WILLOW CREEK – Smoke continues to blanket communities in areas adjacent to the Red Salmon Complex fire. As the wind continues to shift direction, smoke-filled areas may clear, while other areas may become smokier. Smoke from the August Fire Complex is also intermingling with smoke from the Red Salmon fire, causing worsening air quality and poor visibility. Motorists are urged to use caution when driving, particularly on narrow, winding roads.

For Friday, temperatures will remain in the 70s-80s but could become warmer in higher elevations. Relative humidity will fall between 18-28 percent. West/northwest winds will be between 5-8 mph with gusts up to 15 mph.

Cabins along Knownothing Creek have been wrapped in protective material and Knownothing Creek Road has been close to all traffic in the northeast fire flank. Methodical defensive burning will continue off Hotelling Ridge and down to Methodist Creek and by the Forks of Salmon river.

On the east flank of the fire, construction of hand-built fire containment line and dozer line from Cecil Lake, north, to Cecilville Road is progressing well.

Near the western flank, a small portion of the slopover near Colgrove Branch of Mill Creek escaped the containment line. Firefighters were able to expand the line and encircle this area. Crews will continue strengthening these lines.

Along the southwestern flank of the fire, work is proceeding to improve fire containment lines along Tish Tang Ridge to Box Camp to further protect the Hoopa Valley Reservation, Willow Creek, Sayler, Hawkins Bar and other adjacent communities. Crews will be constructing dozer line around the Miller Ranch area.

Closures: Closures in the Klamath, Six Rivers and Trinity National Forests have been partially lifted. Areas which are closer to active fire will remain closed. For further information, contact the forest offices, or visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices, (https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/srnf/home) https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/stnf/alerts-notices A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the entire Red-Salmon fire area. Evacuation Information: Evacuation Warnings remain in place for Forks of Salmon (Siskiyou County Sherriff’s office 530-842-8300) and Denny (https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES). All residents and visitors near the fire should be prepared to evacuate if conditions warrant.

WILLOW CREEK, CA – Safety: Fire traffic has increased on most roads. Extra caution should be used on single lane roads in the Salmon River and Denny areas.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Warm and dry with areas of smoke. Temperatures range from the 70s in higher elevations to 80s in the valleys. Smoke from this and other fires may persist for several days. Intensity of fire behavior will moderate with smokey conditions. If air clears, fire activity could increase due to low humidity and warmer temperatures.

WILLOW CREEK – Community meetings will be held at 11 a.m. today, outside Forks of Salmon School and at 1:30 p.m., outside the Ceilville Community Center. Planning is underway for a community meeting in the Hoopa Valley, date and time TBA.

Temperatures are expected to range from the 80s in higher elevations, to the 90s in the valleys. The warmer temperatures and wind directions are causing increased smoke, which is combining with smoke from the August Complex Fire. The smoke may persist for several days, causing lower temperatures.

Red Salmon Complex Community Meetings

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

11:00 a.m.

Outside Forks of Salmon Elementary School

15616 Salmon River Road

Forks of Salmon, CA 96031

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

1:30 p.m.

Outside Community Center, Cecilville

COVID-19

In order to limit the spread of Covid-19, those wishing to attend the meetings are asked to wear face coverings, and practice social distancing.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND:

The meeting will be recorded and posted at: www.facebook.com/Red-Salmon-Complex-106757614477383

WILLOW CREEK, CA – Community Meetings: On Wednesday September 30, community meetings will be held in Forks of Salmon (11:00 AM at Middle School) and in Cecilville (1:30 PM at Community Center). A community meeting will also be held in the Hoopa Valley, time/date TBD.

Weather: Hot/dry weather continues through the week. Winds will subside. The incident fire behavior analyst anticipates that interior unburned islands of fuels and uncontrolled fire edges will continue to readily burn. This and other fires may produce smoke accumulation in several local communities.

Yesterday: Windy conditions aligned with drainages, causing fire growth in several areas: northeast flank in Methodist Creek and Horse mountain; southeast flank toward the E Fork New River (fire is currently about a mile from Miller Ranch); and western flank in Colgrove Branch of Mill Creek. Suppression efforts were focused on areas closest to communities with additional assistance from the Hoopa Valley Tribe.

Today: In the north/northeast area of the fire, crews continue to secure Knownothing Creek and provide structure defense along the Salmon River Road from the Forks of Salmon to Hoteling Ridge. On the southeast flank, crews will provide structure defense to protect the communities of Denny, Miller Ranch, and historical features within the East Fork of New River. On the southwest portions of the fire, firefighters will secure control lies along Tish Tang Ridge to Box Camp to protect the Hoopa Valley Reservation, Willow Creek, Salyer, Hawkins Bar, and adjacent communities.  On the west flank, firefighters and dozers (supplied by the Hoopa Valley Tribe) are building containment line to surround about 100 acres of fire, which pushed over the containment line in the Colgrove Branch of Mill Creek during Monday’s windy conditions. Aircraft are available to assist on-the-ground crews, however, fights may be grounded due to windy or smoky conditions.

The U.S. Forest Service has extended the current forest closures for the Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests, until September 30, 2020.  The Shasta-Trinity forest closure has not changed.  Please see the attached Forest Closure pdf files 20-16 and 2017.

