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- Incident Name: Pony – Happy Camp
- Size (acres): 2,858
- Percent contained: 85%
- Estimated containment date: unknown
- Firefighters assigned: 136
- Structures destroyed: 0
- State: California
- Lead Agency: KNF[/x_accordion_item]
Pony, Klamath NF. Fifteen miles southwest of Happy Camp, CA. Timber, heavy logging slash, and chaparral. Minimal fire behavior. Structures threatened. Road, area, and trail closures in effect.
July 9, 2016 at 9:41 PM
The Pony Fire is on the Klamath National Forest, west of Highway 96 and about 15 miles southwest of Happy Camp, within the perimeter of the 2001 Swillup Fire. The fire area received two tenths of an inch of rain on Friday July 8. The fire is at 2,858 acres and is 90 percent contained with 26 personnel assigned.
July 4, 2016 at 8:32 AM
Crews continue to work on mop-up operations along the fire perimeter and continued to patrol containment lines that they can safely access. Aerial reconnaissance has not located any rollout from the “fingers” but did confirm that the smoke in the southernmost “finger” is still there. This area of concern will be monitored by aircraft due to steepness of the terrain and firefighter safety concerns. Burning debris and logs rolling downhill continue to be the biggest challenge for firefighters. Crews are still concerned about the slop over in the Swillup Creek area and continue to monitor it.
The Pony Fire is burning on the Klamath National Forest, west of Highway 96 and about 15 miles southwest of Happy Camp, within the perimeter of the 2001 Swillup Fire. As of Sunday evening, the fire is 2,858 acres and 85 percent contained with 136 personnel assigned.
July 2, 2016 at 9:11 PM
The Pony Fire is burning on the Klamath National Forest, west of Highway 96 and about 15 miles southwest of Happy Camp, within the perimeter of the 2001 Swillup Fire. As of Saturday evening, the fire is 2,858 acres and 80 percent contained with 160 personnel assigned.July 1, 2016 at 11:16 AM
The Pony Fire is burning on the Klamath National Forest, about fifteen miles southwest of Happy Camp and west of Highway 96. The fire remains at 2,858 acres and 70 percent contained. No significant growth has occurred in the last week.
Crews continue to work on mop-up operations along the fire perimeter and continue to patrol containment lines. Aerial reconnaissance located a small area of roll-out on the southernmost “finger” on the fire. The roll-out showed no real potential to threaten containment efforts. This area of concern will be monitored by aircraft due to steepness of the terrain and firefighter safety concerns. Burning debris and logs rolling downhill continue to be the biggest challenge for firefighters. Firefighters will continue to cut snags along the fire perimeter and fire access points to provide for firefighter safety. With the help of aerial resources crews also continued to mop-up the recent area of concern near Swillup Creek.
The fire area continues to see warm temperatures and little day-to-day change is expected through Monday. The fire area has seen an increase in wind speed which is allowing areas of unburned fuels well within the interior to become more active. The fire is expected to continue to creep and smolder, with the possibility of single tree torching throughout the weekend.
For public and firefighter safety, a temporary closure order has been issued for lands within and adjacent to the Pony fire. The closed area includes National Forest land west of Highway 96, north of the Ukonom Ranger District boundary, east of Siskiyou Wilderness, and south of a line defined along Crawford Creek, Forest Road 15N19, and Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail. Dillon Creek Campground remains open.
June 29, 2016 at 11:18 AM
The Pony Fire is burning on the Klamath National Forest, about fifteen miles southwest of Happy Camp and west of Highway 96. The fire remains at 2,858 acres and 63 percent contained. The fire has not grown in the last week.
Crews continue to make great progress on mop-up operations along the fire’s perimeter and continued to patrol the containment lines on the northern, eastern and southern perimeters. Aerial reconnaissance located another small slop-over near the Swillup Creek drainage and crews acted quickly to mitigate any fire spread potential. Aircraft and firefighters will continue to keep a close eye on this area of concern. After a few days of little activity, a small smoke was spotted in the southernmost “finger” of the fire. This area of concern will be monitored by aircraft due to steepness of the terrain and firefighter safety concerns. Burning logs rolling down hill will continue to be the biggest threat.
