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Cal-Fire
News Release Paradise
Ridge Fire Update As
resources become available from the Paradise Fire, they may be diverted to other
fires within the state. Fire
danger still prevalent The dreaded return of thunderstorms and dry lightning to the northern regions of California did not spark any major new fires over the weekend, but the larger picture remains dire. A “red flag warning” -- meaning the most extreme fire danger -- was still in effect for Northern California until 5 a.m. today. Thunderstorms forecast for the weekend proved much less destructive than those that ignited the widespread infernos a week earlier. A lightning strike Saturday evening sparked a blaze in the Marble Mountain Wilderness area of Six Rivers National Forest, though it is not considered a major threat. Smoke jumpers have been ordered to parachute into this fire as soon as conditions allow. Meanwhile, more than a thousand wildfires continue to burn throughout Northern California. The blazes have scorched more than 556 square miles and destroyed more than 50 buildings, said state emergency services spokesman Gregory Renick. The Lime Complex fires in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest grew significantly over the weekend to 30,339 acres with approximately 15 percent containment as of Sunday afternoon. State
Route 36 was closed Sunday from the junction of State Route 3 to Platina, 32 miles
west of Red Bluff. Firefighters attempted to use sections of the road as a starting
point in a fire line, said Fire Information Officer Steve Richie. In Del Norte County, five wildfires in the Siskiyou Complex east of Klamath have consumed more than 5,600 acres and were just 15 percent contained. According to the Forest Service's state fire outlook report released last week, the fires now burning will take weeks to months to fully bring under control. And the worst may be yet to come. An unusually dry spring has left forests parched, and the weather will get even drier and hotter as fire season heads toward its traditional peak in late July and August, the report said. "Conditions are reaching some of the highest levels in terms of dryness,” said Mosbacher. “We have not had a lot of wind or sun, so the dryness of fuels has not been exasperated by weather conditions." Still, the wildfires already have blanketed many areas in dense smoke, resulting in air quality alerts in communities such as Willow Creek, Hoopa, Hayfork, Weaverville and many others. ”Smoke levels are very unhealthy in all areas proximal to wildfires,” according to an announcement from the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District. Sensitive groups, including children, the elderly and those with respiratory disease, are urged to stay indoors, while the general populations is advised to limit outdoor activity. On Saturday, President Bush issued an emergency declaration for California and ordered federal agencies to assist in firefighting efforts in Mendocino, Shasta and Trinity counties, among others. Federal aid now includes four Marine Corps helicopters, remote sensing of the fires by NASA, federal firefighters, and the activation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But California emergency officials said that state and local governments would also need federal financing to cover the costs of fighting so many fires this early in the year. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Ryan
Burns can be reached at 441-0563 or rburns@times-standard.com. Rash
of local fires continue to burn Fire crews in Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, and Shasta counties made progress on a slate of fires started during a lightning storm on Friday. The 600-acre Paradise Fire burning to the north of Shelter Cove has seen a boost in resources as other fires are contained. No evacuations have been ordered or are expected anytime soon, said Calfire information officer Cricket Baird. ”As some of the fires have been contained we've moved the folks over to the Paradise,” Baird said. “It's a shifting of resources.” Still, many of the dozens of fires in the regions were unstaffed or understaffed, as crews concentrated on the blazes with the most potential to damage property. While in some places smoke lifted providing easier breathing, the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District is still warning people with breathing trouble to remain inside and avoid exertion. Winds were expected to shift toward the coast on Wednesday, the district said, so areas recently smoke free could become smoky. John Driscoll can be reached at 441-0504 or jdriscoll@times-standard.com. ****************************************
Firefighters and aircraft worked to snuff fires that sprouted over a fire line built between a 500-acre wildfire and Shelter Cove, just one of dozens of blazes in the region and hundreds in the state. The Paradise
Fire was considered 15 percent contained by mid-day Tuesday, according to Calfire.
The fire burned up to the southern fire line constructed Monday, and helicopters
dropped water on fires that started over the line on Tuesday. It is about 4 miles
north of Shelter Cove. "Resources are moving constantly from one fire to another," Brady said. John Driscoll can be reached at 441-0504 or jdriscoll@times-standard.com.
Firefighters took advantage of relatively low temperatures and light winds in most areas to make progress on wildfires sparked Friday night by a barrage of lightning strikes. Three fires are of some concern in the area, including one about 4 miles outside of Shelter Cove, one in the Orleans area and several fires in the Hyampom area of Trinity County. The Paradise Ridge fire near Shelter Cove has blackened about 500 acres in the King Range National Conservation Area. Crews there worked to build containment lines from Paradise Ridge to Beak Creek and north of Horse Mountain to meet up with existing dozer lines. The fire is burning in Douglas fir and tanoak, and was largely well-behaved on Monday. Diane Adams, a clerk at the Shelter Cove General Store, was helping a number of firefighters who were in the store Monday afternoon. She said it is smoky in Shelter Cove, but wasn't worried about the fire, despite the fact that she lives on Kings Peak Road, closer to the fire. ”I feel good,” Adams said. “I'm not really nervous.” Two
heavy helicopters, 15 engines, seven bulldozers, eight hand crews and eight water
tenders were assigned to the fire, along with engines from Whitethorn, Shelter
Cove, Briceland and Whale Gulch. John Driscoll can be reached at 441-0504 or jdriscoll@times-standard.com.
************************************************ A
30 acre fire is buring in Humboldt Redwoods State Park near High Rock north of
Weott. The forty acre fire in Carson Creek north of Redcrest has not grown in
size since late yesterday. A separate 30 acre fire is burning in Bear Creek northwest
of Redcrest.Three small fires are in the Headwaters Forest. The 25 acre Williams
Fire is in very steep terrain adjacent to the Klamath River. Firefighting efforts
are continuing throughout the Humboldt-Del Norte Unit. Extensive mop-up will be
required on the larger fires. |
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