W.I.S.E. Fire Tracking

Rich Bar Fire

Location: 2 miles E of Rich Bar, Plumas Co., CA

Specific Location: S of Hwy 70, Serpentine Canyon, E Fork Feather River, Lat 40° 01´ 18″ Lon 121° 09´ 56″

Date of Origin: 07/29/2008
Cause: under investigation

Situation as of 08/17/08 6:00 AM
Personnel: 198
Size: 6,112
Percent Contained: 100%

Costs to Date: $13,233,637

Transfer of command to Type 3 IC and return of incident management to the Forest at 0600 today. Minnesota IMT closeout at 1200 hrs.

Fuels within interior islands continue to be consumed.

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Situation as of 08/14/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 239
Size: 6,112
Percent Contained: 100%

Costs to Date: $12,403,104

Little or no fire spread. Fuels within interior islands continue to be consumed.

Continue with suppression rehab and patrol. 75% of the fire is in patrol status only.

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Situation as of 08/12/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 435
Size: 6,112
Percent Contained: 100%

Costs to Date: $11,948,366

Crews continue with mop-up with Divs B & C in patrol status. Rush Creek and Virgilia Roads are open only to residents. Caribou Road and adjacent campgrounds on the North Fork open to public use.

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Situation as of 08/11/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 472
Size: 6,112
Percent Contained: 100%

Costs to Date: $11,529,946

The Forest closure was reduced today to encompass a smaller area around the fire. The Caribou Road and the adjacent campgrounds on the North Fork of the Feather River are now open to public use.

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Situation as of 08/10/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 515
Size: 6,112 (Rich Fire 6,112 acs, Belden Fire 474 acs again reported with Canyon Complex)
Percent Contained: 100%

Costs to Date: $11,127,960

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Situation as of 08/09/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 572
Size: 6,112 (Rich Fire 6,112 acs, Belden Fire 474 acs again reported with Canyon Complex)
Percent Contained: 100%

Costs to Date: $10,613,444

100% containment today. Transfer of command to Mannelin’s Minnesota IMT will take place at 0600 hours on 8/10. Continue mop-up on entire fire and begin suppression rehab.

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Situation as of 08/08/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 707
Size: 6,586 (Rich Fire 6,112 acs, Belden Fire 474 acs)
Percent Contained: 95%

Costs to Date: $9,986,000

Crews continue with heavy mop-up on all divisions. The Rush Creek and Virgilia Roads are open only to residents. Forest closures include Bucks Lake Wilderness and the Middle Fork of the Feather River Canyon. Continued transition with Type 2 IMT (Mannelin)

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Situation as of 08/07/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 912
Size: 6,586 (Rich Fire 6,112 acs, Belden Fire 474 acs)
Percent Contained: 90%

Costs to Date: $9,403,000

Structures Destroyed: 2 residences, 7 outbuildings

The Rush Creek and Virgilia Roads are open only to residents. Forest closures include Bucks Lake Wilderness and the Middle Fork of the Feather River Canyon.

PNW Team 2 began transition with Type 2 IMT (Mannelin). Little or no fire spread was observed. Fuels within interior islands continue to be consumed.

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Situation as of 08/05/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 1,137
Size: 6,570 (Rich Fire 6,042 acs, Belden Fire 474 acs)
Percent Contained: 57%

Costs to Date: $6,981,526

Structures Destroyed: 2 residences, 7 outbuildings

All evacuations were lifted at 1000. This includes Rich Bar, Rich Gulch, Rush Creek, and Virgilia. The Rush Creek and Virgilia Roads are open only to residents. Highway 70 continues to use a pilot car operation. Forest closures include Bucks Lake Wilderness and the Middle Fork of the Feather River Canyon.

Crews continue with heavy mop-up on the southern and western perimeters. Burnout operations were completed on the eastern perimeter.

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Situation as of 08/04/08 5:30 PM
Personnel: 1,170
Size: 6,571 (Rich Fire 6,043 acs, Belden Fire 474 acs)
Percent Contained: 53%

Est containment date: 8/10/08

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Situation as of 08/03/08 5:30 PM
Personnel: 1,065
Size: 6,371 (Rich Fire 5,897 acs, Belden Fire 474 acs)
Percent Contained: 45%

Costs to Date: $4,189,164 (Rich Fire: $4,114,000. Belden Fire $75,164 costs. Belden Fire costs reflect only suppression activities (air operations only) since 7/30. Previous Belden Fire costs are included in Canyon Complex costs.)

Structures Destroyed: 2 residences

Highway 70 continues to use a pilot car operation. Evacuated residents are being escorted into their property for a short term assessment of damage. No evacuees are being allowed back into their residences on a permanent basis.

Completion of burnout operations in the Fales Basin area. Crews continue to construct direct and indirect handline on the eastern perimeters. Moderate slopover occurred from burnout operations on the northwestern portion of the fire near the 26N22 road. Helicopter bucket drops were heavily used in conjunction with hand crews and engines.

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Situation as of 08/02/08 5:00 PM
Personnel: 890
Size: 5,673 (Rush Fire 5,199 acs, Belden Fire 474 acs)
Percent Contained: 15%

Costs to Date: $2,209,500

Highway 70 continues to use a pilot car operation. The USFS structure protection/evacuation plan was revised by CalFire, County O.E.S. and local Sheriff’s office.

Burnout operations conducted in the Virgilia area. Crews continue to construct direct and indirect handline on the northwest and eastern perimeters.

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Situation as of 08/01/08 4:30 PM
Personnel: 646
Size: 5,198 acres (Rush Fire 4,724 acs, Belden Fire 474 acs)
Percent Contained: 10%

Costs to Date: $1,595,500

Re-opened Highway 70 utilizing pilot cars.

Belden Fire, formerly with the Canyon Complex, is now included in this fire (since they are only 2 mi apart). Rich Fire: 4,724 acres, 10% contained, $1,590,000 costs. Belden Fire: 474 acres, 70% contained, $5,500 costs reflecting suppression activities (air operations only) since PNW Team 2 took command on 7/31 at 1800. Previous Belden Fire costs are included in Canyon Complex costs.

Moderate to high fire behavior with group torching and low-duration crowning. In Branch I, south of East Branch North Fork Feather River, continue burning the east flank of the fire to the river. In Branch II on the western flank, hold and secure line from Deadwood Gulch to Road 26N22 and continue preparation Road 26N22 to the north. In Branch III on the western flank, continue line construction from Road 26N67 to Rush Creek. Hold and secure line from the Rich Gulch area to Rush Creek. Improve roads and construct dozer line from Road 26N67 northerly.

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Situation as of 07/31/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 284
Size: 4,200 acres
Percent Contained: 5%

Costs to Date: not updated

High fire behavior; group torching and short duration crowning. Continuing structure protection assessment for communities at risk along CA Highway 70 and plan for potential additional evacuations.

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Situation as of 07/30/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: 170
Size: 3,000 acres
Percent Contained: 0%

Costs to Date: $200,000

Evacuations in-place for the communities of Rich Bar, Rush Creek and Virgilia. Hard road closure in-place on CA Highway 70.

Transition from Arizona CWZ Type 2 Team (Sciacca, IC) to PNW 2 Type 1 Team (Hoff, IC). Continue structure protection assessment for communites at risk along CA Highway 70 and plan for potential additional evacuations.

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Situation as of 07/29/08 6:00 PM
Personnel: not reported
Size: 50 acres
Percent Contained: 0%

Initial attack by crews from the Canyon Complex [here]. Fire is 4 mi E of Belden Fire in Canyon Complex. High fire behavior with group torching, spotting, and extended uphill runs.