Fires continue to burn throughout California today. Many were started by lightning and have been burning for nearly a month in large groups – known as complexes – throughout the Trinity Region of the North State.
In the Trinity Region:
· Firefighters from eight different agencies made significant progress on a fire started Tuesday afternoon in Democrat Gulch, west of Weaverville. Christened the Democrat fire, the blaze has been re-sized to 128 acres and is 50 percent contained. All road closures and evacuations have been lifted for residents with proof of identification.
· The River Complex, north of Highway 299 is growing daily. It’s consumed another five square miles of forest in the last twenty four hours. It’s nearly 95 square miles in size and remains 26 percent contained. Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for Denny and Huddleston Ranch. Denny Road is open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., but only to residents with proof of identification.
· The Mad River Complex around Ruth Lake is still 56 square miles in size. It’s now 68 percent contained. The community of Rutledge remains under a mandatory evacuation order. Forest Glen remains under voluntary evacuation order.
· The Route Complex is 55 square miles in size and is now 57 percent contained. Fire crews and support staff have traveled from all over the US to help fight the Mad River and Route fire complexes, including people from states as far reaching as North Carolina, Mississippi and New York.
· The South Complex has grown to 45 square miles. It’s still 62 percent contained. Road closures and mandatory evacuations for Skunk Ranch, Bar 717 Ranch and residents along Forest Roads 3N46 and 3N40 remain in place.
· Near Hayfork, suppression efforts are winding down for the Fork Complex. It’s holding at 57 square miles in size. It’s 90 percent contained. All road closures and evacuations have been lifted.
More information about the Fork Complex can be obtained by calling 628-0093 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For up-to-date information on other 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 Gasquet Complex is still burning east of Crescent City. It’s now 33 square miles in size and is percent 31 percent contained. Farther south the Nickowitz Fire is nearly 10 square miles in size and 54 percent contained.
· In Humboldt County, the Horse Fire is 146 acres in size. It’s 85 percent contained. The Tolkan and Horse Mountain campgrounds are closed. Some trail and road closures remain in effect.
· In Lake County the Peterson Fire near Kelseyville has been re-sized to 215 acres. It’s 90 percent contained.
For more on these and other California wildfires, visit the state or federal wildfire websites.