McCash, Somes Bar

McCash, Six Rivers NF, USFS. Fourteen miles northeast of Somes Bar, CA. Timber, closed timber litter and brush. Minimal fire behavior with creeping and smoldering. Evacuations, area, road and trail closures in effect.

October 17, 2021 at 10:24 AM

As of 4:00 pm on October 15, 2021, a Type 3 Incident Management Team is assigned to the McCash Fire. The fire recently received considerable precipitation and is 93% contained. Updates will be posted on this page only as events warrant.  A forest closure remains in effect for the area around the McCash Fire. 

October 14, 2021 at 11:07 AM

California Interagency Incident Management Team will transfer command of the McCash Fire tomorrow, Friday, October 15^th  at 4 p.m.. A Type 3 organization will assume command of the fire.  

This will be the LAST UPDATE for the McCash Fire unless conditions change. Crews have almost completed road grading work and suppression repair, and hazard tree removal continues. All structures have been unwrapped and all evacuations have been lifted. A Forest Closure remains in place around the McCash Fire perimeter. The current closure expires tomorrow, October 15. A new closure is anticipated. Residents and recreators are advised to check the Klamath or Six Rivers National Forest webpages for the latest closure information. 

A Burned Area Emergency Report (BAER) is being prepared and will be available soon.

A few high clouds may linger in the area today, with warmer temperatures and low relative humidity expected through the next few days. A cold front is expected to push into the area on Sunday, again bringing the potential for precipitation.  

October 11, 2021 at 9:46 AM

There is very little fire activity on the McCash Fire. A small amount of smoke was visible in the upper drainage of Wooley Creek yesterday, well within the fire perimeter. In the wilderness area on the east side, there was a small amount of heat but not in an area that would threaten containment lines. Crews continue to patrol within the fire area, identifying and extinguishing any remaining heat in isolated stump holes and downed logs. Road repair is a priority and grading will continue today. Hazard tree removal is also underway, and crews will be focusing on Ti Bar Road.       

Gusty north to northeast winds are predicted over the fire area today. Wind speeds along the ridges will be in the 10-20 mph range with gusts 25-35 mph. At the lower elevations gusts will be 15 to 20 mph range after noon. A few isolated showers are possible today, but only trace amounts are expected. Tonight will be the coldest night with lows right around the freezing mark. A high pressure will come in on Tuesday and bring warmer and drier conditions along with less wind, full sunshine, and no precipitation. 

October 8, 2021 at 10:36 AM

Fire crews continue patrolling the fire area, mopping up any remaining isolated heat sources that are detected. Suppression repair, including road grading and erosion control continues as well. Additional heavy equipment has been moved into the fire area to facilitate hazard tree removal, which will begin today.  

Fire activity was very minimal yesterday and only a few small spots of heat were detected. These were immediately mitigated by crews on scene. Today some subtle surface drying will occur, but will likely not be enough to support fire spread. The peak burn period will be very short due to moderate to high humidity and limited solar exposure. Fire will continue to smolder in heavy fuels with limited opportunity for spread. 

The weather is expected to bring patchy river fog in the morning, with warmer daytime temperatures, and light northwest winds. These weather conditions will likely prevail through Saturday. Wind direction will return to the normal diurnal pattern beginning today. 

October 7, 2021 at 10:26 AM

Fire crews continue patrolling the fire area, mopping up any remaining isolated heat sources that are detected. Suppression repair, including road grading and erosion control continues as well. Additional heavy equipment has been moved into the fire area to facilitate hazard tree removal, which will begin today.

Fire activity was very minimal yesterday and only a few small spots of heat were detected. These were immediately mitigated by crews on scene. Today some subtle surface drying will occur, but will likely not be enough to support fire spread. The peak burn period will be very short due to moderate to high humidity and limited solar exposure. Fire will continue to smolder in heavy fuels with limited opportunity for spread.

The weather is expected to bring patchy river fog in the morning, with warmer daytime temperatures, and light northwest winds. These weather conditions will likely prevail through Saturday. Wind direction will return to the normal diurnal pattern beginning today.

October 6, 2021 at 10:36 AM

The McCash Fire area is experiencing cool and moist weather, and received 0.05 to 0.13” of precipitation overnight. Remaining heat spots are scattered over a large geographic area. Because fuels are wet today, no spread is expected in the short-term, nor is any perimeter growth.

With much of the fire contained, mop-up continues. In the north, crews continue with suppression repair and are making steady progress using excavators. In the south area, crews are primarily chipping, grading, completing excavator work and mopping up. Hazard tree crews are moving in equipment and marking trees in preparation for removing hazard trees. Ground and air patrols continue to monitor the fire daily, and have found little smoke over the south side of the fire, including the Wooley Creek area. Patrols did observe a small visible smoke column in the eastern portion of the fire area, which was a result of limited surface fire spread in upper Elk Creek/Hummingbird Creek area.

The light, overnight rain will end this morning and temperatures will continue to cool into the lower 60s, though relative humidity will decrease. Winds will change direction and approach from the north and northwest in the afternoon at 8 to 12mph, and nighttime temperatures will begin to dip into the upper 30s. These conditions will diminish potential for fire behavior for the next day or two.

Please watch for firefighters and heavy equipment on roads. Always use caution in fire-impacted areas.

October 5, 2021 at 10:35 AM

With yesterday’s warm and dry weather, additional fire activity burned on the eastern side of the fire in the Wilderness area south of Buckhorn Bear. Limited additional spread is likely due to this area being bound by large granite bluffs. Additionally, isolated stump holes showed some heat along the eastern edge of the fire in the Wooley Creek area, but no forward progress was observed. Crews continue with suppression repair in the north. In the south area, crews are primarily chipping, grading, completing excavator work and mopping up. Smoldering in heavy fuels will continue.  

This morning will begin with high clouds and more coverage as the day progresses. Temperatures will be 10 degrees cooler than Monday and relative humidity will be higher. The incoming weather front will occur in the overnight hours and exit by Wednesday morning, and a chance of light rain is expected. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity will continue for several days. Southwest wind gusts that occurred on Monday will continue through Tuesday. 

Unrelated to the McCash incident, smoke may be visible today from a prescribed fire in the Happy Camp area. 

October 1, 2021 at 10:28 AM

Suppression repair crews are starting north of the fire and will continue south. They are working in China Grade on contingency line that was put in early in the fire. Chicken Ladder Road is being prepped for repair, as is the 10 Bear Road to Ukonom Lookout. Hazard mitigation is wrapping up on Black Mountain Road.

Recent reconnaissance flights showed minimal heat and fire activity. Infrared monitoring indicated some heat in the northeast corner, but the chance of active fire behavior at this point is slim. Smoldering heavy fuels (large trees and logs) will continue to produce smoke. Daily flights, as weather permits, will monitor the fire activity and perimeter.

With fall hunting underway, please watch for firefighters as they work in the forest. Forest closures remain in effect, check the maps before you go. Always use caution in fire-impacted areas. Watch out for snag hazards, ash pits, rockfall, and heavy equipment on the roads.

September 30, 2021 at 10:59 AM

Containment line was added in the northeast corner of the McCash Fire from Huckleberry Mountain to just north of Buckhorn Mountain and closed the gaps in the Black Mountain area and Bishop Bowl. This will likely be the last containment line added to the fire as focus shifts to repair operations along the western edge and the eastern edge of the fire runs into natural barriers. Repair efforts include erosion control, hazard tree removal, and road rehabilitation. All of which increase public and firefighter safety and help the forest regenerate.  

Fire activity is minimal; smoldering and slowly creeping through fuels. Today and through the weekend, the warmer weather will dry fuels and fire activity may increase but remain at a low level. Smoke production will likely increase and remaining hot spots will become more visible, which will assist crews to mop up and extinguish heat near the line. Patrol and mop-up will continue as needed along the perimeter while suppression repair is underway.  

With fall hunting underway, please watch for firefighters as they work in the forest. Always use caution in fire-impacted areas. Watch out for snag hazards, ash pits, rockfall, and heavy equipment on the roads.  

September 27, 2021 at 8:18 AM

Activity on the McCash Fire is minimal and is expected to be further limited by a cold front moving in. Light rain is expected through tonight with cooler temperatures, considerably dampening fire activity.

Containment increased around Huckleberry Mountain as smokejumpers secured the fireline there yesterday. Weather and access permitting, crews will continue to mop-up, secure, and mitigate hazards along the 10 Bear, Camp 3, and Black Mountain roads. Structure protection groups will continue fire-wise assessments and mitigations along Ishi Pishi Road and pull equipment out of areas where they have completed work.