Evacuation Warning for residents of Denny. Please remain vigilant to changing weather conditions and be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen.#RedSalmonComplexFor updates visit the Trinity County Sheriff's Office website: https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES 

EVACUATIONS:Update: Sept 28, 2020.
Red Salmon Complex
Update: Evacuation Warning for residents of Denny. Please remain vigilant to changing weather conditions and be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen.#RedSalmonComplexFor updates visit the Trinity County Sheriff's Office website: https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES

WILLOW CREEK – Warm, dry weather will continue to affect the Red Salmon Fire Complex. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through Monday evening. Temperatures are expected to range from the lower 80’s on the lower slopes and valleys, to the mid-90’s in the valleys. Relative humidity is predicted to be between 10-20 percent. Easterly winds could reach speeds between 15-20, with gusts as high as 30 mph. These conditions have caused the fire activity to increase throughout the day Sunday and into Monday morning. Islands of unburned fuel within the fire’s interior began burning more actively, contributing to the accumulation of smoke in the surrounding communities. 

 The Red Salmon Complex is located 14 miles north of Willow Creek, CA and is burning on the Klamath, Six Rivers, and Shasta-Trinity National Forests within Humboldt, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties. The Hoopa Valley Tribe is part of the joint delegation of authority with the National Forests. Northwest Incident Management Team 10 is managing the incident and continues working with the Hoopa, Yurok, and Karuk Tribes, as well as community liaisons. 

WILLOW CREEK, CA – Weather: Red Flag Warning: Hot, dry, and breezy weather begins today, with warming and drying expected through the week. Breezy northeast winds may result in improved burning conditions, with increased fire behavior expected along the southeast flank of the fire. Throughout the fire area, interior islands may burn and fire will continue backing down slopes. This is likely to produce more smoke accumulation in several local communities.  

Activities: Last night: the fire has spread toward the northeast (Knownothing Creek) and southwest (Horse Linto Creek) resulting in a slight increase in fire perimeter. 

Today: Crews are preparing for anticipated changes in weather conditions. In the north and northeast area of the fire, they are assessing strategies to prevent spread toward Salmon River Road. If conditions permit, firefighters will use defensive burning to keep fire from entering NcNeal Creek. On the east and southeast flanks firefighters are providing structure protection along the Salmon River Road and E Fork of New River corridors. On the southwest and west flanks, crews are securing control lines along the Tish Tang Ridge to Box Camp. They may conduct defensive burning operations along Lone Pine Ridge and Horse Linto Creek if conditions permit. Due to expected weather conditions, additional crews have been repositioned along the south and south east flanks to protect the Hoopa Valley Reservation, Willow Creek, Hawkins Bar, and adjacent communities. 

Evacuation Information: Evacuation Warning for Forks of Salmon remains in place. All residents and visitors should be prepared to evacuate. Visit www.ready.gov for further information.   

Closures and Restrictions: The Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests are closed to all public use until further notice. Some Shasta-Trinity National Forest lands east of the Red Salmon Fire Complex are open for public use but use campfires, gas stoves, smoking, and outdoor barbeque grills on houseboats are prohibited. More closure information is available on the Red Salmon Complex InciWeb page. 

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was recently expanded and is now in place over the entire Red Salmon fire area.  A TFR prohibits most aircraft (including drones) from operating over the fire protect firefighters and allow air tankers and helicopters to do their mission. If drones are seen flying over a fire all firefighting aircraft are grounded. 

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WILLOW CREEK – Weather continues to be a driving factor for operations on the Red Salmon Complex Fire.

An approaching upper-level disturbance will bring increased clouds and humidity beginning this morning. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-60s in higher elevations and will reach the mid-70s in the valleys. Relative humidity will fall between 38 and 48 percent. A warming and drying trend is expected Sunday through Monday, and Red Flag or near Red Flag conditions may occur. These dryer, warmer conditions will impact fire behavior and crews are adjusting firefighting strategies in anticipation of this event.

Weather permitting, firing operations will continue off the 10N02 Road to Box Canyon and are expected to be completed within the next 24-48 hours. Burn-out operations have begun on Lone Pine Ridge above Horse Linto Creek to slow or prevent the spread of the fire to the south. Firing operations have also begun in order to mitigate the potential for the fire to spread toward the Hoopa Valley Reservation.

The Northwest Incident Management Team 10 has taken over leadership of the fire complex and thanks the Southern Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team 14 for their hard work and dedication.

“Our plan is their plan and our goal is their goal,” Al Lawson, NIMT-10 Incident Commander said. He said the team will continue working to see the fire through to the best possible conclusion.

The following restrictions and warnings remain in effect: a temporary flight restriction is place in the area Northeast of Orleans, along with an evacuation warning for Forks of Salmon. The Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests closures have been extended through Sept. 30. This closure may be extended further, depending on fire activity.

Some Shasta-Trinity National Forest lands east of the Red Salmon Fire Complex closure area are open for public use. The use of any ignition source on National Forest System lands is strictly prohibited, including campfires, gas stoves, smoking and outdoor barbeque grills on houseboats. Continuing dry conditions and limited firefighting resources require visitors to remain vigilant and be prepared to evacuate if a fire starts nearby. For further information about how to prepare for potential evacuation visit www.ready.gov.