 2 fire with activity near Chimney Rock, in the headwaters of Dillon Creek, and on the west side of Sawtooth Mountain. Helicopter water drops helped to slow the advance of the fire in these areas. The Tom Taylor Cabin near English Peak Lookout was also threatened yesterday by active fire behavior, but the fire threat was also diminished with helicopter water drops.
The South Ukonom fire will continue to spread slowly in the area of Portuguese Peak. The Anthony Milne, Panther, and Caribou fires are not expected to grow. The Siskiyou/Blue 2 fire will continue to burn between Sawtooth and Harrington Mountains on the Dillon Divide area. Fire crews today will flank and contain the Chimney Rock slop-over, and patrol and secure the fire edge in the Little North Fork of the Salmon River.
Current Fire Status - 191, 292 Total Acres (as of 9/25/08)
- Panther & North Ukonom fires - 82% contained, 52,930 acres
- Bear Wallow Complex (Anthony Milne, Caribou, & South Ukonom fires) - 86% contained, 50,596 acres
- Siskiyou/Blue 2 Complex - 95% contained, 87,800 acres
Activities Today
- Road Repair Group - Repair road damage caused by fire suppression efforts in the Bear Wallow fire area.
- Marble Mountain Repair Group - Complete fire suppression repair to trails in the Marble Mtn Wilderness.
- Panther Road Repair - 4 engines and heavy road repair equipment assigned. Patrol and monitor fire area, and complete road repair on the Panther and North Ukonom fire areas.
- Blue 2 Group - Heavy road repair equipment assigned. Continue suppression repair work and monitor GO Road and west flank along Crescent Creek Fork.
- Siskiyou Branch - 3 crews assigned. Mop-up, cold trail, and secure slop-over in the Chimney Rock area.
Total Resources
5 fire crews; 6 helicopters; 4 engines; 1 dozer; 4 water tenders; 106 overhead; Total Personnel - 276
Additional Information and Forest Closures
For current information on Forest roads, trails, and area closures, visit the Klamath National Forest web site at www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath, the Six Rivers National Forest web site at www.fs.fed.us/r5/sixrivers, or Inciweb at http://inciweb.org/incident/1380/incident/1430/. On the Forests home page, click on "Current Conditions" in the upper right corner of the page. For current information call the Klamath NF at 530 -841-4451 or the Six Rivers NF at 707-441-3673. Perimeter, closure, and progression maps are available at http://www.inciweb.org/forest/21/.
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Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildland Fire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | Tuesday July 22nd, 2008 aprox 03:00 AM |
| Location | 15 miles south of Happy Camp, CA |
| Incident Commander | Steve Gage, Boise I M T |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 276 |
|---|---|
| Size | 53,149 acres |
| Percent Contained | 82% |
| Estimated Containment Date | Tuesday September 30th, 2008 aprox 06:00 PM |
| Fuels Involved | 8 Closed Timber Litter 5, 8, 9 & 10 - Mixed Timber, brush, litter and slash. |
| Fire Behavior | Fire was more active today but did not threaten confinement objectives. The South Ukonom fire saw increased activity in the Tom Taylor cabin area and north of English Peak. The Panther fire had increased activity in the Deadman Lake area. On the Siskiyou Blue 2, the area of Harrington Ridge and and the upper end of Dillon Creek became more active. |
| Significant Events | Fire activity increased due to low relative humidity and increased winds. The Tom Taylor Cabin near English Peak Lookout was threatened, but fire was abated with the use of helicopters. On the Blue 2/Siskiyou fire, crews continue to work on a 150 acre slopover near Chimney Rock. Rollout has caused additional slopovers and with increased fire activity, containment progress is slow. Increased fire activity occurred in headwaters of Dillon Creek and on the west side of the Sawtooth Ridge. Helicopter bucket work was utilized to slow the advance of the fire in this area. Assessment is being made for additional suppression action in Harrington’s Ridge and the Dillon Divide area of the Siskiyou Fire. Fire suppression repair on roads and handlines continued on the Caribou, South Ukonom, Panther and Blue 2 fires today. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Crews will continue to flank and contain the Chimney Rock slopover. One crew will patrol and secure the fire edge in the Little North Fork of the Salmon River. Road repair will continue in the Bear Wallow and Siskiyou Area. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Medium |
| Terrain Difficulty | Extreme |
| Remarks | The Klamath Theater consists of the Bear Wallow Complex , the Panther Fire , and the Siskiyou Complex. The Bear Wallow Complex consists of the Caribou, South Ukonom and Anthony Milne fires. The Panther Fire consists of the Panther Fire and the North Ukonom fires. The Siskiyou Complex consists of the Siskiyou and Blue 2 fires. The Panther Fire is currently 53,149 acres. The Bear Wallow Complex is currently 50,820 acres. The Siskiyou Complex is currently 88,069 acres . Total acres for the theater of operations, 192,038. Percent contained by fire: South Ukonom – 86%; Panther – 82%; N. Ukonom, Caribou, Anthony Milne – 100%; Blue 2/Siskiyou – 95%. |
Weather
| Current Wind Conditions | 4 mph W |
|---|---|
| Current Temperature | 92 degrees |
| Current Humidity | 15 % |