Active firefighting is coming to an end due to low fire activity, favorable weather, and successful suppression and containment operations. The containment line is secure along the north, west, and southwest boundary of the fire near population centers and structures. The remainder of the fire perimeter is confined by natural barriers. The eastern boundary of the fire in the Marble Mountain Wilderness is constrained by rugged, rocky terrain (discontinuous fuels) and previous burn scars with sparse fuels. Evidence of fire behavior over the last week has shown that burn scars have slowed and held the fire in place. The fire is expected to smolder and creep slowly until it runs out of fuel and fall/winter conditions put it out. The Incident Management Team will continue to closely monitor conditions by air and on the ground. In the coming days, work will focus on repairing damage caused by fire suppression activities to facilitate natural regeneration of the environment and allow safe access to the forest.

September 26, 2021 at 7:29 PM

Yesterday on the McCash Fire, crews completed a contingency line near Wolf Place north of China Grade and strengthened fireline to enclose the Bishop Bowl. Several unmanned aerial system (UAS) flights collected infrared (IR) imagery of the fire. The IR showed activity in the Wooley Creek drainage, but no real change in the active fire edge. Areas of heat were detected in the Black Mountain area that crews extinguished.

Today will see some cooling temperatures with increasing clouds leading to light rain overnight. Moderate fire activity is expected, with lower Wooley Creek, Steinacher Ridge, and upper Wooley Creek having the potential to be most active. No significant perimeter growth is expected. Interior pockets of fuel will continue to burn out and produce smoke. Communities north and east of the fire—Happy Camp, Sawyer Bar, and Etna—are likely to experience heavy smoke in the morning that should clear by the afternoon. Residents in these areas may want to limit time outdoors until air quality improves.

September 24, 2021 at 8:01 AM

The McCash Fire continues to smolder with a slight increase in fire behavior but no further advancement. The two areas with the most heat are the northeast corner of the fire around Huckleberry Mountain and in the southern portion of the fire around Wooley Creek. 

Yesterday, smoke jumpers were dropped southeast of Huckleberry Mountain and are working, in combination with bucket operations, along Buckhorn Mountain near the Pacific Crest Trail. The smoke jumpers are starting on the east side, working northwest, to stop northward movement of the fire. Further west, a hot shot crew successfully fired limited areas within the 88 Bowl to slowly burn out surface fuels. Crews also brushed along Cougar Creek and conducted firing to secure the containment line. In the southern portion of the fire, air operations were conducted in the Wooley Creek drainage. Flights also surveyed the eastern edge of the fire and detected no forward movement. 

Today brushing will wrap up along Cougar Creek. Crews will continue to mop up along Elk Creek and fire fuels as needed along Chicken Ladder Road to secure the containment line. In the south, crews are grading the N11 Road and removing snags and other hazards in preparation for road improvement in that area. They are pulling water-handling equipment out of the Highway 96 corridor and evaluating Black Mountain Road for access opportunities. 

Emergency actions may be necessary to provide for public safety and the protection of critical natural and cultural resources after large wildfires. For example, loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion, water runoff may cause increased flooding, and sediment may move downstream damaging roads and infrastructure or put endangered species and cultural resources at-risk. USDA Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams implement rapid evaluations of burned areas on National Forest Service (NFS) lands, assess post-fire risks, and recommend emergency actions to the effected National Forests.

BAER teams focus specifically on emergency stabilization actions that are necessary to protect human life, property, and critical natural and cultural resources. BAER teams share their assessments with other federal, tribal, state, and local agencies that have post-fire responsibilities, including on state and private lands, within and downstream from burned areas. Such agencies include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Natural Park Service (NPS), National Weather Service (NWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and US Geological Survey (USGS).

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest have established a BAER team that is now beginning burned area assessments of the Monument and Knob fires. The BAER specialists on the Monument-Knob BAER assessment team include hydrologists, geologists, soil scientists, road and civil engineers, botanists, biologists, archeologists, recreation specialists, and geographic information specialists.

The Monument-Knob BAER assessment specialists are collecting data in the burned areas that is used to complete GIS and modeling programs to evaluate the post-fire risks. The first step in the BAER assessment process is taking satellite imagery and data collected during ground and aerial reconnaissance surveys to produce a soil burn severity map. The soil burn severity provides baseline information to determine changed watershed conditions for assessing potential watershed impacts from wildfires. This information will then be compiled and presented to Forest leadership along with recommended BAER emergency stabilization treatments in two BAER assessment reports—one for the Monument burned area, and one for the Knob burned area.

Rainstorm run-off is sometimes, but not always, increased on burn scars. The Monument and Knob BAER assessment reports and data will be shared with interagency cooperators who work with downstream private homeowners and landowners to prepare for potential post-fire flooding and debris flow impacts. Homes or businesses that could be impacted by flooding from federal land that resulted from wildfires may be eligible for flood insurance coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Information about NFIP is available through FEMA at www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program, or www.floodsmart.gov/wildfires. Other flood preparedness information is available at www.ready.gov/floods at www.floodsmart.gov/.

September 22, 2021 at 9:13 AM

Siskiyou County reduced evacuation levels to a warning for the area west of Highway 96 and north of Independence Creek, Chicken Ladder Road, and Cougar Creek. Evacuations have been lifted entirely around Happy Camp north of Titus Ridge and Frying Pan Ridge. See a map at: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/evacuations 

Yesterday a reconnaissance flight over the McCash Fire allowed for a more accurate map of the fire area. The increased acreage is due to pockets of previously unburned fuels that have now been consumed. From the air, the team could see that fire activity consisted primarily of smoldering fuels with limited and isolated torching. Fire behavior has been moderated by recent cool and wet weather, but the fire remains driven by steep terrain, plentiful fuels, and ongoing severe drought conditions. Old fire scars bordering the fire help to slow fire progression. The fire is generally following unburned gaps between the burned areas from the last decade. With slowed progression, the strategy is to directly contain the active fire edge and use the burn-scarred area as contingency. 

A weak cold front will pass over the fire this morning bringing a short-lived cooling, dampening trend and light westerly winds. Tomorrow will be the start of another warming and drying trend. A high-pressure system is expected to strengthen over of the week delivering warmer-than-normal conditions and dry weather. 

Crews will continue suppression and mop-up, primarily from Elk Creek west and south along the fire edge to the Highway 96 corridor, and north to Independence/Ferry Point. Direct attack will be used whenever possible. Scouting for indirect line and line preparation will continue across the fire. Holding the fire on Titus Ridge and stopping spread north down the Elk Creek drainage remains a high priority. Crews will continue scouting and assessing structures in the Highway 96 and Salmon River corridors. The structure protection group will continue to assess and protect structures. 

September 20, 2021 at 7:37 PM

Rain over the last two days helped slow the McCash Fire’s progression with fire spread and activity limited to large fuels. Fire growth is expected to remain slow for the next 24 hours. The rain also slowed ground operations due to poor road conditions and stalled air operations due to cloud cover. As the weather clears, operations will increase.

A high-pressure system coming in today will bring stronger winds, warming weather, and drying. Fire activity will likely begin to pick up over the next 48 hours. As the Alaska Incident Management Team takes command today, they will assess conditions and advance ground and air operations.

Holding the fire on Titus Ridge and stopping its spread north through Elk Creek drainage is a critical emphasis for operations today. Resources and equipment will continue suppression of spots, direct attack, and mop-up, primarily from Elk Creek west along the fire edge and then south along the Highway 96 corridor from Independence/Ferry Point. Scouting for indirect line and line preparation will continue across the fire as crews assess conditions on the ground. The structure protection group will continue to assess and prepare structures in the Highway 93/Salmon River corridor. Crews will also assess the Little Marble Fire to ensure that fire is out.

September 19, 2021 at 4:04 PM

Yesterday, cool, wet weather tamed the fire and brought relief to firefighters. Rain showers brought almost an inch over some areas of the fire. The weather also brought debris and rock slides that will have to be cleared by heavy equipment from the roadways. Firefighters continue to patrol the fire area and engage where they can. 

Rain showers are expected to continue through the morning, then dissipate in the afternoon. Fire activity will be minimal today and likely the next few days. Logs and trees will continue to smolder and burn. Another week of hot, dry weather is expected, which will awaken the fire. Firefighters will take advantage of the subdued fire by directly engaging it, specifically along Titus Ridge, and reinforce containment lines.  

