River Complex, Etna

River Complex, Klamath NF, USFS. Nine miles southwest of Etna, CA. Timber and brush. Minimal fire behavior with backing, creeping and smoldering. Area and trail closures in effect.

October 18, 2021 at 8:53 AM

The River Complex had great weather over the weekend, allowing aircraft to suppress the remaining hotspots along the fire’s edge. A wet weather pattern moved in Sunday afternoon, bringing a meaningful rainfall to the fire’s footprint. Another wet weather pattern in expected to move in on Tuesday night through Wednesday morning.

All fire suppression repair in the Cronan Fire is complete. Crews supported by the pack strings completed their repair efforts in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. Monitoring continues as fire activity decreases, and suppression repair activities progress. Fire suppression repair is still expected to be completed early this week.

Incident command will be transitioning back to the Klamath National Forest on Wednesday, October 20^th. This will be the last News Release for the River Complex.

October 15, 2021 at 8:27 AM

The River Complex received some light rain with the passing of the cold front. Warmer temperatures and lower relative humidity were experienced over the fire. The passing of the front also brought decreased winds, allowing aviation assets to be taken advantage of. The warming trend will continue through the weekend and into early next week. The extended forecast shows the possibility of heavy rains late next week.

Interagency Hot Shot crews that have been assigned to the Sugar Pine Creek area made excellent progress with the support from the helicopters and their water drops. The Minnehaha Creek area has been placed into monitor status as fire activity decreased due to suppression efforts. Pack strings continue to support crews working on suppression repair in the Trinity Alps Wilderness area, which includes removing structure wrap on cabins. Monitoring continues as fire activity decreases, and suppression repair activities progress. Fire suppression repair is expected to be completed early next week.

October 13, 2021 at 10:03 AM

The weather brought colder morning temperatures to the River Complex Fire area. After the front passed the warmer temperatures and lower relative humidity were experienced during the burning period. Light rain is possible for the fire area.

Interagency Hot Shot crews have been assigned to the Sugar Pine and Minnehaha Creek areas to monitor activity and seize opportunities to take direct suppression actions. A total of five helicopters are working in the area, tasked with both water dropping and back haul missions as weather allows. Pack strings are supporting crews working on suppression repair in the Trinity Alps Wilderness area. Monitoring continues as fire activity decreases, and suppression repair activities progress, with the focus being on the Cronan Fire area. 

October 11, 2021 at 9:01 AM

Recent changes in the weather have brought colder temperatures and increased winds in the River Complex Fire area. The increased wind has led to an increase in smoke activity from hot spots, as wind and moisture increase into the middle of the week.   Firefighters are positioned in strategic locations around the footprint of the fire, monitoring activity and seizing opportunities to take direct suppression actions. Smoke plumes noticeably increased along the Eastern flank of the fire yesterday as the wind picked up ahead of the approaching cold front. All of the fire activity remains within the fire boundaries, but fire managers are closely monitoring the increased activity and are sending suppression resources in as needed. Ground crews at Minnehaha Creek are directly engaging the fire wherever the steep and rugged terrain allows. Three Type 1 helicopters have been ordered and the existing Type 1 helicopter is continuing water bucket missions in Sugar Pine Butte area. Resources are also continuing to rehabilitate controlled areas and repair unneeded contingency lines.

October 7, 2021 at 11:22 AM

Great Basin Type 3 Team will be assuming command at 7:00 a.m. Friday October 8, 2021.

Another night of cool temperatures and excellent humidity recovery has reduced the number of heat signatures showing on the overnight infrared flight. Crews will utilize the data provided by the overnight infrared flight to identify hot spots that remain near the eastern perimeter of the fire. Crews will concentrate their efforts on the Minnehaha Creek and near Stoddard Lake as these were the areas with the most isolated hot spots near the control lines. Remaining heat around the fire will be isolated to smoldering of dead surface fuel and burning stump holes.