Temperatures were above average for the beginning of the week and will stay that way for the remainder. The return of the hot weather is helping to feed small patches of unburned fuel within the interior of the fire. The fire may see some possible cumulus build up on Thursday that may lead the way for cooler temperatures over the weekend. The fire is expected to continue to creep and smolder, with the possibility of single tree torching through the week.
For public and firefighter safety, a temporary closure order has been issued for lands within and adjacent to the Pony fire. The closed area includes National Forest land west of Highway 96, north of the Ukonom Ranger District boundary, east of Siskiyou Wilderness, and south of a line defined along Crawford Creek, Forest Road 15N19, and Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail. Dillon Creek Campground remains open.
June 28, 2016 at 10:57 AM
On Monday, crews continue to make great progress on mop-up operations along the fire’s perimeter and continues to patrol the containment lines on the northern, eastern and southern perimeters. Falling snags and creeping in the Swillup Creek drainage continues to be the major concern. Once again crews with the help of aviation resources acted quickly to mitigate any fire potential. The perimeter will continue to be monitored by aircraft and firefighters. The track mounted chipper and excavator continue to make progress on the 14N39 Rd.
June 23, 2016 at 11:00 AM
On Wednesday, crews again patrolled and improved containment lines on the northern, eastern and southern perimeters of the fire, increasing mop-up depth where possible. They felled snags, moved logs to prevent them from rolling downhill, and extinguished burning material along or near containment lines.Fire spread was minimal on Wednesday, although increased smoke was visible as the weather warmed. Helicopter water drops were used to check fire growth at one location at the southeast edge of the fire. Firefighters cut down hazard trees near Pony Peak and used a chipper to remove brush along Sidewinder Road (Forest Road 14N69). The brush had been cut earlier to create a fuel break to protect homes along Highway 96.
Temperatures are expected to cool on Thursday, as a fast-moving system from the Pacific Ocean passes to the north of the fire area. Crews will again hold and patrol all containment lines and continue to monitor the slop-over into the Dillon Creek drainage. Little fire growth is expected with the cooler weather. The relief will be short-lived, however, with a warming and drying trend beginning on Friday.
For public and firefighter safety, a temporary closure order has been issued for lands within and adjacent to the Pony fire. The closed area includes National Forest land west of Highway 96, north of the Ukonom Ranger District boundary, east of Siskiyou Wilderness, and south of a line defined along Crawford Creek, Forest Road 15N19, and Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail. Dillon Creek Campground remains open.
June 22, 2016 at 11:46 AM
All containment lines on the Pony Fire held Tuesday on a hot and dry summer day. Crews worked on increasing mop-up depth where feasible on completed lines on the northern, eastern and southern perimeters. Fire managers spotted few hotspots in the fire interior during an afternoon air reconnaissance.On the western flank, two hotspots were observed in the three “fingers” of fire burning downslope into the Dillon Creek drainage. Both will continue to be monitored, with three helicopters available for water drops if needed.
A Type 3 Incident Management Team began assisting with fire operations at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, replacing the Type 2 Team. Six crews, five engines, a dozer and two chippers will work today on the secured sections of the fire, holding and improving containment lines.
Temperatures will moderate slightly on Wednesday as a quick-moving system from the Pacific Ocean begins to pass north of the fire area. Thursday will be cooler, before temperatures start to rise again on Friday.
For public and firefighter safety, a temporary closure order has been issued for lands within and adjacent to the Pony fire. The closed area includes National Forest land west of Highway 96, north of the Ukonom Ranger District boundary, east of Siskiyou Wilderness, and south of a line defined along Crawford Creek, Forest Road 15N19, and Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail. Dillon Creek Campground remains open.
June 21, 2016 at 9:06 AM
On Monday, crews patrolled, held and improved containment lines that now contain most of the fire. Due to steep terrain, the slop-over in the Dillon Creek drainage on the west flank remains unlined.