Today, Great Basin Incident Management Team 7 will begin transitioning with Alaska Incident Management Team 1. Thank you for welcoming us into your community. Alaska IMT 1 will assume command of the fire Monday, Sept. 20 at 6:30 a.m.  

September 17, 2021 at 7:44 AM

The McCash Fire has grown to 82,471 acres. Increasing 1,860 acres from yesterday and containment increased to 28%. The Little Marble Fire is14 acres and 100% contained.

The Six Rivers National Forest and Klamath National Forest have implemented a closure for the McCash Fire area. To view the closure order and map visit the McCash Fire Inciweb website.

Yesterday, the fire was most active in the Elk Creek area. Crossing Bishop Creek and overnight crossing Chicken Ladder Road. Retardant was dropped along Titus Ridge and helicopters dropped buckets of water to moderate the advancing fire. Firefighters worked to knock the flames down, along Elk Creek to Bishop Creek. Today, firefighters will continue to actively engage the fire to slow its northward progression. Firefighters moped up spot fires north of Doolittle Creek Road and monitored the fire activity around Huckleberry Mountain.

The fire continues to burn in the Ukonom Creek area down to the Klamath River. Fire is holding along recent burn scars, which are serving as containment lines. This has resulted in the increased containment. Crews are working to open up the Ti Bar Road by cutting downed timber and felling hazardous trees.

The Highway 96 Structure Group continues prepping structures east of Highway 96 near Somes Bar. The southern edge of the fire is still burning actively in the wilderness. Fire managers are looking at different strategies to engage the southern perimeter.

Little Marble firefighters were able to walk the fire perimeter with a GPS and mapped it at 14 acres. Today, firefighters will finish back hauling gear and hike out. After the weather system comes through this weekend, firefighters will hike in to check the fire.

September 12, 2021 at 12:13 PM

Increased fire behavior on the McCash fire yesterday afternoon has pushed the fire to 74,076 acres. The McCash Fire is 11% contained. The Little Marble Fire is 26 acres with 0% containment. Increased fire activity is expected for the next several days as hot, dry, and windy weather settles over the fire area.

Most of the fire activity on the McCash Fire was in the Lick Creek area. This area is primarily old growth timber which hasn’t burned in recent memory. The fire burned north toward Chicken Ladder Road and Titus Ridge Road. Dozers lines which were completed in anticipation of this movement will be utilized to slow the fire spread. Crews patrolled the area throughout the night.

Crews and equipment continue working along the China Grade Road and Grider Ridge Road. Firefighters are clearing brush around structures and installing hoses and pumps. This work creates defensible space around buildings. Masticators are cutting brush and small trees along roads and dozer lines. This creates wider fuel-free zones that firefighters can use as control lines.

The Highway 96 Structure Group is assessing structures from Somes Bar south along the 96 corridor towards Forks of Salmon. These crews will be stationed at the Orleans Incident Command Post so they are closer to their work area.  
 On the southern end of the fire, mastication work along the Iron Phone Road and the Camp Three Road is progressing to the south. Masticators are working north from Offield Saddle towards the crews moving south. Helicopters worked throughout the day supporting the firefighters on the ground with water drops.

Yesterday, there was very little fire activity on the Little Marble Fire. Crews improved the handline along the perimeter and continued mop-up.

There will be a virtual community meeting on Monday Sept. 13, at 7:00 PM on the Six Rivers National Forest Facebook page. 

September 7, 2021 at 8:52 AM

Great Basin Team 7 has taken command of the fire and continues to implement the plan developed by Great Basin Team 3, Six Rivers NF, Klamath NF and the Karuk Tribe.  

The arrival of Chena Hotshots yesterday, along with favorable weather allowed small-scale firing operations to occur north of the spot fire in the Buckhorn Bear area. They were able to burn along existing roads and dozer line towards Elk Creek Road. Firefighters will continue working towards Elk Creek Road today. 

The Highway 96 Structure Group continues working with a local firefighting crew to perform mitigation work around cultural sites along the highway corridor. The Elk Creek Structure Group continues to reopen old dozer and hand lines on the southern end of Happy Camp near Curly Jack and Elk Creek campgrounds.  

Firefighters are preparing for changing weather and future wind events. Today, a southerly flow will bring increased winds from the southwest that have the potential to push the fire northward.  

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction (TFR) remains in place. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft. A TFR also applies to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. To find information about the TFR, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_1_0033.html. 

Smoke: For air quality information go to https://fire.airnow.gov or https://bit.ly/SiskiyouWildfireSmoke. 

Evacuations: For the most current and accurate evacuation information for Siskiyou County, please  visit the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at: @SiskiyouCountySheriff or the county evacuation map at https://bit.ly/SiskiyouEvacMap. All residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alert at: https://bit.ly/CodeRedSiskiyou 

September 6, 2021 at 9:38 AM

Today is a shadow day for Great Basin Team 7, the incoming Type 2 incident management team. Team 7 will work with their counterparts from Great Basin Team 3 to learn about the ongoing operations to suppress the McCash Fire. Team 3 will transfer command of the fire to Team 7 on Tuesday at 7 a.m. 

Several sections of fire line were declared contained at the end of shift yesterday. These sections include Carter Creek Road to Ukonom Lookout; Dutch Creek to Independence/Ferry Point along banks of the Klamath River; and Independence/Ferry Point to the midpoint of the northern containment line. 

The fire continues to move to the east along the containment line in the area of Johnson Hunting Ground. Crews will work today to limit the fire’s spread to the north, identifying hotspots along the containment line and extinguishing them. Crews continue to improve the Chicken Ladder Road (15N13) and Titus Ridge Road (15N10) by hand and with heavy equipment. 

The Highway 96 Structure Group worked yesterday with a local firefighting crew to perform mitigation work around cultural sites along the highway corridor. They will continue this work today. Patrols will also continue along the highway to identify any possible spot fires west of the road. To date, no spot fires have been detected west of the Klamath River or the highway. 

Firefighters continue to have success with the slow, small-scale firing operation north of the spot fire in the Buckhorn Bear area. Depending on weather conditions today, they will fire off segments of vegetation along the existing roads and dozer line working to the west toward Elk Creek Road. An alternative contingency line is also being created from Frying Pan Ridge to Grider Ridge using a grader and masticator. Both operations are expected to take a few more days to finish. 

Yesterday, the Elk Creek Structure Group reopened old dozer and hand lines on the southern end of Happy Camp near Curly Jack and Elk Creek campgrounds. They also performed point protection work around structures along Elk Creek. The work in both areas will continue today. 

Firefighters in the Patterson and Ti-Bar areas are removing excess firefighting equipment from areas where it is no longer needed. A masticator is finishing up a southern contingency line along Old Phone Road (14inside the 2017 Haypress Fire scar. 

Infrared flights are providing information about the McCash Fire’s movement on the southeast side of the fire in the Marble Mountain Wilderness. The fire continues to back slowly into the Wooley Creek drainage.  

Weather: Today’s high temperature is predicted to be in the mid-90s with low humidity. A cold front will move in to the area Tuesday, bringing a 25 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Southerly ridgetop winds are expected to increase. This could clear out the smoke layer that has helped reduce fire activity over the past week, setting the stage for increased fire behavior. 

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction (TFR) remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft. To find information about the TFR, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_1_0033.html. Remember, a TFR also applies to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. 

Smoke: Smoke from the McCash Fire and neighboring fires in northern California is impacting local communities. For air quality information go to https://fire.airnow.gov or https://bit.ly/SiskiyouWildfireSmoke.

September 5, 2021 at 10:20 AM

Great Basin Team 3 will begin the process today of transitioning command of the McCash Fire to Great Basin Team 7, which is also a Type 2 team. The official transfer of command will take place Tuesday at 7 a.m.

Yesterday, firefighters successfully continued a small-scale firing operation to contain the northern edge of the spot fire in the Buckhorn Bear area. They will resume this operation today, weather permitting, working along existing roads and a dozer line west toward Elk Creek Road. Crews will also continue to use a grader and masticators to prepare a contingency line from Frying Pan Ridge to Grider Ridge. Both operations are expected to take about four days to complete.

