Kerlin, west of Hyampom

Kerlin, Shasta-Trinity NF. Eleven miles north of Mad River, CA. Timber. Minimal fire behavior

September 13, 2018 at 8:30 AM

NorCal Team 2 will transfer command of the Kerlin Fire to a Type 3 Shasta Trinity National Forest organization at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, September 14th, 2018.

The Kerlin Fire is 1,750 acres and is 95% contained. There are 452 personnel working on the fire.

Yesterday crews continued to patrol, mop up and backhaul any excess equipment from the lines. They also continued suppression repair, which can include constructing water bars, removing fallen trees, covering opened lines, chipping cut brush, and repairing any roads that were damaged during fire suppression. The same operations will continue for today.

Weather will continue to be relatively cool and humid over the next few days, with light northwest winds expected over the incident.

As of 6:00 p.m. on September 11th 2018, all evacuations on the Kerlin Fire have been lifted.

September 12, 2018 at 7:52 AM

Last night was another quiet night. Crews worked a half night shift patrolling the fire perimeter and mopping up the northern edge of the fire. There will be no more night shifts and starting today we will only be producing one update per day.

Today crews will continue to patrol, mop up and backhaul any excess equipment from the lines. They also will continue suppression repair, which can include constructing water bars, removing fallen trees, covering opened lines, and repairing any roads that were damaged during fire suppression.

Weather will continue with a cooling trend through Thursday, with north to northwest winds picking up in the afternoon.

As of 6:00 p.m. yesterday, all evacuations on the Kerlin Fire have been lifted.

September 10, 2018 at 9:52 AM

Crews used favorable conditions overnight to bring fire strategically to existing containment lines west of County Road 311 near Middle and Mill Creeks (near the old mill site). They will continue that operation today, as conditions permit. Firefighters will continue mopping up and securing lines around the rest of the fire perimeter.

Crews have begun suppression repair on containment lines. Suppression repair can include constructing water bars to aid with erosion control, repairing roads and culverts damaged during suppression efforts, and chipping or removing fallen trees.

Weather today is predicted to be similar to yesterday, with normal, terrain-driven upslope winds in the afternoon switching to downslope in the evening. Temperatures are expected to be slightly lower than yesterday. This cooling trend is expected to persist through Thursday.

As of 4:30pm on September 9, 2018, all MANDATORY evacuations on the Kerlin Fire have been changed to ADVISORY. That includes structures west of the South Fork of the Trinity River from the Lower South Fork Road/ Pelletreau Road intersection north to Salmon Rock, due west to the Humboldt-Trinity County Line, south to the 3N32 B Spur (at the south end of Section 30), due east to the Pelletreau Road, along the north side of the Pelletreau Road back to the intersection with Lower South Fork Road.

September 9, 2018 at 9:02 AM
Good humidity recovery helped moderate fire conditions overnight. Crews prioritized work on dozer lines near Middle Creek and along the Mill Creek Road, where dozer lines were improved and fire hose was put in place for eventual strategic firing, when and if conditions permit. They also continued to mop up around the fire, looking for any remaining heat or snags near the perimeter that could threaten containment if tested by wind.

Today, crews will work along the Pelletreau Road to remove hazard trees that could fail, causing hazards to firefighters and potentially threaten lines.

Weather today is predicted to be about the same as yesterday, with gusty seasonal winds developing in the afternoon. Due to cool temperatures and high humidity overnight, the smoke inversion is expected to persist in the area for slightly longer today. Smoky conditions can hamper aircraft visibility.

A mandatory evacuation order remains in effect for residents west of the South Fork of the Trinity River from the Lower South Fork Road/ Pelletreau Road intersection north to Salmon Rock, due west to the Humboldt-Trinity County Line, south to the 3N32 B Spur (at the south end of Section 30), due east to the Pelletreau Road, along the north side of the Pelletreau Road back to the intersection with Lower South Fork Road. The Red Cross Shelter, formerly located in Hayfork, has been closed.

September 8, 2018 at 8:17 PM

Firefighters prioritized the northern edge of the fire today, constructing line directly along the fire’s edge to tie into Forest Road 3N14. They used aircraft heavily to hold and improve lines north of Mill Creek. Crews were able to carefully blacken line rounding the northwestern corner of the fire, helping to protect the Hyampom Valley if predicted heavy winds from the northwest materialize tomorrow. They also worked on contingency lines in advance of these winds, which could test containment on the western and southern edges of the fire. The western edge of the fire remained quiet.

Tonight, crews will continue to construct lines begun during the day shift, and to hold, improve, and mop up existing lines.

An evacuation order remains in effect for residents west of the South Fork of the Trinity River structures west of the South Fork of the Trinity River from the Lower South Fork Road/ Pelletreau Road intersection north to Salmon Rock, due west to the Humboldt-Trinity County Line, south to the 3N32 B Spur (at the south end of Section 30), due east to the Pelletreau Road, along the north side of the Pelletreau Road back to the intersection with Lower South Fork Road. The Red Cross Shelter, formerly located in Hayfork, has been closed.

