Lime Fire & Kidder 2 Fire Update

Lime Fire – Located south of Cottonwood Peak on the Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District.

This lightning caused fire is currently at 1620 acres at 0% containment

Monday’s favorable weather, with cloud cover and higher humidity, kept fire spread and smoke to a minimum allowing firefighters to construct direct fireline along the fire’s edge.

Weather forecast for today may include rain and thunderstorms. Temperatures will range from 75-82 degrees, humidity between 20-30% and winds will be breezy to gusty at times across the higher peaks in the afternoon.

The concern will be the chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms, which should diminish in the late evening. The thunderstorms present a lightning hazard and the potential for new fires. The Forest Service and local fire agencies are prepared to respond and suppress any new fires.

Firefighters supported by aircraft will continue to build and improve fire containment lines along the fire’s edge today as weather and conditions permit.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation warning for residences within and adjacent to the fire area on September 7th at 12:17pm. This request was made out of concern for potential rapid-fire movement due to the anticipated passage of a dry and gusty cold front that occurred later in the day. The evacuation warning will remain in effect until public safety officials determine conditions are safe to allow the warning to be lifted.

Motorists are advised to exercise extreme caution along Highway 96 in the vicinity of the fire, in order to provide for firefighter safety and to accommodate increased fire equipment traffic. Motorists are also encouraged to be aware of potentially distracted driving along Interstate 5, as the fire is visible from a number of vantage points north of Yreka.

Kidder 2 Fire – Located ten miles southwest of Fort Jones in the Marble Mountain Wilderness on the Salmon/Scott River Ranger District.

This lightning caused fire is currently at 141 acres at 15% containment.

The Kidder 2 Fire is located in the wilderness and the remote, rugged terrain continues to challenge firefighter access and fireline construction. Helicopters are supporting suppression efforts on the ground by performing bucket drops and supplying firefighters on the ground with mission critical firefighting equipment.

The Pacific Crest Trail passes nearby, and hikers are advised to avoid the area, due to the smoke and the possibility of fire spread.

The 5545 and 5546 trails will be closed to public entry effective September 11, 2019. Closure order and maps are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices

Forest visitors can contact the Salmon/Scott River Ranger District Office at (530) 468-5351 for additional information or alternative recreational opportunities in the area.

Additional information and daily updates:

Lime Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6576/

Kidder 2 Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6584/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KlamathNF

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Klamath_NF

Telephone: Joshua Veal (530) 841-4485

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A video operations update video for Tuesday morning, 9/10/2019 is available.

Link to 9/10/19 operations update video

Yreka, CA. – The Lime and Kidder 2 Fires were started by lightning on September 5, 2019. The following are updates for each fire:

Lime Fire

The Lime Fire began this morning at approximately 1,100 acres, 0% contained. It grew to approximately 1,400 acres as of 5:00 pm, with 491 firefighters assigned to the fire. It is burning in the Cottonwood Peak/Little Cottonwood Peak area approximately ten miles north of Yreka. The fire was active on Sunday afternoon, producing a large smoke column starting at approximately 1:30 pm. This column was highly visible from Yreka and neighboring communities, as well as the Interstate 5 corridor. Similar fire behavior has been observed for the past three days and is due to burnable fuels on slopes being heated and dried by the afternoon sun and winds coming into alignment with terrain to support strong bursts of uphill fire growth. Burnable fuels include a heavy understory grass crop that was created by robust winter rains.

Firefighters are being challenged by extremely steep terrain and limited access points. Both direct and indirect fireline is being constructed. Water dropping helicopters and retardant aircraft are supporting firefighters on the ground. Yesterday, morning cloud cover prevented the use of retardant planes. When skies cleared later in the afternoon, retardant planes were once again used to aid in fire suppression.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation warning for residences within and adjacent to the Lime fire area. (Map of evacuation warning area)

Motorists are advised to exercise extreme caution along Highway 96 in the vicinity of the fire, in order to provide for firefighter safety and to accommodate increased fire equipment traffic. Motorists are also encouraged to be aware of potentially distracted driving along Interstate 5, as the fire is visible from several of vantage points north of Yreka.