Several more sections of the control line from Independence Ridge to Johnson Hunting Ground are closer to being declared contained, thanks weeks of hard work by firefighters. The hand line, dozer line and hoses around areas where the fire crossed the control line have held the fire in check. Crews are using dozers and hand tools to improve the Chicken Ladder Road (15N13). The Titus Ridge Road (15N10) is also being improved with dozers and masticators. The improvements are creating additional contingency lines to stop potential fire movement to the east or west, if the fire were to get across the northern line.

The Highway 96 Structure Group has the same assignment today that they had yesterday. They will support operations along the dozer line on Independence Ridge and patrol the highway corridor, including areas west of the highway. The purpose of their patrols is to check for possible spot fires. No spot fires have been detected west of the Klamath River or the highway.

Yesterday, the Elk Creek Structure Group began putting in dozer line and hand line, as well as pumps and hoses, around structures in the Elk Creek area. They will continue this work today. They are also coordinating with local resource advisors to reopen and improve dozer line and hand line from previous fires south of Happy Camp.

Crews working the Patterson and Ti-Bar areas will begin the backhaul process today, removing excess firefighting equipment from areas where it is no longer needed. A dozer working to improve the Iron Phone Road along the southern edge of the fire has reached Black Mountain. A masticator is following behind to help create a southern contingency line inside the 2017 Haypress Fire scar.

Infrared imaging collected during nightly flights is providing firefighters with information about the McCash Fire’s movement in the Marble Mountain Wilderness on the southeast side of the fire. Heavy smoke has grounded all traditional recon flights for days. The fire is still backing slowly down the Wooley Creek drainage. When appropriate resources are available, crews will look for opportunities to fight the fire using minimum impact suppression tactics (MIST) to effectively meet their objectives with the fewest environmental, cultural and social impacts to the wilderness area.

September 2, 2021 at 9:56 AM

Yesterday, crews on the north end of the fire continued to work to secure line along the Independence Creek Road to Johnson’s Hunting Grounds. They were able to successfully contain or incorporate areas where the fire had pushed beyond the line. Fire backed down the ridge at Dutch Creek to the Klamath River. This led to the Siskiyou County Sheriff declaring an Evacuation Order for the Clear Creek area. Follow the link below for the updated evacuation map. Firefighters patrolled along Highway 96 day and night checking for any potential spotting across the river. At this time, the fire remains east of Highway 96. 

On the western flank of the fire, day and night shift crews continued mop-up and patrol along existing containment lines. During the day shift, crews also began road preparation west of Highway 96 for contingency line if the fire crosses the road. East of Patterson, improvement work was completed on Iron Phone Road from the edge of the fire to the intersection with road 13N03, just after which is a washout on the road. Crews will improve the washout today and continue improving that road to the southeast, with the goal of bringing containment line towards Wooley Creek. 

In the Upper Elk Creek area, Structure Group completed initial assessments and will work their way through Lower Elk Creek towards Happy Camp tomorrow. Firefighters continued mop-up of the spot fire west of Lick Creek and patrolled and improved the line around Johnson’s Hunting Grounds. Crews worked to improve Chicken Ladder Road for use as contingency line, as well as sections of road 15N34 to Titus Ridge Road. At the Buckhorn Bear spot fire near Norcross Trailhead, crews performed light burning operations around structures and firefighters scouted potential contingency lines. Work on these lines is expected to begin within the next 48 hours. 

Weather: A high pressure system is starting to build in the area, bringing light ridgetop winds and a gradual warming trend into the weekend. The fire is receiving poor ventilation, which will likely cause heavy smoke in the Klamath River drainage. 

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction (TFR) remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft, due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft. To find information about the TFR, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_1_0033.html. Remember, a TFR also applies to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones.  

September 1, 2021 at 11:58 AM

An infrared flight Monday night over the McCash Fire showed the fire is 44,977 acres. This was the first infrared flight over the fire in nearly 48 hours due to a mechanical issue. The fire is 1 percent contained. There are 465 people assigned to the incident.  

There will be a community meeting in Somes Bar tonight, Sept. 1, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held outside at Junction Elementary School. Representatives from Great Basin Team 3 and the U.S. Forest Service will provide information and answer questions about the McCash Fire. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the Six Rivers National Forest Facebook page. 

Crews spent Monday working to secure the northern contingency line in the Independence Creek area following Sunday’s firing operation. They mopped up the line, looking for hot spots and extinguishing them from Johnson Hunting Grounds to the Independence Bridge. The mop up operation carried over into night shift and will continue today.  

Firefighters identified three spot fires north of the contingency line: one south of Tinkham Creek, one near Bishop Creek and one west of Lick Creek. Crews on the ground, supported by water drops from helicopters, worked throughout the day Monday to contain those spot fires. They will continue this work today.  

The Highway 96 Structure Group spent Monday supporting the mop up operation along the contingency line in the Independence Creek area. They will do the same today until they are no longer needed, and then will move to Happy Camp to begin structure assessments. Likewise, the Elk Creek Structure Group will head to Happy Camp to begin assessing structures once their work in Elk Creek is finished. This could happen as early as today. 

Crews working in the Ti-Bar and Patterson areas are continuing to extinguish hotspots, adding more depth to the containment lines yesterday on the southwest edge of the fire near Ti-Bar Road. In the Patterson area, crews have nearly finished prep work on the Iron Phone Road (13N11) all the way to the point where the road is washed out. This work will provide a contingency line inside the 2017 Haypress burn scar for firefighters to use should the McCash Fire move further south.  

A new division has been created on the northeast side of the fire. Division November encompasses the area around Norcross Campground and Buckhorn Bear, where a spot fire estimated at 1,000 acres is burning. The resources assigned to the division will scout the area today to develop a plan for suppression of the spot fire. The division will be staffed with additional resources to implement that plan as other sections of the fire are contained or as new resources are assigned to the fire.  

Smoke may settle into the valleys along the Highway 96 corridor at times today. Please continue to use caution as you drive through the fire area for your safety and the safety of others, including firefighters. 

Weather: Weather is expected to be hot and dry again today. Temperatures are predicted to reach the upper 80s in the Klamath Valley with a minimum humidity of 18 percent and wind gusts up to 10 mph. 

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist  drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft, due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft. 

Smoke: Smoke from the McCash Fire and neighboring fires in northern California is impacting local communities. For air quality information go to https://fire.airnow.gov or https://bit.ly/SiskiyouWildfireSmoke. 

Evacuations: For the most current and accurate evacuation information for Siskiyou County, please  visit the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff or the county evacuation map at https://bit.ly/SiskiyouEvacMap. 

All residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alert at: https://bit.ly/CodeRedSiskiyou 

Construction: Caltrans is beginning bridge work today at mile marker 37.3 on Highway 96 east of Orleans. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Drivers should expect a 5-minute delay. Road information can be found by calling 1-800-427-7623 or on the Caltrans website https://roads.dot.ca.gov/ 

Visit the following sites for specific Forest Closure information: 

U.S. Forest Service Region 5 https://bit.ly/R5ForestClosures 

Six Rivers National Forest https://bit.ly/SRNFNotices 

Klamath National Forest https://bit.ly/KNFNotices 

August 29, 2021 at 1:37 PM

An infrared flight over the McCash Fire last night shows the fire is 31,721 acres. The fire is 1 percent contained. There are 401 people assigned to the incident.  

There will be a community meeting in Happy Camp on Monday, Aug. 30, at 6:30 p.m. The location is still being finalized. Representatives from Great Basin Team 3 and the U.S. Forest Service will provide information and answer questions about the McCash Fire. Happy Camp was selected as the location for the meeting because the fire is primarily moving north at present. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the Six Rivers National Forest Facebook page. 

The McCash Fire was active on all fronts Saturday. It crossed to the north side of King Creek and has begun backing down toward Independence Creek. The fire is also moving west toward Highway 96 near the boundary between the Happy Camp Ranger District and Ukonom Ranger District. The highway is open. 

Crews on Saturday successfully conducted a burnout operation to eliminate an island of unburned vegetation between the burn scar from the 2017 Ukonom Fire and the northwest edge of the McCash Fire. Helicopters also dropped water in the area to help cool the fire down. The burn out was done to reduce the potential for spot fires to cross a dozer line crews put in place between Ukonom Lookout and a cabin southwest of the lookout. 

Crews in the Ti Bar and Patterson areas patrolled containment lines Saturday, looking for and extinguishing hot spots. A few spot fires in the Patterson area were contained with hand line and water drops from helicopters, then plumbed with hoses and pumps. Night shift ensured that the lines in Ti Bar and Patterson held, searching for spot fires and extinguishing burning vegetation along the lines. 