September 7, 2018 at 8:18 AM

A Public Meeting will be held at the Hyampom Volunteer Fire Department at 6 p.m. TONIGHT, September 7, 2018

The Kerlin Fire is currently mapped at 1228 acres and 0% contained. There are 296 resources working on the fire, including three helicopters and air tankers as needed and available.

Crews worked yesterday to prioritize line building on the eastern side of the fire, and were largely able to hold it directly on its active edge (Forest Roads 32N35 and west of 32N44) through the night. The fire did push over the line in several places, but crews were able to pick up those slopovers promptly. Firefighters have also been working on dozer lines behind the sawmill, utilizing County Road 311 and the Kerlin Creek Road to create contingency lines should the fire push to the east/northeast today. On the southern edge of the fire, crews held the line directly along the ridgetop and Forest Road 35N44. Firefighters will look today for opportunities to catch the fire on ridgetops and roads on the northern and western edges of the fire.

Weather today is predicted to remain warm and dry, with prevalent seasonal winds affecting fire behavior. The smoke inversion is expected to lift a bit earlier today due to decreased moisture recovery overnight, and gusty winds are expected, especially in drainages.

An evacuation order remains in effect for residents along County Road 311 from Lake Mountain Ranch to Dead Man’s Point. The American Red Cross has opened an evacuation shelter at the Solid Rock Church, located at the intersection of Highway 3 and Tule Creek Road, in Hayfork. The shelter is open for people evacuating the Kerlin Fire in Trinity County.

September 6, 2018 at 2:43 PM

Firefighters are continuing their ongoing firefighting efforts near the town of Hyampom. Overnight, an infrared mapping flight estimated the active fire perimeter to be 975 acres, which was a significant decrease from the previously estimated 2000 acres. Presently there is still zero percent containment. Structures are present within the fire area and remain threatened, however no structures have been lost as of this morning.

There are 296 personnel assigned to the Kerlin Fire. Fire personnel on fire engines, hand crews, dozers, and water tenders are fighting the fire as weather and terrain conditions allow. Steep drainages, difficult terrain, and lack of roadways continue to make firefighting efforts challenging. Aerial resources continue to be used when their availability and smoke conditions permit.

Over the past 24 hours, most of the fire activity has consisted of some flanking and spotting. Winds will continue to be terrain driven through the day and night with light and occasional gusty conditions. Cooler temperatures are expected over the next few days with an increase of relative humidity expected into the early portion of next week.

As of Wednesday evening, the Trinity County Sheriff’s office issued mandatory evacuations for residents along county road 311 from Lake Mountain Ranch to Dead Man’s Point. The American Red Cross has opened an evacuation shelter at the Solid Rock Church, located at the intersection of Highway 3 and Tule Creek Road, in Hayfork. The shelter is open for people evacuating the Kerlin Fire in Trinity County.

September 6, 2018 at 8:54 AM

Reduction in acreage due to more accurate mapping. The fire burned actively overnight with short crown runs and spotting. Mandatory evacuations are in effect along County Rd. 311 from Lake Mountain Ranch to Dead Mans Point. Structures in and around the community of Hyampom are threatened.

Current threats include: communication towers, power-lines, private timberlands and a Hydro electric plant.

NorCal Type 2 incident management team will assume command of this incident today.

September 5, 2018 at8:24 PM

Fire burned actively through the day. Mandatory evacuations are in effect along County Rd. 311 from Lake Mountain Ranch to Dead Mans Point. The town of Hyampom is threatened. Communications towers, powerlines, a hydro plant and private timberlands are threatened. NorCal Type 2 Team has been ordered and will inbrief tomorrow.

The Kerlin Fire continues to grow in size near Hyampom. As of 6 p,m, September 5, 2018 the fire has grown to an estimated 2000 acres in size with zero percent containment. Presently 217 firefighters remain on the incident and aerial resources are continuing to assist firefighting efforts as flying conditions allow. Approximately 100 structures are in the overall fire area and remain threatened, however no structures have been lost. Additional fire resources have been ordered to assist fire suppression efforts.

Over the past 24 hours there was significant active fire behavior with short crown runs and spotting throughout the fire area. Subtle cooling and an increase in moisture is expected over the next few days with winds becoming mainly light and terrain driven. Some afternoon winds gusts are expected.

Firefighters continue to work to establish perimeter control and structure defense lines where possible while maintaining firefighter and public safety. Difficult and steep terrain are hampering firefighting efforts in some areas of the fire making combined ground and aerial firefighting efforts necessary.

As of Wednesday evening, the Trinity County Sherriff office has issued mandatory evacuations for residents along county road 311 from Lake Mountain Ranch to Dead Man’s Point. Per the Trinity County Office of Emergency Services, a shelter is in the process of being established in Hayfork. Evacuees will be advised of the location once it is established.

To learn more about how to prepare your home for wildfires, and how best to prepare to evacuate, visit: www.preventwildfireca.org