#HappyCampComplex Tuesday Morning Update September 2, 2014 IMPORTANT VIDEO MESSAGE: Mike Lindbery, public information officer for the Faulkstein Fire in the Happy Camp Complex, has an important fire message for folks on Scott River Road and Highway 96. There is a fire weather watch from the National Weather Service for our area this evening. Size: 66,335 acres total for the complex Containment: 15 percent for the complex Date Started: August 11, 2014 Estimated Containment Date: September 8, 2014 Estimated Cost to Date: $36 million Total Personnel: 2,737 Committed Resources: 77 crews, 11 helicopters, 133 engines, 22 dozers, 28 water tenders, 29 mules, 8 horses Traffic Control: Highway 96 remains open, however travelers should expect extended delays as pilot cars assist safe movement around firefighters and equipment from the intersection of Highway 96 and Scott River Road to Walker Creek Road. These measures will be in place as long as fire and smoke conditions dictate. Evacuation Orders: All evacuations remain in effect. At this time it is unknown how long evacuations will last. Notice will be given as soon as it is safe to return to evacuated homes. Fire Information: A fire weather watch is in effect from Tuesday evening through Wednesday evening due to a combination of strong winds and low humidity for the area of the Happy Camp Complex. There is a high likelihood the fire will reach the communities of Hamburg and Scott Bar along Scott River Road. There is currently a mandatory evacuation in these areas. Residents who have not evacuated, including the community of Sunny Slope, are highly encouraged to reconsider and leave as soon as possible, before the fire reaches the area. As the fire approaches these areas emergency apparatus and firefighters will need complete access to these roads in order to reach homes. Residential traffic attempting to leave this area will complicate these efforts and endanger both civilians and firefighters. Today’s weather is calling for warm and dry conditions, combined with unstable air aloft, suggesting the fire will burn extremely hot this afternoon if it breaks through the inversion. It is possible a large column of smoke with burning embers may cause spotting ahead of the fire up to 1.5 miles. When the inversion lifts, which is expected to occur this afternoon, sustained fire runs are likely to occur where there is densely packed vegetation along the drainages, in particular along the Klamath River. Firefighters continue to prep the upper section of Scott River Road by removing fuels around homes and along the roadway. Cal Fire is also putting in contingency dozers lines along Scott Bar Mountain between Bucker Ridge and Little Ferry Road. As of today the northwest side of the fire (Zone 1) is being managed by California Interagency Management Team 1, led by incident commander Gerry McGowen. The southeastern side of the fire (Zone 2) remains under the management of California Interagency Management Team 3, led by incident commander Jeanne Pincha-Tulley. Both teams are working closely to manage the fire as a whole. Evacuations: Mandatory evacuation orders are in place along Scott River Road from Bridge Flat to the intersection of Hwy 96 and all areas south of Hwy 96 between Scott River Road and Cade Summit. The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department will be patrolling 24 hours in the evacuated areas. Advisory Evacuations are in effect for all areas north of Hwy 96 between Scott River Road and Grider Creek. Residents in advisory evacuation areas should begin preparing for a potential evacuation order. People in need of assistance with livestock or for additional information contact the Siskiyou County Sheriff Department at (530) 841-2900. Additional information is available at co.siskiyou.ca.us/content/emergency-information. Forest Closures and Restrictions: Roads, trails and lands within and adjacent to the Happy Camp and July complexes, as well as the Beaver Fire, are closed to protect public and firefighter safety. This includes those sections of the Pacific Crest Trail within closure areas. Maps and descriptions of closed areas are available at Klamath National Forest offices in Yreka, Fort Jones, Happy Camp and Macdoel. For details on this closure and other fire area closures, please see fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices. Safety: If heavy smoke is present, people who are more vulnerable should take precautions and avoid prolonged or heavy outside activity. People should keep in mind smoke conditions can change quickly. Individuals at risk should consult their healthcare provider for evaluation of their best course of action and protective measures. A Clean Air Respite Center is located at the Karuk Tribe Senior Nutrition Center in Happy Camp (64101 Second Avenue). The center is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily and will remain open longer if needed due to smoky conditions. Air quality: A mostly northwesterly flow should push the smoke southward and eastward. This will cause the Lower Klamath River drainage and Scott Valley to see an increase in smoke. In addition, stable atmospheric conditions will hinder dispersion and smoke will be thicker than previous days. Shasta Valley should see improvements in air quality due to the shift in wind directions. For air-quality details, visit californiasmokeinfo.blogspot/. This site is a voluntary effort by city, county, state, tribal and/or federal agencies to coordinate and aggregate information for California communities affected by wildfire smoke.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 15:55:51 +0000
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