Kidder 2 Fire

The 107-acre Kidder 2 Fire is located approximately ten miles southwest of Fort Jones in the Marble Mountain Wilderness. The remoteness of the fire and the steep terrain within the Kidder Creek drainage are presenting challenges for firefighter access. Water dropping helicopters have had great success supporting suppression efforts on the ground. The Pacific Crest Trail passes nearby, and hikers are advised to avoid the area, due to potential fire spreading.

The weather will remain cooler than normal through Tuesday with a slight chance of rain. After Tuesday, conditions are forecast to change, warming and drying towards the end of the week, and once again predicated to cool by the weekend with a chance of thunderstorms.

Community Meetings

Two public meetings are scheduled for tonight. The Kidder 2 Fire meeting will be in Fort Jones at The Rec at 6:30 pm and the Lime Fire meeting will be at the Klamath River Community Hall at 6 pm. Klamath National Forest and fire team officials will address your concerns while presenting the latest information on the fire.

More Information

Additional information can be found by following Klamath NF on Facebook or by following the Klamath National Forest on Twitter. You may also contact us at the Klamath National Forest Supervisor’s office at 1711 South Main Street in Yreka, CA or calling (530) 842-6131.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

A meeting for the community in the area of the Lime Fire will be tonight at 6:00 pm in Klamath River at the Klamath River Community Hall, 19716 Highway 96.

Click to see the full news release

Operations update with map of fire area as of Monday, September 9, 2019 6:30 am

Operations Update 9/9/2019 (video)

News Release - Lime Fire Update (.pdf document)

Apache Fire - Update for September 12

Location:

The southwest slope of Apache Mountain, on National Forest System Lands, Quemado Ranger District, Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM

Incident Start Date: September 4, 2019 Size: 163 acres Cause: Lightning

Percent Contained: 0 IC: Gabe Castanon, ICT4

Summary: The Apache Fire was reported on Wednesday, September 4. It is located on the southwest slope of Apache Mountain, at approximately 8,500 feet elevation. The fire is located in very steep, 90-100% slope, inaccessible terrain. The fire is currently burning in mixed conifer and ponderosa pine with heavy amounts of down and dead material. Fire growth remains primarily to the southeast, with some growth upslope towards the east.

On Friday, the plan is to begin burning in the interior of the fire to clean up pockets of dead and down. This burn-out operation will create increased smoke. The 10-person Escondido Wildland Fire Module and the seven-person NM State engine are on scene and assisting with this incident. Due to fire location and vegetation it is burning in, a considerable amount of moisture will be needed to put the fire out. It is anticipated the Apache Fire will be a long duration event.

Firefighter and public safety remain the highest priority. There are currently no values at risk in the immediate fire area. This fire is highly visible from NM Hwy 12, the communities of Apache Creek, Reserve, Quemado, Pie Town, and the San Francisco Divide area. In the evening hours the fire will appear both larger and closer than it actually is due to the inability to reference its size to any physical landmarks. For more information on this fire go to Inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6572/.

Smoke from fire rises during the daytime, but in the evening can pool down in canyons, drainages, and basins. For information on air quality and protecting your health, and to find guidance on distance and visibility, please visit https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.

Location:

The southwest slope of Apache Mountain, on National Forest System Lands, Quemado Ranger District, Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM

Incident Start Date: September 4, 2019 Size: ~150-160 acres Cause: Lightning

Percent Contained: 0 IC: Gabe Castanon, ICT4

Summary: The Apache Fire was reported on Wednesday, September 4. It is located on the southwest slope of Apache Mountain, at approximately 8,500 feet elevation. The fire is located in very steep, 90-100% slope, inaccessible terrain. The fire is currently burning in mixed conifer and ponderosa pine with heavy amounts of down and dead material. Fire growth remains primarily to the southeast, with some growth upslope towards the east. Smoke during the day is expected to move to the northeast towards Sand Flats and smoke modeling results consistently are indicating that emissions could settle along Highway 32. The low-pressure systems have brought some moisture which has slowed fire growth. Fire managers anticipate that once it becomes hot and dry again that the fire will continue to spread.