Another day of active fire behavior is expected today. Both structure protection groups will pick up where they left off yesterday, implementing point protection measures for structures along the Highway 96 corridor and in Elk Creek. This will allow firefighters to better defend structures in these areas, should that become necessary. 

Crews assigned to the Ti Bar and Patterson areas will continue to secure and improve lines, working further into the burned area to eliminate any lingering hot spots. As visibility allows, helicopters will be used again today to help firefighters with suppression efforts. 

Smoke may settle into the valleys along the Highway 96 corridor at times. Please continue to use caution as you drive through the fire area for your safety and the safety of others, including firefighters. 

Weather: Weather is expected to be hot and dry again today. Temperatures are predicted to climb into the 90s in the Klamath Valley with a minimum humidity of 12 percent and winds below 10 mph. 

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist  drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft, due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft. 

Smoke: Smoke from the McCash Fire and neighboring fires in northern California is impacting local communities. For air quality information go to https://fire.airnow.gov or https://bit.ly/SiskiyouWildfireSmoke. 

Evacuations: For the most current and accurate evacuation information for Siskiyou County, please  visit the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff or the county evacuation map at https://bit.ly/SiskiyouEvacMap. 

All residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alert at: https://bit.ly/CodeRedSiskiyou 

Construction: Caltrans is beginning bridge work today at mile marker 37.3 on Highway 96 east of Orleans. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Drivers should expect a 5-minute delay. Road information can be found by calling 1-800-427-7623 or on the Caltrans website https://roads.dot.ca.gov/ 

August 28, 2021 at 10:37 AM

Warmer, drier weather and clearer skies contributed to increased fire activity yesterday, but also allowed for all three helicopters to support firefighters’ suppression efforts on the ground throughout the day. Spot fires were detected east of Ti Bar and on the southwest corner of the fire near road 13N51Y. Crews worked overnight to contain them. 

Firefighters did have an opportunity to continue improving line yesterday, including along road 15N08 in the Elk Creek area and the 13N12 road east of Patterson. Over the next few days, crews also plan to work on improving 13N11 into the 2017 Haypress burn area.  

Night shift worked to hold and secure the line on the western edge of the fire, assisting with containing the spot fires from day shift. 

The Structure Group proceeded with structure assessments in the Highway 96 corridor up to the Clear Creek area. North of the fire, local Klamath National Forest resources prepped Forest Service structures at the end of Elk Creek Road. In the coming days, they will continue to work their way north from the end of Elk Creek Road to assess structures. 

The focus today will be on securing and improving the existing line, especially on the west flank of the fire. Crews will continue to mop up the spot fires from yesterday and will continue to look for potential spotting across the line. Helicopter support for these efforts will be available again today as visibility allows. 

Tomorrow, Aug. 29, Caltrans will begin bridgework at mile marker 37.3, east of Orleans, on     Highway 96. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 5 minute delays. For the safety of road crews and firefighters, please use extra caution when traveling Highway 96.  

Weather: Today and tomorrow will be the peak of the hot weather trend this week, with temperatures in the 90s throughout much of the fire area. Relative humidity is predicted to fall to 8-15%. Winds are expected to be terrain-driven with upper ridgelines seeing light, northerly winds. 

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must groundall aircraft, due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft. 

Smoke: Smoke from the McCash Fire and neighboring fires in northern California is impacting local communities. For air quality information go to https://fire.airnow.gov or https://bit.ly/SiskiyouWildfireSmoke. 

Evacuations: For the most current and accurate evacuation information for Siskiyou County, please visit the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff or the county evacuation map at https://bit.ly/SiskiyouEvacMap. 

All residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alert at: https://bit.ly/CodeRedSiskiyou 

August 27, 2021 at 10:27 AM

Fire behavior increased on the McCash fire yesterday afternoon. The smoke cleared enough for two helicopters assigned to the incident to safely drop water on the north end of the fire. There was also active fire behavior on the southeast side of the fire.  

Yesterday crews were able to complete line to connect to the 2017 Haypress burn area and conduct a small burnout operation to create a buffer to stop the fire at the 13N11 Road and keep it from spreading to the southwest and impacting the community of Patterson.  

Northeast of the Ti Bar community, firefighters completed dozer and handline and conducted a burnout that tied in with the 2017 Ukonom burn area. Handcrews and engine crews worked until after midnight with the assistance of the night crews. They completed lines and burning operations to protect the community of Ti Bar and values along the highway 96 corridor. Local resources including Six Rivers National Forest assisted with the success of the burnout operation.  

Night shift continued to patrol and hold the line along the western edge of the fire, preventing any progression toward the structures in Ti Bar. Today, the day shift will continue to focus on mopping up  and securing line to keep the fire east of the Ti Bar and Patterson areas.  

Firefighters were able to make contact with many of the homeowners from Rogers Creek and Marble Mountain Ranch north along highway 96 to Dutch-Indy. Working with Klamath National Forest resources, firefighters continue to assess structures and implement protection measures along the 7C1 Road in Elk Creek and in the Independence / Ferry Point area.  

Today crews will work to secure and improve the line on the west side of the fire. Firefighters will mop up any hot spots near the line and watch for roll out that could cause spots across the line. As visibility allows, the helicopters will be used again today for suppression efforts to assist the firefighters on the ground.  

Please continue to slow down and drive safely along Highway 96 for your safety and the safety of firefighters.  

Weather: As we approach the weekend, winds are expected to shift to come from the north, bringing in warmer, drier air. Relative humidity is forecast to be between 20 and 30 percent. Ridgetop winds are expected to be 10-12 mph with gusts up to 20 mph.  

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft, due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft.  

Smoke: Smoke from the McCash Fire and neighboring fires in northern California is impacting local communities. For air quality information go to https://fire.airnow.gov or https://bit.ly/SiskiyouWildfireSmoke.  

Evacuations: For the most current and accurate evacuation information for Siskiyou County, please visit the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at:  

https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff or the county evacuation map at https://bit.ly/SiskiyouEvacMap.  

All residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alert at: https://bit.ly/CodeRedSiskiyou  

August 26, 2021 at 9:20 AM

Great Basin Team 3 will hold a community meeting today, Thursday, Aug. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the north end of Gail Zink Baseball Park in Happy Camp to discuss the work being done to suppress the McCash Fire. The team will practice COVID-19 precautions during the meeting and asks those who attend to consider doing the same for the safety of team members and the community. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the Six Rivers National Forest Facebook page afterward for those who cannot attend in-person to watch and ask questions. 

An infrared flight over the McCash Fire last night shows the fire is 25,748 acres. No containment has been reported. There are 352 people assigned to the fire. 

East of Patterson, crews working along line on 13N11 have made significant progress and are hoping to tie in with the 2017 Haypress burn area in the next few days. To the northeast, crews were able to quickly contain two spot fires yesterday off the 13N02 road. Firefighters have been working to improve line along that road up to Ukonom Mountain and the fire has been moving as anticipated in that area. North of the fire, dozer line has been extended on the southeast portion of Elk Creek to the Marble Mountain Wilderness boundary.  

Night shift continued to patrol and hold the line along the western edge of the fire, preventing any progression toward the structures in Ti Bar. Today, the day shift will continue to focus on maintaining and improving line on 13N02 and 13N11 to keep the fire east of the Ti Bar and Patterson areas. 

Firefighters are continuing to assess structures in the Independence/Ferry Point and Cottage Grove areas today and expect to finish those assessments within 2-3 days. The McCash Fire is not currently threatening Cottage Grove or Independence/Ferry Point. Structure assessments have been completed in the Rogers Creek and Marble Mountain Ranch areas. Structure assessments are being done as a precaution. 

Firefighters from the Klamath National Forest continue to assess structures along the 7C1 Road in Elk Creek in coordination with Great Basin Team 3. The intent is to create a strategic plan to better defend these structures if that becomes necessary. 

Please continue to slow down and drive safely along Highway 96 for your safety and the safety of firefighters. 

Weather: As we approach the weekend, winds are expected to shift to come from the north, bringing in warmer, drier air. Relative humidity is forecast to be between 20 and 30 percent. Ridgetop winds are expected to be 6-8 mph with gusts up to 15 mph. Ridgetop winds will likely continue later into the evening, contributing to the drying effect.  

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft, due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft. 