Crews continue working to repair dirt roads and rehabilitate equipment lines that were constructed during the fire suppression efforts. Most of this work has been completed in and around Summerville, on the lines constructed north of the Cecilville/Callahan Road in the Bear Country area and on the lines east of Highway 3 near Ramshorn Road. Crews will be focusing on the lines around Callahan for the next several operational periods. Temperatures will remain below normal. This weather will limit fire behavior.

October 6, 2021 at 9:45 AM

Light precipitation fell over the higher elevations of the River Complex overnight, with Eddy Gulch Lookout receiving .06″ of rain. Although the eastern flank of the fire didn’t receive measurable rain, humidity recoveries were excellent. Yesterday’s breezy conditions caused the fire to grow slightly in the Sugar Pine Butte area in Div. Q and on the very western flank, south of Cabin Peak in Div. T. The current weather pattern of below normal temperatures and higher humidity will minimize any future growth to these remote areas in the wilderness which have been slowly growing. 

Today will be a cool, fall day around the fire area, and will provide excellent conditions for fire crews to target the remaining hot spots near the eastern perimeter of the fire. The primary focus of suppression resources will be to take advantage of the favorable conditions and mop-up any heat which is left in the upper portions of the Minnehaha Creek and near Stoddard Lake. Both overnight fixed wing and daytime helicopter infrared flights will continue to be scheduled to identify the locations of the remaining hotspots. Equipment will continue their suppression repair efforts with four groups focusing on the areas of Bear Country, Ramshorn, Coffee Creek, and Trinity.

October 5, 2021 at 9:44 AM

As predicted, gusty southwesterly winds arrived over the fire yesterday afternoon. The winds caused an increase in fire activity as areas of heat near unburned vegetation became more active. Crews coordinated helicopters to drop water along the interior of the control lines around Stoddard Lake in Div. N and on the south side of Minnehaha Creek in Div. Q to minimize fire intensity.

Winds will be breezy again today ahead of the cold front which is on track to bring measurable precipitation to the fire starting tonight into early Wednesday. This will begin an extended period of high humidity, light rain, and high temperatures in the 50s and 60s. There continues to be a strong effort on rehabilitating the equipment lines and dirt roads which were damaged during the suppression efforts. Three functional repair groups have formed for repair: Coffee Group, Ramshorn Group, and Bear Country Group.  

Beginning today, crews from Trinity camp will be relocating to Etna base camp due to minimal fire activity and increased fire containment.

October 4, 2021 at 9:33 AM

Last nights infrared flight confirmed that the sources of heat around the perimeter of the River Complex continue to diminish each operational period. Crews completed the last section of direct line at the end of yesterday’s shift.

The focus today will be to strengthen and improve the control lines and mop-up any remaining portions of heat. The crews which have been using “coyote tactics” and sleeping on the line near Stoddard Lake, working hard to complete the remaining control line in Div. N and Div. M, will be extracted back to the Incident Command Post (ICP) where they can refurbish their equipment, get resupplied, and take a well-deserved shower.

Breezy southwest winds are forecasted to arrive this afternoon ahead of the approaching cold front. These winds may increase smoke production in some of the remote areas of the fire, such as near Sugar Pine Lake in Div. Q and near Thurston Peak in Div. R. Both areas are being monitored by aircraft. Due to the remoteness of this section of the fire, the broken terrain, and the changing weather conditions, these sources of heat pose little concern.    

October 1, 2021 at 9:36 AM

The River Complex has seen zero perimeter growth over the last two operational periods with diminishing heat signatures each day. The weather is forecasted to continue its warming and drying trend through Monday. Certain areas of the fire are expected to see temperatures in the low 90’s with humidity less than 15% during this time period. These conditions will cause an increase of smoke production in the normal areas that were holding the most heat prior to the last rain event such as above Minnehaha Creek and near Sugar Pine Lake. Crews continue to bring water to these hot spots with hose lays where it is possible to do so. Helicopters will be directed for water drops on the heat near the control lines where it is too remote to use hose lays.