Fire crews continue to monitor the fire behavior and growth, scout roads, and assess the need for area closures. A 10-person wildland fire module and the seven-person NM State engine are on scene and are continuing with the scouting and assessment of unit boundaries. Due to fire location and vegetation it is burning in, a considerable amount of moisture will be needed to put the fire out. It is anticipated the Apache Fire will be a long duration event.

Firefighter and public safety remain the highest priority. There are currently no values at risk in the immediate fire area. This fire is highly visible from NM Hwy 12, the communities of Apache Creek, Reserve, Quemado, Pie Town, and the San Francisco Divide area. In the evening hours the fire will appear both larger and closer than it actually is due to the inability to reference its size to any physical landmarks. For more information on this fire go to Inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6572/.

Smoke from fire rises during the daytime, but in the evening can pool down in canyons, drainages, and basins. For information on air quality and protecting your health, and to find guidance on distance and visibility, please visit https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Location:

The southwest slope of Apache Mountain, on National Forest System Lands, Quemado Ranger District, Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM

Incident Start Date: September 4, 2019 Size: ~150-160 acres Cause: Lightning

Percent Contained: 0 IC: Gabe Castanon, ICT4

Summary: The Apache Fire was reported on Wednesday, September 4. It is located on the southwest slope of Apache Mountain, at approximately 8,500 feet elevation. The fire is located in very steep, 90-100% slope, inaccessible terrain. The fire is currently burning in mixed conifer and ponderosa pine with heavy amounts of down and dead material. Fire growth remains primarily to the southeast, with some growth upslope towards the east. Smoke during the day is expected to move to the northeast towards Sand Flats and smoke modeling results consistently are indicating that emissions could settle along Highway 32. Early next week, Monday and Tuesday, a low pressure systems is forecasted with the possibility of moisture. The passing of the cold front could result in smoke impacting Highway 32 and 12 in the Apache Creek area.

The plan for today is to continue monitoring the fire behavior and growth, scout roads, and assess the need for area closures. A 10-person wildland fire module and the seven-person NM State engine are on scene and are continuing with the scouting and assessment of unit boundaries. Due to fire location and vegetation it is burning in, a considerable amount of moisture will be needed to put the fire out. It is anticipated the Apache Fire will be a long duration event.

Firefighter and public safety remain the highest priority. There are currently no values at risk in the immediate fire area. This fire is highly visible from NM Hwy 12, the communities of Apache Creek, Reserve, Quemado, Pie Town, and the San Francisco Divide area. In the evening hours the fire will appear both larger and closer than it actually is due to the inability to reference its size to any physical landmarks. For more information on this fire go to Inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6572/.

Smoke from fire rises during the daytime, but in the evening can pool down in canyons, drainages, and basins. For information on air quality and protecting your health, and to find guidance on distance and visibility, please visit https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Location:

The southwest slope of Apache Mountain, on National Forest System Lands, Quemado Ranger District, Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM

Incident Start Date: September 4, 2019 Size: ~140 acres Cause: Lightning

Percent Contained: 0 IC: Gabe Castanon, ICT4

The plan for today is to monitor the fire behavior and growth, scout roads, and assess the need for area closures. Additional resources have been ordered to assist with scouting and assessing containment options west of the fire. Due to fire location and vegetation it is burning in, a considerable amount of moisture will be needed to put the fire out. It is anticipated the Apache Fire will be a long duration event.

Firefighter and public safety remain the highest priority. There are currently no values at risk in the immediate fire area. This fire is highly visible from NM Hwy 12, the communities of Apache Creek, Reserve, Quemado, Pie Town, and the San Francisco Divide area. In the evening hours the fire will appear both larger and closer than it actually is due to the inability to reference its size to any physical landmarks. For more information on this fire go to Inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6572/.

Smoke from fire rises during the daytime, but in the evening can pool down in canyons, drainages, and basins. For information on air quality and protecting your health, and to find guidance on distance and visibility, please visit https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.