Smoke: Smoke from the McCash Fire and neighboring fires in northern California is impacting local communities. For air quality information go to: https://fire.airnow.gov/ or https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/airpollution/page/wildfire-smoke-monitoring  

Evacuations: For the most current and accurate evacuation information for Siskiyou County, please visit the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff or the county evacuation map at: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html. All residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alert at: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert. 

August 25, 2021 at 9:02 AM

Great Basin Team 3 will hold a community meeting on Thursday, Aug. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in Happy Camp to discuss the work being done to suppress the McCash Fire. The location of the meeting is being finalized. The team will practice COVID-19 precautions during the meeting and asks those who attend to consider doing the same for the safety of team members and the community. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the Six Rivers National Forest Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person. 

An infrared flight over the McCash Fire last night shows the fire is 23,360 acres. No containment has been reported. There are 338 people assigned to the fire. 

Firefighters are working around the clock to hold the fire east of the Highway 96 corridor. The night shift successfully held the fire east of the 14N01 and 13N02 roads, preventing its move toward the structures in Ti Bar. Today, crews will continue to secure lines that have been built to help move the fire around structures in the Ti Bar and Patterson areas, if the fire reaches those areas. 

Yesterday, firefighters completed assessments of structures in Cottage Grove. Today, they’ll move to Independence/Ferry Point area to assess structures there. The McCash Fire is not currently threatening Cottage Grove or Independence/Ferry Point. Structure assessments are being done as a precaution. 

Firefighters from the Klamath National Forest will continue to assess structures along the 7C1 Road in Elk Creek today. This work is being done in coordination with Great Basin Team 3. The intent is to create a strategic plan to better defend these structures if that becomes necessary. Crews will also reinforce contingency line north of the McCash Fire today with a plan to use hoses, pumps and sprinklers to help defend the line should the fire advance that far. 

Please continue to slow down and drive safely along Highway 96 for your safety and the safety of firefighters. 

Weather: Over the next 24 hours high temperatures in the valleys are expected to be around 90 degrees, with temperatures on the ridges in the 80s. Relative humidity is forecast to be between 20 and 30 percent. Ridgetop winds are expected to reach up to 20 mph. Conditions are expected to be hotter and drier entering the weekend, which could set the stage for increased fire activity. 

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft, due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft. 

Smoke: Smoke from the McCash Fire and neighboring fires in northern California is impacting local communities. For air quality information go to: https://fire.airnow.gov/ or https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/airpollution/page/wildfire-smoke-monitoring  

Evacuations: For the most current and accurate evacuation information for Siskiyou County, please visit the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff or the county evacuation map at: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html. All residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alert at: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert. 

August 23, 2021 at 10:54 AM

The Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team #3 will be transitioning command of the McCash fire to the Great Basin Type 2 Incident Management Team #3 led by Incident Commander Ron Bullier tomorrow, August 24, at 7 AM.

Fire growth continues to threaten communities along the HWY 96 corridor between Independence and Rogers Creek. Fire continues to grow on all sides, but the majority of the MCash fire resources are engaged in structure protection activities in these areas. Night operations continue to take advantage of opportunities to slow fire spread west towards HWY 96. Fire growth is expected to continue in the Marble Mountain Wilderness.

Please slow down and drive safely along Hwy 96 to protect firefighters and the public. Our firefighters travel this road, in addition to the normal traffic, so there is increased traffic on this road.

Weather: Yesterday portions of the fire area which had clear skies warmed to the lower 90s along with humidity down to around 20 percent. Generally daytime winds prevailed today with up canyon gusts up to 18 mph in the Klamath Canyon. Ridge winds from the northwest gusted to around 18 mph. Last night an inversion resulted in warm ridge temperatures and poor humidity recovery at 35-40 percent. This pattern will continue through at least Tuesday with the main impact being little daytime humidity change on the ridges. Ridge wind direction will largely be determined by the thermal trough position with the general pattern of light northeasterly winds overnight and early morning followed by slightly stronger northwest to north winds in the afternoons and evenings. Warming and drying conditions are expected by the latter half of next week bringing better mixing potential along with potential smoke columns pushing through the subsidence inversion.

August 22, 2021 at 7:05 PM

Significant increase in fire behavior and fire growth has occurred over the past 24 hours. Wind and terrain driven runs have moved the fire within 1.5 miles of the community of Ti Bar; and it continues to progress to the southwest toward the community of Patterson. The indirect line north of the main fire is the only strategical point that is between northward fire progression and the communities of Elk Creek and Happy Camp; construction of this indirect line is still progressing.    

Please slow down and drive safely along Hwy 96 to protect firefighters and the public. Our firefighters travel this road, in addition to the normal traffic, so there is increased traffic on this road. 

Weather: Gusty north, northeast winds continued Saturday through the evening, with gusts over ridges 10 to 15 mph at area RAWS stations.  Temperatures in the afternoon reached the mid-70s to lower 80s.  Humidity levels have dropped into the upper teens and lower 20s after moderate morning recovery of 50-70 percent.  Moderate overnight humidity recover is expected today with afternoon humidity dropping.  Today’s temperatures are expected to be in the mid-70s to the upper 80s, with northwest winds.   

Assigned Resources: 1 Hotshot Crews, 3 Type 2 Hand Crews, 9 Engines, 3 Helicopters, 5 Dozers, 3 Water Tenders, and 9 Masticators. 

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft, due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft. 

Smoke: Smoke impacting communities include the McCash fire and neighboring fires in northern California. For current air quality information go to: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/health-air-pollution 

Evacuations: For the most current and accurate evacuation information for Siskiyou County, please visit the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff or the county evacuation map at:  https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html.  All residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alert at: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert. 

August 20, 2021 at 9:19 AM

Heavy fuels, continued drought conditions and warm weather continue to keep the McCash fire active. The fire is now on the west side of Cub Creek and has burned across Ten Bear Mountain moving in a southerly direction towards Bald Butte and Irving Mountain.

Spotting is the main challenge now as the fire moves toward the road systems. As daytime temperatures continue to be warm, slopes combined with strong winds have become active and burned upslope near Cub Creek. In the Marble Mountain Wilderness, the fire is burning along Onemile Creek and into Onemile Lake basin as it continues to burns toward Secret Lake.

Increased fire activity and fire growth has resulted in tactical efforts of point protection in the communities along HWY 96. A structure protection has been completed and firefighters have started prepping homes by setting up sprinklers and laying hose.

Please slow down and drive safely along Hwy 96 to protect firefighters and the public. Our firefighters travel this road, in additionto the normal traffic,so there is increased traffic on this road.

Weather: Gusty northeast winds continued Thursday with gusts over ridges up to 20-25 mph at area RAWS stations. Temperatures reached the upper 70s to mid-80s. Humidity levels dropped into the lower 20s by early this afternoon after moderate morning recovery of 50-60 percent. The gusty winds will gradually decrease late evening, becoming northeast 6 to 12 mph after midnight. Moderate overnight humidity recovery is expected again for early Friday, with afternoon humidity dropping into the low 20s. High temperatures in the mid-70s to pper-80s are forecast for Friday afternoon. Winds shift to the northwest with gusts to 15 to 20 mph over ridges in the afternoon.

August 18, 2021 at 3:13 PM

An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued for the Butler Flat, Nordheimer Campground, and Portuguese Creek areas along Salmon River Road due to McCash wildfire. Please check map for latest info: https://arcg.is/1nnHKm0

Call Siskiyou County Animal Control at 530-841-4028 for assistance with cats/dogs/livestock The shelter location is in Yreka.

August 17, 2021 at 2:42 PM

Due to clear skies yesterday, helicopters were used to drop water on the fire to assist firefighters working on the ground. Aerial resources will be used as weather conditions allow.   

There are critical fire weather concerns today because of humidity levels lowering into the upper teens and ridge winds gusting to 20-25 mph this afternoon throughout evening.  

Firefighters are working day and night to suppress the McCash Fire. Firing operations continue to be used to create fire lines and to strengthen fire lines created by hand lines, dozers, and masticators. This includes using bulldozer lines from previous fires that have occurred in the area. These fire lines allow firefighters to be prepared in the event fire activity increases due to weather conditions. 

Firefighters are working at night to conduct burning operations as conditions allow and to hold and secure line from backfiring.   