Firefighters are assisted by a fixed wing airplane that flies over the fire each night with infared technology to detect hotspots and estimate perimeter growth. This data is interpreted by Geographic Information System (GIS) specialist who provides this information to firefighters on the ground to guide their containment efforts. An emphasis is being placed on suppression repair as the fire gains containment and confidence increases on a significant weather pattern change in the middle of next week that will bring an extended period of cool and wet conditions. 

The Cronan fire remains 100% contained. This will be the last day the Cronan fire is included in the daily update, unless significant fire activity occurs. 

September 30, 2021 at 10:01 AM

The current warming pattern is slowly drying the vegetation, bringing a gradual increase in activity across the fire throughout the rest of the week. Although there will be an increase in smoke production over the fire, most heat will be isolated to stump holes and dead surface fuels consuming within the interior of the perimeter. Crews continue to focus their efforts on containing the eastern portion of the fire. They have made great progress over the last several operational periods and completed direct handline from the Minnehaha Creek area towards Stoddard Meadow.

Multiple crews continue to utilize “coyote tactics” (self sufficient operations), sleeping near the fires edge to maximize their efficiency and reduce travel time to the fire line. These crews are working to complete the handline from Stoddard Meadow to the Eagle Peak area. Helicopters are delivering critical supplies such as food, water, and saw fuel. Although the warming and drying trend will continue through the weekend, crews are confident that their current actions will keep the fire from making additional runs before the next next weather systems impacts the area late next week.

The Cronan fire is 100% contained and is in patrol status. Crews will continue to go direct on the Haypress Fire.  

September 28, 2021 at 10:34 AM

Haypress/Summer: 192,615 Cronan: 5,940

Although light, yesterday’s precipitation combined with below normal temperatures and extended period of high humidity, will keep fuel moistures up for the next several operational periods. Overall fire activity should be minimal and isolated to smoldering in the heavier dead ground fuels. These conditions will allow opportunity for success in continuing direct line construction and mop-up efforts.

Several additional Interagency Hotshot Crews arrived to the incident yesterday. These crews will be inserted to assist the other crews constructing direct handline on the eastern portion of the fire today. All signs point to favorable conditions for the rest of the week for firefighters to be successful in containing the eastern flank of the fire near its current perimeter.

The Cronan fire is 100% contained and is in patrol status. Crews will continue to go direct on the Haypress Fire. Weather prevented the use of infrared, therefore fire acreage is unchanged.

September 27, 2021 at 11:43 AM

Haypress/Summer: 192,615 Cronan: 5,940

Air and ground resources held the fire during the last several days. Today’s fire behavior will be dependent on the arrival of the cold front which is forecasted to bring light precipitation. Cooler conditions and higher humidity combined with great overnight recovery will support continued direct line construction across the portions of the perimeter that can be accessed. Crews will continue to pay close attention to the flank south of Minnehaha as it backs down to the dry creek bed before the rain arrives.

Yesterday, crews were able to complete the containment line around the Tangle Blue spot fire. Crews will continue to keep the Cronan Fire within existing control lines and prevent the Haypress Fire from spreading to private property and surrounding communities.

September 23, 2021 at 9:38 AM

Haypress/ Summer 190,310 acres. Cronan 5,940 acres.

The weather will continue to get warmer and drier as higher pressure arrives in the next couple of days. The Cronan Fire remains inactive. All equipment back haul has been completed and two engines are patrolling. The Cecilville/ Summerville areas have crews patrolling to address hot spots as they arise. The Sugarhill area has ground crews performing mop-up, line reinforcement, and back hauling equipment.  

Fire personnel in the Little Mill Creek area continue handline construction and addressing hot spots with hose lines that are in place. The Tangle Blue Spot fire has three wildland fire modules going direct with handline construction and aircraft support. Two hotshot crews are spiked-out at Stoddard Lake and will be constructing direct hand line. The Eagle Creek/Minnehaha area has firefighters continuing line construction with the help of two additional crews reassigned from other sections of the fire.  

The Coffee Creek crews are mostly in patrol status and monitoring for any hot spots.

September 22, 2021 at 10:17 AM

Haypress/ Summer 190,235 acres. Cronan 5,940 acres.  

