July 11, 2007

YREKA, CA—Lightning filled the sky over most of Siskiyou County on Tuesday, July 10, and employees of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Klamath National Forest (KNF) are busy working on the fires that started from over 1,200 down strikes from the storm.

As of the morning of Wednesday, July 11th, about nine fires have been reported on the State Responsibility Areas protected by CAL FIRE; the largest is about 10 acres in size. Six of these fires are contained. On the KNF-managed lands, about 30 fires have been reported, with most being less than one acre in size. There are about two fires over 20 acres in size. Many of the fires have firefighters walking in to staff the fires, and smoke jumpers have been ordered for the larger fires.

“It’s a dry year, and though we received rain on some of the forest, it wasn’t enough to stop any of the larger fires from spreading.” said Patty Grantham, Deputy Forest Supervisor for the KNF.

Reconnaissance flights are in progress this morning, and more fires may be found once the day warms. More lightning is predicted for today with increased precipitation.

As a reminder, CAL FIRE suspended dooryard burning permits as of July 1st. Though fire restrictions for the KNF are not in place yet, forest vegetation is very dry. All who are in the forest are asked to be extremely careful with fire.

The CAL FIRE information line is now available at (530) 842-2266. This number will have information on the fires managed by the Forest Service and CAL FIRE in the county, and will be updated as the situations change.

Source: Forest Service Press Release

August 24, 2006

Fire retardant drop in the Happy Camp Complex fires. Photo by Ken Black of the Deadwood Strike

August 24, 2006, 11:00 am

From the Northern California Joint Incident Information Center

Current Situation: A weak low pressure trough over northern California will move east today and high pressure will build in behind it. Low humidity with gusty winds is expected. The air mass in northern California remains stable and dry with temperatures in the upper 80s and mid 90s.

Visitors need to be aware that there are numerous road, trail and area closures in place. Before heading out, please contact the local Forest Service Unit or log onto Inciweb.Org for additional information about fire-related restrictions and closures.

Air quality monitoring stations are in place. For additional information, please visit the following website: http://gacc.nifc.gov/oncc/predictive/weather/airquality.html.

No active Fire Weather Watches or Warnings are in effect today in Northern California.

The Joint Incident Information Center will no longer be staffed. However, the daily summary will continue to be updated and e-mailed to the current mailing list. Please visit Inciweb.Org for information related to all incidents and to obtain local contact information.

Northern California Region Active Totals

• Major Incidents / Complexes: 4
• Acres Burned: 54,448
• Cost of active fires: $49,763,305
• Personnel Committed: 1,328
• Firefighter Injuries: 22
• Fatalities (Aerial Firefighting Personnel): 2

Resources Committed

• Engines: 16
• Firefighting Crews: 29
• Dozers: 3
• Helicopters: 17
• Overhead Personnel: 532

Between July 23rd and August 24th a total of 8 large fire incidents have occurred in the Northern California Region. Those large fires have burned more than 74,122 acres costing over $72,738,673 in suppression efforts.

INCIDENT SUMMARIES

Orleans Complex: Six Rivers National Forest; 15,710 acres; 70% Contained; Estimated Containment Date: 9/30/06; Total Personnel: 366; Cost to Date: $15M; Type 2 Incident Management Team (Sinclear) is assigned. Limited interior burning continues, primarily in the upper portions of Pearch Creek drainage. Firefighters continue to hold containment line on Highway 96 and Salmon River Road. Cultural resources remain threatened. A public meeting will be held tonight at 7p.m. at the Karuk Community Center in Orleans to introduce the incoming Incident Management Team. For more information on this fire, please visit http://inciweb.org/incident/370.

Bar Complex: Shasta-Trinity National Forest; 20,289 acres; 46% contained; Estimated Containment Date: 9/15/06; Total Personnel: 523; Cost to Date: $15M; A Type 1 Incident Management Team (Dietrich) is assigned. Fire continues to move easterly toward Limestone Ridge and south from Pony Butte/Salmon Mountain Ridge. Residence and historic mining sites continue to be threatened. Heavy smoke remains over the communities in and around Weaverville and as far away east as Redding. For more information, please visit http://inciweb.org/incident/357/

Uncles Complex: Klamath National Forest; 14,631 acres; 35% contained; Estimated Containment Date: 10/3/06; Total Personnel: 106; Cost to Date: $9M; A Fire Use Management Team (Hahnenberg) has been assigned and will continue to manage the incident under suppression strategy while planning long term fire assessment. Fire fighters are working diligently ahead of the fires to protect historic and recreational structures. For more information on this fire, please visit http://inciweb.org/incident/348/ .

Happy Camp Complex: Klamath National Forest; 3,818 acres; 85% contained; Estimated Containment Date: 9/1/06; Total Personnel: 333; Cost to Date: $9M; A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Garwood) is assigned. No increased fire activity. This will be the last incident summary for Happy Camp Complex unless there is substantial change. For more information on this fire, please visit http://inciweb.org/incident/361/.

Additional Northern California Fire Information can be found at the following weblinks:
California Fire Information
California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection

November 3, 2001

The Bridge at Clear Creek

After an abnormally dry summer, rainstorms have begun to refresh the forest around us. Most of California has reached low fire danger status, but the Forest Service lists the Klamath National Forest as still having a moderate danger of fire as of November 1, 2001.

There have been a total of 227 fires so far this year in our forest. They burned 10,122 acres. Most of the fires, 200 of them, were started by lightning strikes. The remaining 27 fires were started by human error.

June 7, 2001

Editor’s note: I am probably the last person in town that should be writing about forest issues, but I will publish the USDA press releases as I receive them when they concern the forest in this area. Your comments, either for or against these changes, are welcome. The following concerns roadless areas in national forests. I am aware that lawsuits were filed to try to block this change, but don’t have copies of the complaints, which were defeated in court. To see a map of lands near Happy Camp that will be affected, Adobe Acrobat users can access this one: Klamath National Forest - Roadless Areas Map.

WASHINGTON, DC, June 7, 2001 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth today directed agency managers to move forward to protect roadless values in national forests and grasslands in a manner consistent with USDA policies. The guidance, issued in a letter to regional foresters, reserves to the Chief authority for all decisions about timber harvest and road construction in inventoried roadless areas – with exceptions similar to the Jan. 12, 2001 rule published in the Federal Register.

A recent court decision (Idaho v. Dombeck) temporarily enjoined the Forest Service from implementing the roadless area conservation rule of Jan. 12. The Chief’s action provides immediate protections in designated roadless areas until long-term protections are in place under the forest planning process.

To read the Chief’s letter, visit: http://roadless.fs.fed.us.