SOS Forests

September NorCal Fires Update

On June 20 and 21 dry lightning raked California. Over 2,000 fires were ignited and nearly a million acres burned. Most of those fires have been contained, but a few are uncontained and still burning.

That’s right. Nearly two and a half months later, the following forest fires are still burning:

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Siskiyou Complex / Blue 2 Fires, Klamath NF

Location: 20 mi SW of Happy Camp, Siskiyou Co., CA

Date of Origin: 06/21/08
Cause: Lightning

Situation as of 09/05/08 6:00 PM
Total Personnel: 266
Size: 79,431 acres
Percent Contained: 95%

Costs to Date: $63,808,637

Red Flag Warning extended through 11:00 a.m. Saturday.

The fire continues to burn into interior unburned pockets. Continuing to use helicopter bucket drops on hot spots that show up near fireline. Increased activity in Blue Creek drainage NE of Blue Creek and Crescent Creek Fork confluence. Heavy smoke in canyon. Occasional torching and short uphill runs.

Important Native American cultural areas in the fire vicinity. Extremely high Yurok, Karuk and Tolowa cultural concerns on Blue 2 Fire. Major traditional spiritual activities within the area have been cancelled.

All recreational use has been prohibited all summer. Smoke continues to impact NorCal cities, towns, and rural areas to the east.

Unreported number of spotted owl nesting stands, salmon spawning beds destroyed.

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Ukonom/Panther Complex Fires, Six Rivers NF, Klamath NF

Location: 15 mi SW of Happy Camp, Siskiyou Co., CA

Date of Origin: 06/21/08
Cause: Lightning

Situation as of 09/05/08 6:00 PM
Total Personnel: 224
Size: ~75,000 acres
Percent Contained: 75%

Costs to Date: ~$42.5 million

One firefighter fatality, July 26

Increased fire activity with most of the fire spread still a slow backing fire with some flanking and small uphill runs. Heavy down fuels are burning intensely with torching and occasional group torching. The main fire activity is between Ukonom Lake and Bridge Creek and between Yellow Jacket Ridge and English Peak within the Marble Mountain Wilderness.

A closure order has been in effect for numerous Forest Service roads and trails all summer. Smoke continues to invade populated valleys to the east.

Unreported number of spotted owl nesting stands, salmon spawning beds destroyed.

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Iron and Alps Fire Complexes, Shasta Trinity NF

Location: Weaverville, Junction City area, Trinity Co., CA

Date of Origin: 06/21/08
Cause: Lightning

Situation as of 09/03/08 6:00 AM
Total Personnel: 158
Size: 105,606 acres
Percent Contained: 98%

Costs to Date: $73,376,167

Nine firefighter fatalities, August 5

Buckhorn Fire: Backing and creeping in the headwaters of Big French Creek below Limestone Ridge in timber stringers. Creeping and smoldering in the interior and in Manzanita Creek drainage. Eagle Fire: Smoldering and creeping with interior islands continuing to burn out. Carey and Cedar Fires: Smoldering and creeping fire in the interior.

Actions planned on the Buckhorn Fire are to burnout the top of the bowl along Limestone Ridge and let it creep down into the active fire. Continue suppression repair on Buckhorn and Eagle fires. Structure protection in the Big Bar area will be provided as needed.

All recreational use has been prohibited all summer. Smoke continues to impact NorCal cities, towns, and rural areas to the east.

Unreported number of spotted owl nesting stands, salmon spawning beds destroyed.

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To date approximately 1,000 square miles of Northern California national forests west of Interstate-5 have been incinerated this summer at a “suppression” cost of over $385 million.

And the fires still burn. Indeed, the deliberate backburning continues.

Those who call the fire management actions on these fires this summer “suppression” are lying through their teeth.