Property Damage Assessment: For questions or information regarding the status of your property or for recovery assistance, call Trinity County Office of Emergency Services (OES) at 530-623-8223.  

Current Situation: Fire Crews are taking advantage of current weather and fire conditions and continue to go direct in many areas where fire is in a backing alignment. Where there is containment line on the fire, crews are back hauling equipment while searching for and addressing hot spots as they present themselves.

Visible smoke and fire activity will continue to be visible over the next few days due to warmer, drier conditions. The Cronan Fire remains inactive with no signs of detectable heat and firefighters continue to patrol and back haul equipment. The Sugar Hill area continues to have crews in place reinforcing containment lines in the rocky, steep terrain with personnel engaged in up and down slope line construction.

Cecilville and Summerville areas remain the same with visible heat well within the containment lines. The personnel in Little Mill Creek area continue handline construction and mop-up. The Tangle Blue Spot fire has active fire with ground crews constructing handline with the support of aircraft and helicopters. There were two new small spot fires observed that were less than an acre in size north of the Tangle Blue.

Helicopters were utilized to help work these two spot fires with water drops. Air support is being utilized with tanker drops to cool areas of heat in the Eagle Creek/Minnehaha area. Crews address areas of heat in the Coffee Creek area. Due to the rocky terrain in that area, there are no concerns for fire spread at this time.

Evacuations: Siskiyou County: www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices Trinity County: www.trinitycounty.org/OES Trinity County Zones 1, 2, and 4A have been reduced to evacuation warnings. Zones 5-8 has been reduced out of an evacuation warning.

Closure: Updated Forest Service Closures are available online. Shasta-Trinity National Forest: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/stnf/alerts-notices  Klamath National Forest: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices

September 20, 2021 at 7:56 PM

Haypress/Summer: 189,839 Cronan: 5,940

After the rain events on Saturday and Sunday morning, the weather is expected to be warmer over the next several days. This will cause fuels to dry out and fire activity to increase. The Cronan Fire had no fire progression yesterday, and none is anticipated today; the crews remain in patrol status and are back hauling equipment.

The Cecilville/Summerville areas remained in patrol status with crews looking for sources of heat. The areas south of Callahan had visible smoke yesterday, and crews continue to mop-up and reinforce containment lines.

Areas of steep terrain near Craggy Peak have sections of un-burned fuel; crews are determining the best approach to clean up these areas and solidify lines. The Tango Blue spot fire showed little signs of growth yesterday and the rain allowed for crews to go direct assisted with aircraft support. The Limestone Ridge area will likely see more fire activity with projected weather; however, it is not anticipated to be an area of concern. The fire is expected to be more active and have more visible smoke as the weather gets warmer and drier over the next few days.

September 19, 2021 at 9:23 AM

Haypress/Summer: 189,839 Cronan: 5,940

The rain arrived sooner than was forecasted and moderated fire activity. The areas around Cronan received almost 1inch of rain, Cecilville /Sommerville areas .7-.8 of an inch, south of Callahan approximately .5 an inch, and areas of Coffee Creek/ Trinity about .25- .5 of an inch. Resources staged in place in safe areas during times of heavy rain to avoid equipment getting stuck, the increased risk of snags falling, and slipping hazards. The rain has created an opportunity for crews to take advantage of the current weather conditions for the next four to five days to undertake direct fire line construction and re-enforcement. The rain event will assist the firefighting effort; however, it is not expected to be a season ending event. Later in the week temperatures will increase leading to dryer fuels and increased fire activity.

On Friday, Siskiyou County Sheriff reduced the Evacuation Orders for several zones around Cecilville to Evacuation Warnings. Yesterday, Trinity County Sheriff removed the Evacuation Warnings for Trinity County Zones 6 and 7. For the most up to date evacuation information, refer to the County websites listed below.

SMOKE: Please visit: http://www.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/NorthernCalifornia 

EVACUATIONS: Siskiyou County: http://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices

Trinity County: Trinity Co Zones 6 and 7 have been reduced to evacuation warnings.  https://ww.trinitycounty.org/OES

ROAD CLOSURES: Coffee Creek Road at Prospector Ct. West to the end of the Rd., Cecilville Road/ Hwy 93 DP-42.