Firing operations will continue on the southern portion of the fire between the 2017 Ukonom and Haypress fire footprint. Structure protection activities are progressing to the south and west of the fire in the communities of Ti Bar, Patterson Ranch and Marble Mountain Ranch. Structure assessment will take place along the highway 96 corridor to the north and south of the fire area. Indirect line construction using mechanized equipment is taking place on the northern portion of the fire from Independence rest area to Johnson hunting ground, road and dozer line preparation, bridge bypass construction and value protection needs are being identified and planned. 

Please slow down and drive safely along Hwy 96 to protect firefighters and the public. Our firefighters travel this road, in addition to the normal traffic, so there is increased traffic on this road.  

Weather:  Onshore flow has brought significant clearing of heavy smoke from the area which has improved visibility, bringing more sun and warmer temperatures around 85-94. Increased fire activity is bringing locally dense smoke and reduced visibility to some nearby areas. North northwest winds will gust 12 to 16 mph over ridges this afternoon and early evening.  

Assigned Resources: 2 Hotshot Crews, 4 Type 2 Hand Crews, 6 Engines, 2 Helicopters, 5 Dozers, 3 Water Tenders, and 4 Masticators.  

No Drone Zone:  A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the McCash Fire. Flying a hobbyist drone over a fire puts everyone at risk and hinders firefighting suppression efforts. If you fly, we must ground all aircraft, due to the dangers unauthorized drones pose to firefighting aircraft.   

Smoke: Smoke impacting communities include the McCash fire and neighboring fires in northern California. For current air quality information go to: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/health-air-pollution  

Evacuations:  There are no evacuations. All residents are encouraged to visit the following link for Ready, Set, Go information available at: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/ 

Closures and Restrictions: Visit the following sites for specific forest information: 

• Six Rivers NF https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/srnf/alerts-notices 
• Klamath NF https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices 

August 15, 2021 at 11:37 AM

Friday’s firing operations from the Marble Mountain Wilderness moving north and west towards Cub Creek and the 2017 Ukonom fire footprint was very successful. Firefighters will continue with firing operations today, continuing to the north and west along this containment line. As a safety precaution and due to warming temperatures, firefighters and an engine will be patrolling, monitoring, and securing this area tonight.

Structure protection continues along the highway 96 corridor to the north and south of the fire area. Indirect line construction using mechanized equipment is taking place on the northern portion of the fire from Independence rest area to Johnson hunting ground, road and dozer line preparation, bridge bypass construction and value protection needs are being identified and planned.

In the interest of safety, the public is asked to drive with care and at a slower speed along HWY 96 to help ensure firefighter and public safety. Watch for increased fire related traffic on area roads and highways – please drive defensively.

Weather: Dry weather returns for the weekend. Smoke from neighboring wildfires continues to keep temperatures relatively cool today and bring poor visibility. Afternoon high temperatures near the fire should reach around 85 today and Sunday. Weekend winds should be generally 2 to 5 mph from the northeast for the morning, shifting to westerly in the afternoon 4 to 7 mph with gusts 10 to 12 mph. Afternoon humidity is expected to drop to only around 35 to 40 percent with overnight humidity recovery of 60-70.

August 14, 2021 at 11:22 AM

Passing storms Friday afternoon brought wind but no precipitation over the fire area, however conditions allowed for firing operations. Firefighters began backfiring operations at 10:30 am in the Marble Mountain Wilderness moving north and west towards Cub Creek and the 2017 Ukonom fire footprint. As conditions allow, burning operations will continue with the intention of keeping fire progression from moving south of current containment lines.

Structure protection activities are progressing to the south and west of the fire in the communities of Ti Bar, Patterson Ranch and Marble Mountain Ranch. Structure triage will take place along the highway 96 corridor to the north and south of the fire area. Indirect line construction using mechanized equipment is taking place on the northern portion of the fire from Independence creek to Johnson hunting ground.

Weather: Temperatures near the fire should reach around 84 this afternoon with winds at 5 to 7 mph from the northeast for the morning, shifting to westerly in the afternoon 3 to 6 mph with gusts up to 10 mph. Afternoon humidity today is expected to drop to only around 35 to 40 percent with moderate overnight humidity recovery of 55-65% tonight. There is a slight chance for a few thunderstorms later this afternoon and evening. Gusty outflow winds and lightning are the main threats. Dry and cooler weather is expected for Saturday with smoke continuing to affect the area.

August 13, 2021 at 11:54 AM

Firefighters continue to focus on providing protection to critical infrastructure, cultural resources, and communities. Indirect line has been completed to the south in the Cub Creek allowing for possible backfiring operations if weather conditions and fire behavior allow, from the 2017 Haypress fire footprint north and west toward the 2017 Ukonom fire footprint. Near Kennedy Homestead and Ti Bar the structure assessment is near completion and a structure protection plan is being developed. The plan will identify prep needed for defensible space, locations for sprinklers and hose, and actions required to protect values.   

“The Six Rivers National Forest is extremely grateful for the assistance from all of the fire resources who came here to help, we would not have been able to make as much progress without them,” stated District Ranger Nolan Colegrove. 

Weather:  Heavy smoke from nearby wildfires continues to impact the area, keeping temperatures from getting as hot as would be otherwise expected and bringing poor visibility.  The highs in the valleys are expected to reach the low 90s. Winds are generally 3 to 7 mph from the northeast for the early morning and afternoon, shifting to southwest in the late afternoon and evening with ridge gusts up to 12 mph. Afternoon humidity is expected to drop to around 20 to 30 percent with moderate overnight humidity recovery of 60-70% tonight. Isolated dry thunderstorms are possible later this afternoon and evening, with gusty outflow winds and lightning is the main threat.  A local Red Flag Warning is in effect from 2:00 pm through 11 pm. There is a slight chance of afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening, with storms expected to be wet.  There is a Fire Watch in effect for abundant lightning. 

August 12, 2021 at 9:07 AM

The McCash Fire has had minimal growth in the Marble Mountain Wilderness area near Secret Lake. An update will be made to the fire acreage when an infrared flight is available.

Firefighters continue to work on structure protection in the Patterson and Ti Bar communities. Assessment of structures will also continue in this area.

Prep work is ongoing in the Cub Creek area to continue building line in the Wilderness that will tie in with the 2017 Haypress and Ukonom fire burn scars.

A heat advisory, smoke inversion, along with a Red Flag warning today will continue to be a challenge for firefighters working in steep, rocky, and rugged terrain. Hazards for firefighters include the road conditions, high heat, snags, and steep, rugged terrain.

August 12, 2021 at 8:28 AM

Threats to structures, Ukonom Mtn Lookout, communications infrastructure, cultural and historic sites, critical wildife habitat and private timberland. There has been a Fire Weather Watch issued for the fire area Friday for abundant lightning on dry fuels. Type 2 SW Team 3 (Gesser) in command.

August 11, 2021 at 10:57 AM

Weather conditions, heat advisory and smoke inversion, continue to be a challenge for firefighters working in steep, rocky, and rugged terrain.

Firefighters are constructing fire lines using hand tools, bulldozers, and a masticator for suppression and structure protection. Crews are continuing to scout around the fire perimeter to find access points to safely work directly along the fire edge.  

Additionally, firefighters assigned to the McCash fire assisted with initial attack operations today on the Smith River NRA Ranger District. Firefighters were successful suppressing the new start.   Hazards for firefighters include the road conditions traveling to and within the fire area.     

Assigned resources include 2 hotshot crews, 2 Type 2 handcrews, 3 engines, 3 helicopters, 4 dozers, and 1 masticator.

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place for the fire area. If you fly, we can’t!

It is important to recreate responsibly when visiting your National Forests because one spark can start a wildfire.

Smoke: Smoke impacting communities include the McCash fire and neighboring fires in northern California. For current air quality information go to: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/health-air-pollution  

August 10, 2021 at 9:28 AM

On Monday, August 9 at 6:00 p.m., the Southwest Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the McCash Fire.

Firefighters are working around the fire using direct and indirect suppression tactics. Existing dozer lines, natural features, and eleven miles of fire hose lay are being used for structure protection and suppression.

Crews continue to scout around the entire fire perimeter to identify additional access points to work safely along the fire edge. Where the fire is too steep, rocky, and rugged to access, firefighters will use indirect suppression tactics.

Hazards for firefighters include the road conditions, high heat, snags, and steep rugged terrain.

Currently assigned resources include 2 hot shot crews, 2 Type 2 hand crews, 8 engines, 4 helicopters, 4 dozers, and 1 water tender.

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place for the fire area. If you fly, we can’t!