For the first time firefighters hiked about a quarter of a mile into the three “fingers” of the slop-over in the Dillon Creek drainage to extinguish hotspots. Fire managers continue to monitor the slop-over to look for opportunities to minimize fire spread as the fire slowly backs downslope. Direct line cannot be safely built in this area because of the extremely steep terrain and the threat of falling snags from the 2008 Three Fire.
Crews also began mop-up on Monday on the fire’s northern, eastern and southern flanks, working as deeply as possible to maintain containment without compromising safety. During mop-up, firefighters extinguish burning material along or near the line, fall snags and move logs to prevent them from rolling downhill.
Very little smoke was visible near the lines on Monday. Helicopters dropped water on two hot spots inside the eastern containment line.
A 10-person wildland fire module, assigned Monday to the Dillon Fire, found no hot spots on the fire, and declared it out. They installed water bars in several areas left vulnerable to downhill flows of water and mud into streams during thundershowers.
Slightly warmer temperatures are expected Tuesday, cooling a few degrees on Wednesday and Thursday as a fast-moving system from the Pacific passes north of the fire area. Next week, hotter weather is predicted, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal.
For public and firefighter safety, a temporary closure order has been issued for lands within and adjacent to the Pony fire. The closed area includes National Forest land west of Highway 96, north of the Ukonom Ranger District boundary, east of Siskiyou Wilderness, and south of a line defined along Crawford Creek
June 21, 2016 at 7:16 AM
If crews can safely gain access, they will continue to construct direct hand line in the Elliot Creek drainage. Crews will work with resource advisors to identity natural, cultural, and infrastructures in need of suppression repair.Crews will also hold containment achieved in the Swillup and Elliot Creek drainages as mop up operations begin. The incoming Type 3 team will shadow Tuesday 6/21 in preparation for transition to occur at 0600 on Wednesday 6/22.
June 19, 2016 at 8:38 AM
After a period of cool and wet weather, a warming trend began Saturday that will bring at least two more days of summer-like temperatures to the fire area. The hot, dry spell is not predicted to last, with more unsettled conditions possible later in the week.
Five hotshot crews hiked into the fire area Saturday morning from Highway 96 to continue work on direct containment lines on the east and south perimeters. After staying overnight in spike camps near the line, the crews are expected to finish remaining sections of line today from Swillup Creek south to Elliott Creek and westward from Elliott Creek today.
On the eastern and southern containment lines, crews continue monitoring and holding the fire in the Swillup Creek drainage. Crews are using Swillup Creek as a direct containment line to prevent the fire from moving toward homes along Highway 96.
Fire managers are closely watching the slop-over into the steep and rugged Dillon Creek drainage on the west flank at Pony Peak. The steep terrain and the threat of falling snags from the 2001 Swillup Fire make the area too dangerous to insert firefighters.
On the northern perimeter, crews will patrol and improve the direct line, from the ridge line of Pony Peak to Swillup Creek, which is blocking fire growth northward and protecting the Crawford Vegetation Management Project, a 1,600-acre forest health and fuels reduction project.
With planned work on containment lines nearing completion, Northern California Incident Management Team 2 is slated to transition fire operations to a smaller Type 3 team on Wednesday morning.
No smoke is visible on the Dillon Fire, located west of the Pony Fire. The fire is controlled and crews continue to monitor it.
For public and firefighter safety, a temporary closure order has been issued for lands within and adjacent to the Pony fire. The closed area includes National Forest land west of Highway 96, north of the Ukonom Ranger District boundary, east of Siskiyou Wilderness, and south of a line defined along Crawford Creek, Forest Road 15N19, and Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail. Dillon Creek Campground remains open.
June 18, 2016 at 9:36 AM
Significant rain has fallen on the fire over the past two days, temporarily halting fire spread and reducing fire activity to smoldering. Firefighters again took advantage of the cooler weather to work on direct containment lines on the east and south perimeters in order to prevent the fire from moving toward homes along Highway 96.Crews will continue building lines today, working from Swillup Creek south to Elliott Creek and westward from Elliott Creek. They will also monitor and hold the fire in the Swillup Creek drainage, where the creek continues to hold as a direct containment line.