September 17, 2021 at 11:11 AM

Haypress/Summer: 183,892 Cronan: 5,940

Crews were busy yesterday improving lines around the fire ahead of the cold front expected late Friday through Sunday. Short-range spotting from rollout and torching continues to be problematic and the upcoming storm has the potential of creating spot fires as much as a mile out. Hand and dozer lines from Carter Meadow to Sugar Hill were completed and are mostly tied in. South of Callahan, near the McKeene Divide, there were small pockets of heat up against the dozer and hand lines and hand crews continued to work on improving the lines to the south of town. A dozer and a hot shot crew were used below Craggy Peak on an old roadbed in the wilderness area to begin work on a line to keep the upcoming storm from impacting Highway 3. Small amounts of new growth were detected in the area of a spot fire near Tangle Blue Lake and it was worked with aircraft. The fire has backed into Minnehaha Creek above Eagle Creek and retardant was dropped across the dozer lines by Minnehaha. Crews were mopping up along the lines in areas south of Coffee Creek to the Boulder Creek Trailhead. Both the area of Cecilville and the Cronan Fire will remain on patrol status through the at least the duration of the upcoming storm.

SMOKE: Please visit: www.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/NorthernCalifornia

EVACUATIONS:Siskiyou County: www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices Trinity County: https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES

ROAD CLOSURES:Coffee Creek Road west of Sugar Pine. Cecilville Road, east and south from Mathews Creek and Sawyers Bar Road from Highway 93 to Yellowjacket Road. Please be aware of fire traffic. Get road info at: www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/publicworks/page/closures-and-delays

September 16, 2021 at 9:40 AM

Haypress/ Summer 183,145 acres. Cronan 5,940 acres.  

Property Damage Assessment: For questions or information regarding the status of your property, call Trinity County Office of Emergency Services (OES) at (530)-623-8223.  

Current Situation: Light winds and decreased fire behavior were experienced over most of the incident yesterday, as smoke from the Monument and McCash Fires continued to shade the sun. As we move further away from the last wetting rain, fire-growth potential has increased and will continue to do so ahead of the cold front expected late Friday through Sunday. The decreased fire activity yesterday allowed crews to improve lines in and around the priority areas of Callahan and the Eagle Creek Loop. Crews in the Callahan area completed small firing operations to connect various lines south and east of town. Reduced smoke along the eastern flank of the fire near Minnehaha Creek resulted in some increased fire activity including more growth on the spot fires east of Eagle Peak. Growth in this area was limited, however, as clearer skies allowed the use of air assets. Construction of contingency dozer lines east and north of Highway 3 continued. Lighter winds are expected today, short-range spotting from rollout and torching will continue to be problematic. Some small spot fires were observed southwest of the Boulder Creek Trailhead, but these were near existing lines and crews were able to quickly construct handlines around these and deploy hoselines. No fire growth was observed on the southeastern flank of the fire and all crews have now been removed. Only one apparatus remains patrolling the Cronan Fire.

Evacuations: Siskiyou County: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices Trinity County: https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES

Road Closures: Coffee Creek Road west of Sugar Pine. Cecilville Road, east and south from Mathews Creek and Sawyers Bar Road from Highway 93 to Yellowjacket Road. Please be aware of fire traffic. Get road info at: www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/publicworks/page/closures-and-delays.

Closure: The state-wide Forest Service closure has been lifted. Some Forests remain closed, check with your local Forest Service unit to see if closures remain in effect.

Smoke: For the most updated smoke outlooks, please visit https://www.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/NorthernCalifornia

September 14, 2021 at 9:46 AM

Haypress/ Summer 180,507 acres. Cronan 5,940 acres.

Community Meeting: A community meeting will be held 6 p.m. Tonight, September 14, at the Trinity Center Community Hall, 20 Scott Blvd. Trinity Center, CA 96091. Click here for more info.  

