Updated 5:37 p.m.
Tenacious and growing wildfires continue to challenge California firefighters and units from dozens of states brought in to help.
In Trinity County:
· The Mad River Complex around Ruth Lake is 53 square miles in size. It’s 54 percent contained. All mandatory evacuations except for the Rutledge community have been lifted. A voluntary evacuation remains in place for Forest Glen. Highway 36 has been re-opened. Officials report that days of hot and dry conditions are making vegetation more susceptible to flames. Firefighting command staff are hosting a public meeting on operations Wednesday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. at the Ruth Lake Guard Station.
· The Route Complex is 54 square miles and is 42 percent contained.
· The South Complex has burned 40 square miles. It’s 55 percent contained. Additional mandatory evacuations have been issued for Bar 717 Ranch and 3N46 Road. All other evacuations, as well as road closures remain in place. A community meeting about the fire got underway at 4 p.m. at the Hyampom Fire Station.
· The Fork Complex near Hayfork and Peanut is now 57 square miles in size. It’s 85 percent contained. Firefighters expect unburned islands within the fire-line to flare up and combust.
· A lifting smoke inversion over the River Complex, north of Highway 299 will aid aerial crews fighting the blaze but will also help it spread over the next few days. The complex is 84 square miles and is 24 percent contained. Voluntary evacuation orders have been issued for Prairie Creek Road, French Creek Road and Big Mountain Road. Mandatory evacuations of Denny and Huddleston Ranch remain in effect. Residents living south of Noble Lane may access their homes via Denny Road – between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. with proof of residency.
For up-to-date information on all fires burning in the Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests, call 628-0039. Further details on evacuations, road closures and Clean Air Shelters can be found on Trinity County’s website.
Elsewhere in Northern California:
· In Del Norte County, the 25 square mile Gasquet Complex continues to burn in Six Rivers National Forest east of Crescent City. It’s 25 square miles in size and is still 17 percent contained. Farther south the Nickowitz Fire is 8 square miles in size and 53 percent contained.
· In Humboldt County, the Horse Fire is 146 acres in size and 70 percent contained.
· In Lake and Napa counties, the Jerusalem Fire is still 98 percent contained. It’s torched about 40 square miles in the Jerusalem Valley area, northeast of Middletown. The Peterson Fire in Lake County near Kelseyville that broke out Saturday has grown to 215 acres, it’s 30 percent contained. The nearby Grade Fire, northeast of Middletown, first detected Monday has reached 20 acres in size.
Recently contained fires:
· Tesla Fire (Alameda County) – This fire was fully contained at 4 square miles.
· The Prairie Fire (Siskiyou County) – According to the Klamath National Forest Service this fire was fully contained at 65 acres.
For more on these and other California wildfires, visit the state or federal wildfire websites.