On the northern flank, crews will patrol and improve the direct line, from the ridge line of Pony Peak to Swillup Creek, which is blocking fire growth northward and protecting the Crawford Vegetation Management Project, a 1,600-acre forest health and fuels reduction project.
Firefighters finished preparation of a landing spot for helicopters west of Cottage Grove on Friday. Flying some crews to and from the fire perimeter each day will enable more onsite work time for improving containment lines.
Today will be the last day of favorable weather before a return to hotter and dryer conditions. Clouds this morning are expected to give way to sunshine by afternoon, with rising temperatures over the next three days.
As the weather warms, fire managers will re-evaluate the slop-over into the Dillon Creek drainage on the west flank at Pony Peak. The fire has not moved significantly in this area in the past few days. Extremely steep terrain and the threat of falling snags make the area dangerous for firefighters.
For public and firefighter safety, a temporary closure order has been issued for lands within and adjacent to the Pony fire. The closed area includes National Forest land west of Highway 96, north of the Ukonom Ranger District boundary, east of Siskiyou Wilderness, and south of a line defined along Crawford Creek, Forest Road 15N19, and Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail. Dillon Creek Campground remains open.
June 17, 2016 at 9:36 AM
A fire camp tour, open to the public, will be held at 1:00pm Saturday, June 18th at River Park in Happy Camp. Come see what goes on behind the scenes. Please RSVP to (530) 643-7669 if you plan on attending.
Direct line that crews built on the northern flank of the fire, from the ridge line of Pony Peak to Swillup Creek, continues to hold. On the east side Swillup Creek continues to hold as a direct containment line. These lines are blocking fire growth northward and protecting the Crawford Vegetation Management Project, a 1,600-acre forest health and fuels reduction project. Today crews will continue to improve both lines.
Between a quarter and a half inch of rain fell on the fire on Thursday. Two to three hours of steady rain was expected in the area this morning, with clouds lingering tomorrow, before the return of hotter and dryer weather on Sunday.
On the southern perimeter, firefighters will continue building direct and indirect containment line southward from Swillup Creek to Elliott Creek and westward from Elliott Creek in order to keep the fire from moving toward homes along Highway 96. Line construction is expected to take several days.
On Thursday, firefighters selected a landing spot for helicopters west of Cottage Grove. Construction of the helispot should be completed today. This will enable some crews to be delivered by air each morning, enabling more on site work time on containment lines.
The slop-over into the Dillon Creek drainage on the west flank at Pony Peak has not moved significantly under the cooler conditions, but will be re-evaluated as the weather warms. Extremely steep terrain and the threat of falling snags make the area dangerous for firefighters.
With the change in weather, fire managers demobilized some firefighters, engines and other personnel on Thursday reducing the work force on the fire to about 400 people. If fire activity increases with warmer temperatures and dryer conditions predicted next week, additional resources will be called back.
June 16, 2016 at 8:31 AM
A strong, moist trough of air is expected to drop temperatures and bring a substantial chance of rain to the fire area on Thursday and Friday, which is expected to slow the spread of fire. Hot, dry weather is predicted to return on the weekend.
The direct containment line on the northern flank of the fire, from the ridge line of Pony Peak to Swillup Creek, held Wednesday under the cooler conditions, blocking the fire’s northward movement and protecting the Crawford Vegetation Management Project, a 1,600-acre forest health and fuels reduction project. Swillup Creek is serving as a direct line on the east, enabling firefighters to hold the fire to the west of the creek. Crews will continue to hold and improve both lines on Thursday.
On the southern perimeter, crews have begun building line along the fire’s edge to keep the fire from moving toward residences on Highway 96. Line construction here is expected to take about four days to complete due to extremely steep, rugged terrain, coupled with forecasted wet weather through tomorrow.
Firefighters completed work on a contingency line to the northwest of the fire from Elbow Springs to Dillon Creek on Wednesday. Most work on contingency lines on the south and southwest perimeters is also complete.
