The fire was quiet again last night and has not increased in size. The fire remains at 9385 acres with containment at 47%. For the night time operations, firefighters monitored the northern, eastern and southern perimeters and looked for any signs of burning. Few areas of glowing coals were observed.

Firefighters will be working on finishing the last part of the perimeter today on the southern side of the fire and will be strengthening that fireline to increase containment. This is the final part of the fire perimeter to secure in order to prevent any fire movement towards homes and private property. The western edge of the fire is where most of the small amount of active burning is taking place: this is where the fire is burning up into the Sierra and into a sparse fuel bed. There are no homes or private property threatened on this side. This area is very steep and dangerous to work in, so firefighters are not actively working in this area.

We continue to mop up and mitigate the damage from the suppression efforts in the fire area. We are watching the weather forecasts for any changes in wind direction or speed that could cause the fire to re-ignite and come to life again. We ask that everyone in the area pay close attention to changes in the weather as conditions can change quickly.

Fire Resources:

25 crews 42 engines 10 helicopters 3 dozers 8 water tenders 828 personnel

Closures:

Evacuation Orders

Baxter Ranch

Evacuation Advisories

Community of Aberdeen and Community of Birch Creek

Road Closures

Tinemaha Road, Taboose Creek Road at Aberdeen, and McMurry Meadows Road

Campgrounds:

Tinemaha and Goodale Creek

Trail Closures

Red Lake, Birch Creek & Taboose Creek Trails. NOTE: Hikers on the John Muir Trail are safe, but resupply out of Taboose Pass will need to be arranged at another pass.

Please respect these closures and avoid the nearby fire area for your own safety and that of the firefighters.

Firefighters saw minimal fire movement and continued to take advantage of calm fire conditions to improve and strengthen existing firelines. Happily, we can report very little growth: the fire is at 9,385 acres with 47% containment. Firefighters will continue to work through tonight to improve firelines and monitor conditions. The weather conditions are expected to be stable over the next few days and firefighters will continue to mop up as needed. There is very little active fire in the area, and what little there is, is on the upper slope of the Sierra mountains.

Closures:

Red Lake, Birch Creek & Taboose Creek Trails. NOTE: Hikers on the John Muir Trail are safe, but resupply out of Taboose Pass will need to be arranged at another pass.

Last night, winds picked up as expected, but died down after 10 pm. The fire has remained at 9,335 acres, with no increase and containment is now at 38%. Firefighters worked hard on Monday as a very significant wind event was expected Monday night – Big Pine residents were briefed that day - and the fire held Monday night to everyone’s relief. Work continued yesterday improving perimeter lines and the fire held in last night’s winds as well. Night shift crews monitored the fire last night and mopped up any areas of active fire; they found very few.

Closures:

Red Lake, Birch Creek & Taboose Creek Trails. NOTE: Hikers on the John Muir Trail are safe, but resupply out of Taboose Pass will need to be arranged at another pass.

Taboose Fire Update

Fire conditions remained calm today which allowed firefighters to strengthen fire-lines. The active side of the fire was on the western flank that was burning towards the John Muir Wilderness. The estimated acres burned is 9,335 with 36% containment. Firefighters will continue to work through the night to improve fire-lines and monitor conditions. A damage assessment was performed in the area of Tinemaha Creek and Red Mountain Creek, and it was determined that a travel trailer was destroyed by the fire early Sunday. There have not been any structures destroyed.

The following areas are no longer under evacuation order at this time: Big Pine Canyon, including Glacier Lodge, Cone Road, Sugarloaf Road, and Bernasconi Center.

The National Weather Service is expecting wind gusts possibly between 30 – 40 MPH this evening, moderating to the weekend. Residents in the area should be prepared for changing conditions on the fire and the possibility of evacuation.

Fire Resources:

27 crews 32 engines 10 helicopters 3 dozers 7 water tenders 803 personnel

Closures:

Evacuation Orders

Baxter Ranch

Evacuation Advisories

Community of Aberdeen and Community of Birch Creek

Road Closures

Tinemaha Road, Taboose Creek Road at Aberdeen, and McMurry Meadows Road

Campgrounds:

Tinemaha and Goodale Creek

Trail Closures

Red Lake, Birch Creek & Taboose Creek Trails. NOTE: Hikers on the John Muir Trail are safe, but resupply out of Taboose Pass will need to be arranged at another pass.

Please respect these closures and avoid the nearby fire area for your own safety and that of the firefighters.

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Due to the red flag warning being cancelled, the wind event not materializing last night and this morning and the fire staying in place, the evacuation order for Big Pine Canyon is being lifted at 1300.

Glacier Lodge, the Glacier Pack Station, the campgrounds on Glacier Lodge Road in Big Pine Canyon are all accessible. Hikers with wilderness permits can keep their itineraries and campground reservations will be accepted.

Visitors are encouraged to go to other places on the Inyo National Forest as this is a dynamic fire and conditions can rapidly change.

Closures:

Evacuation Orders

Baxter Ranch, Glacier Lodge, Cone Road, Sugarloaf Road, Bernasconi Center

Evacuation Advisories

Community of Aberdeen and Community of Birch Creek

Road Closures

Tinemaha Road, Taboose Creek Road at Aberdeen, McMurry Meadows Road, Glacier Lodge Road (9S21), Cone Road, Sugarloaf Road

Campgrounds:

Tinemaha, Goodale Creek, Glacier Pack Trains Pack Station, Glacier Lodge, Big Pine Creek, All Recreation Residences in Big Pine Canyon

Trail Closures

Birch Lake, Red Lake, South Fork of Big Pine Creek (including the Middle Fork), North Fork of Big Pine Creek, Baker Creek, & Taboose Creek Trails. NOTE: Hikers on the John Muir Trail are safe, but resupply out of Taboose Pass will need to be arranged at another pass.

Please respect these closures and avoid the nearby fire area for your own safety and that of the firefighters.

Closures:

The Taboose Creek Road is closed beyond the campground. The Inyo National Forest has issued a Forest Closure for the Taboose Fire area until further notice. This includes The Red Lake Trail and the Taboose Creek Trail. Please respect the closure order, as it is put in place to protect the safety of the public and the firefighters. Wildfire compromises the integrity of trees and soil, making them unpredictable hazards. This closure order has been implemented to allow firefighters the ability to work efficiently and navigate the fire line safely while also protecting the public from hazards in the area.

A Community Meeting is planned for today, September 9, at 12:30 pm at the Big Pine Town Hall, 150 Dewey Street, to provide an update for residents about the fire.

Taboose Fire Update