August 9, 2021 at 8:15 PM

The McCash Fire on the Orleans Ranger District has increased slightly in acreage by 63 acres from yesterday. The lightning-started fire is at 1,438 acres with 1% containment. As of 6 am today, Ukonom Creek was holding back the fire. Growth has been primarily east towards One Mile Creek and into the Marble Mountain Wilderness, and west towards Ten Bear Mountain. The fire continues to burn in timber understory, brush and tall grass. Fire officials are still implementing full suppression tactics of confine and contain.

Crews are still prepping existing dozer lines from 2017 fires and following that with hose lays and pumping platforms. Other preparations have begun around values at risk. Smoke conditions under the inversion in Klamath River drainage may affect local residents. One site recommended by the North Coast Unified Air Qualified Management district is the EPA Fire and Smoke map at fire.airnow.gov/.

The first priority is firefighter safety as well as public safety. There have been no injuries; no COVID cases among the 138 personnel. Full protection measures are in place in fire camp, in spike camps, and in other locations were fire personnel congregate.

Tonight at 6:00 pm, the Southwest Area Incident Management Team (IMT) 3 will assume command of the McCash Fire.

August 8, 2021 at 10:09 AM

A full suppression mode implementing tactics of confine and contain is being used to fight the fire. The fire is located in a remote area and steep, rugged terrain.

Potential threats include Ukonom Mt Lookout and microwave repeater, significant cultural sites for Karuk Tribe, structures on private parcels, aquatic fisheries and cold-water refugia for salmon, spotted owl, bald eagle habitat, highly-valued public timber and forest resources, agricultural crops, and McCash Creek Geological Area.

Area, trail, and road closures for firefighting activities and public safety will affect deer hunting season in the fire area.

Smoke conditions from this fire and neighboring fires under the inversion in Klamath River drainage may affect local residents, especially the communities of Ti Bar, Somes Bar, and Orleans. If you are smoke sensitive or have health issues, please stay indoors.

Fire will continue to back and have isolated torching towards the confluence of Ukonom and McCash Creeks. Continued movement towards Flem Creek. Potential for long runs and spotting if inversion lifts.

August 7, 2021 at 9:02 AM

Moderate fire behavior with flanking, backing and isolated torching. Threats to structures, Ukonom Mtn Lookout, communications infrastructure, cultural and historical sites, public timberland, critical wildlife habitat, and to the Klamath River Watershed. Smoke impact to Class 1 Airshed. Portion of the fire burning in the Marble Mountain Wilderness. Type 2 SW Team 3 (Gesser) assigned In-brief 8/8.

August 6, 2021 at 9:01 PM

Moderate fire behavior with flanking, backing and isolated torching. Threats to structures, Ukonom Mtn Lookout, communications infrastructure, cultural and historical sites, public timberland, critical wildlife habitat, and to the Klamath River Watershed. Smoke impact to Class 1 Airshed. Portion of the fire burning in the Marble Mountain Wilderness. Type 2 SW Team 3 (Gesser) assigned In-brief 8/8.

August 5, 2021 at 9:05 PM

The McCash Fire on the Orleans Ranger District had minimal growth yesterday of 116 acres; the lightning-started fire is at 951 acres with 1% containment. The slow growth is due to heavy smoke from other fires in the adjacent fires as well as its own.

A fire needs lots of oxygen to burn and the heavy smoke is acting like a damper on a stove. However, when the weather changes and winds shift, as predicted by the National Weather System to begin this afternoon, increased fire activity and growth of the fire is expected. These winds are predicted to bring an elevated fire weather threat to portions of the interior.

Due to poor visibility from the heavy smoke, aircraft have not been able to fly, nor have lookouts been able to be posted to act as safety scouts for crews on the ground.  With the less than ideal work conditions, ground efforts by crews to build line have been impacted in areas where smoke is the heaviest. Safety of firefighting personnel and the public is of the highest priority during wildlife suppression efforts.

The movement of the fire is towards the confluence of Ukonom and McCash Creeks with potential threat to the communities of Ti-Bar and Patterson.  Fire officials’ strategic objectives for the fire are to 1) keep the fire north of 13N45 Rd, 2) keep the fire south of Ukonom Ck, 3) keep the fire east of 14N01, and 4) keep the fire northeast of the Stanshaw Trail System. Infrared (IR) topographic and orthographic maps of the fire are posted daily on Inciweb.gov.  Search for the McCash Fire.

August 4, 2021 at 12:35 PM

The McCash Fire on the Orleans Ranger District has burned 835 acres as of early Wednesday morning as shown by an Infrared (IR) flight overnight. It is burning near Ten Bear Mountain and McCash Creek, west of the Marble Mountain Wilderness in Siskiyou County. The fire, which started on Saturday evening is burning in timber understory, brush and grass. It is currently 1% contained. Lightning caused this fire

In addition to providing more accurate acreage, the IR flight provided the forest with topographic and orthographic maps which show a more accurate footprint of the fire as well as flanks of the fire producing the most heat. In the IR photos from the flight, the most activity shows on the southeastern edge of the fire. These maps are posted to inciweb.nwcg.gov. Search for the McCash Fire.

There is potential for smoke impact to the areas around Ti Bar, Somes Bar, and Orleans from the fire. No towns are near the fire, though Somes Bar is the nearest town located on Highway 96. Smoke impacts are likely partially due to this fire, but the bulk of the smoke is from the other fires burning within the Klamath and Salmon River watersheds.

According to the National Weather Service, there is a possibility of smoke from area fires drifting north and northwest tomorrow across Trinity, inland Humboldt, and Del Norte counties early tomorrow with winds tending to be steered steadily more eastward from the fires through the late week. People with smoke sensitivity and health issues should stay indoors during these smoky periods.

Firefighter and public safety remain paramount in the fire suppression effort. To date, there have been no reportable injuries. The forest’s firefighting strategy is to implement full suppression tactics of confine and contain.

Personnel assigned to the fire is 145 as of this morning. A quick overview of the types of resources assigned to the fire include a group of smokejumpers, hotshots, hand crews, helicopters, engines, dozers, fixed-wing air attack, a wildland suppression module, and overhead personnel.

There are many values at risk that are currently threatened by the McCash Fire including many cultural and archaeological sites, McCash Creek Geological Area, Ukonom Lookout, several homes and structures within the Ti Bar area, Marble Mountain Wilderness and trails. Indirect threats include, aquatic fisheries and cold water refugia for salmon as well as bald eagle habitat and highly valued public timber and other forest resources also exists.

Traffic may be heavier than usual along Highway 96 before or after Somes Bar due to emergency vehicles traveling to the fire area. Please slow down, watch for any fire signage, and personnel directing traffic.

August 4, 2021 at 7:32 AM

Threat to Ukonom Mtn Lookout, communications infrastructure, cultural and historical sites of the Karuk Tribe, public timberland, and to critical wildlife habitat. Smoke impact to Class 1 Airshed. Portion of the fire burning in the Marble Mountain Wilderness.

August 3, 2021 at 8:12 AM

Moderate fire behavior reported. Threat to structures, communication infrastructure, critical fish and wildlife habitat, cultural and historic sites. Fire is burning near the Marble Mountain Wilderness.

August 2, 2021 at 6:21 PM

The McCash Fire on the Orleans Ranger District has burned 500 acres as of early afternoon. The fire, which started on Saturday evening is burning in timber understory, brush and grass. It is burning near Bear Mountain, west of the Marble Mountain Wilderness. No towns are near the fire, though Orleans is the nearest town located on Highway 96.

The Forest’s firefighting strategy for the fire is a full suppression effort, as is every effort for every fire. Firefighter and public safety remain paramount in this effort.

As of early afternoon, there are 172 persons assigned to the fire. The Sierra, Beckworth and King River Hotshot crews are assigned as well as a team of eight smoke jumpers. Equipment includes 2 helicopters, 5 engines, 2 dozers and I fixed wing air attack are part of the firefighting effort.

There is a threat to the Ukonom Mountain Lookout as well as nearby microwave communication repeaters for Siskiyou Telephone and the Six Rivers National Forest Net. There is also a threat to Karuk Tribe significant cultural sites and structures on private parcels.

A threat to aquatic fisheries and cold water refugia for salmon as well as bald eagle habitat and highly valued public timber and other forest resources also exists. 

Emergency closures for the fire area and associated trails and roads will be forthcoming due to fire traffic; these will most likely affect deer hunting season.