With the cooler, wetter weather, demobilization of firefighters, engines, and other personnel has begun. Fire managers expect resource numbers to rise again by early next week, as hot, dry conditions potentially increase fire activity.
To ensure the safety of firefighters and the public, a Forest Closure Order is in effect for the Pony Fire area. The closure includes Pony Peak Road (14N39), Pony Peak Ridge Road (15N30), Dry Lake Road (15N28) and Bear Peak Road (15N19) from its intersection with Douglas Creek Road (15N24) westward to its end.
June 12, 2016 at 11:17 AM
On Saturday, warmer and windier weather increased fire activity, with fire crossing containment lines above the Dillon Creek drainage on the southwest side of the fire. Aircraft dropped water and retardant into the evening to help slow the fire’s downhill growth into the drainage.
The fire burned actively overnight on the southwestern flank, staffed for the first time by a night shift. Almost 900 firefighters are now working on the fire.
Warmer weather conditions are predicted for Sunday. Crews will continue efforts to contain the active southwestern flank by improving an existing dozer line which runs west toward the Dillon Creek drainage. Further south, they will scout for additional containment opportunities.
The fire is burning within the perimeter of the 2001 Swillup Fire. Dead fuels from that fire are driving much of the fire activity on the Pony Fire. Numerous snags and downed logs, as well as extremely steep terrain, make firefighting hazardous.
On the north and east sides of the fire, crews will continue to improve hand and dozer lines in preparation for strategic burning. They will also continue to lay hose and remove hazard trees from Pony Peak Ridge Road andl look for opportunities to protect the Crawford Vegetation Management Project, a 1,600-acre forest health and fuels reduction project.
Along Highway 96, firefighters will continue to work with landowners on contingency structure protection.
To ensure the safety of the public and firefighters, a Forest Closure Order is in effect for the Pony Fire area. The closure includes Pony Peak Road (14N39), Pony Peak Ridge Road (15N30), Dry Lake Road (15N28) and Bear Peak Road (15N19) from its intersection with Douglas Creek Road (15N24) continuing west to its end.
A public meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. at the Happy Camp Grange. Fire officials will be on hand to provide an update and answer questions.
June 10, 2016 at 11:55 AM
The Pony Fire is burning on the Klamath National Forest, west of Highway 96 and about fifteen miles southwest of Happy Camp. The fire is now 889 acres, within the area burned by the 2001 Swillup Fire. On Thursday the fire was most active on the southwest edge near Pony Peak. On the northeast side, the fire continues to back down toward Swillup Creek. Cooler weather is predicted for Friday, with conditions warming and drying over the weekend.Where possible, firefighters are reopening previously built containment lines that have successfully helped control past fires. Thursday they made good progress repairing and improving old lines on the northern and western sides of the fire.
Extremely steep terrain, along with abundant snags and down logs from the 2001 fire make firefighting extremely hazardous. Much of the fire activity is being driven by the burning of the dead fuels, including burning logs rolling downhill.
A Forest Closure Order is in effect for the area around the Pony Fire to protect public and firefighter safety. The closure includes Pony Peak Road (14N39), Pony Peak Ridge Road (15N30), Dry Lake Road (15N28), and Bear Peak Road (15N19) beginning from its intersection with Douglas Creek Road (15N24) then continuing westerly to its terminus. More information and maps of the closed road are available on the Klamath National Forest website (www.fs.usda.gov/klamath/).
Northern California Team Incident Management Team 2 is assigned to the fire. More than 800 firefighters are now working on the fire. Significant aircraft activity is expected Friday, with six helicopters assigned to the fire and an air tanker also actively supporting fire operations. The Siskiyou Air Tanker Base at the Siskiyou Airport is open and resupplying retardant. A Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), stationed near Sacramento, is also available for use as needed.
Firefighters will also continue to work today with landowners on structure protection along Highway 96, should it become necessary.
The incident management team is also managing the Dillon Fire, which is now five acres and 80 percent contained. Two Hotshot crews and eight smokejumpers will continue to work on the fire, which is burning southwest of Dillon Creek.