Property Damage Assessment: For questions or information regarding the status of your property, call Trinity County Office of Emergency Services (OES) at (530)-623-8223.  

Current Situation: Although winds were light, increased fire activity was noted in the north and southeastern areas of the River Complex due to continued lower relative humidity. This increased fire behavior was especially visible south of Blue Jay Ridge to Sugar Hill where spot fires started to flank and back towards the main fire. Crews were able, due to the reduced winds, to engage in direct attack, actively connecting fire line using the old burn scar from the Fox Fire to Sugar Hill. Smoke lifting on the eastern flank of the fire generated increased fire activity, but also allowed for the increased use of air assets including all helicopters assigned to the incident. This increased use of air assets allowed significant amounts of retardant and water to be dropped and better mapping of the specific heat sources within the fire perimeter. It is anticipated that smoke will settle over the fire beginning in the early afternoon and will result in slower fire growth but also reduced ability to utilize air resources.   Fire crews are securing and strengthening Coffee Creek fire line by mopping up and extinguishing hot spots and removing snags into the fire interior. The Cronan Fire, northeast of Cecilville, on the River Complex has not grown in several days and Cecilville camp will be closing and resources will be reallocated to other areas of the fire.

Evacuations: Siskiyou County: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices Trinity County: https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES

Road Closures: Coffee Creek Road west of Highway 3. Cecilville Road west from Callahan, which includes Cecilville to Plumber Creek north and west of the Siskiyou-Trinity county line. Sawyers Bar Road from Highway 93 to Yellowjacket Road. Please be aware of fire traffic. Get live road info at: http://ca511.dot.ca.gov/

September 12, 2021 at 12:06 PM

Haypress/Summer: 179,922 acres Cronan: 5,940 acres

Crews on the River Complex experienced minimal fire movement and were able make good progress toward working active areas of the Haypress/Summer fires. Firefighters continue constructing direct fire containment line within the southeastern fire perimeter, north and south of Coffee Creek. Resources from less active areas of the fire were temporarily moved in to assist with these operations. Additionally, crews are using indirect fire containment lines in areas where terrain and other factors make direct fireline construction too dangerous. Helicopters were also able to conduct aerial fire suppression operations due to improved visibility.

In the northeastern fire perimeter, firefighters are continuing to conduct direct fire suppression near Sugar Hill. Crews are working to bring containment lines to existing road systems to contain the fire with less impact to the landscape. As conditions permit, firefighters will use a combination of ground and aerial ignition operations to remove vegetation. This will hinder the fire’s progress toward the community of Callahan.

In the northwestern fire perimeter, firefighters will continue defensive firing operations near existing trails around the spot fire adjacent to Parker Meadow to prevent the fire from spreading east toward Trinity Center. Crews are also using defensive firing adjacent to Cecilville Road to hold the primary containment lines to prevent the fire from spreading to the north. SMOKE: Please visit: https://www.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/NorthernCalifornia EVACUATIONS: Siskiyou County: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices

Trinity County: https:///www.trinitycounty.org/OES.

ROAD CLOSURES: Coffee Creek Road west of Highway 3. Cecilville Road west from Callahan, which includes Cecilville to Plumber Creek north and west of the Siskiyou-Trinity County line. Sawyers Bar Road from Highway 93 to Yellowjacket Road. Please be aware of fire traffic. Get live road info at: http://ca511.dot.ca.gov/

CLOSURES: All forests in the state of California remain closed until Sept. 17

September 9, 2021 at 10:52 AM

Haypress (includes Summer) 159,045 acres. Cronan 5,940 acres. Hwy 3 is open today, but may be closed as necessary for fire operations.

A new infrared flight last night documented the significant growth of the fire in recent days. On Wednesday, the Haypress fire spread aggressively on the northeast and east flanks toward Callahan and Hwy 3, and south toward Boulder Lake. Priorities today remain protecting lives and property. A dedicated structure protection group continues reinforcing lines and property protection around Callahan. The Cronan Fire is holding and remains in patrol status.

Safety: Yesterday’s fire weather watch has been elevated to a RED FLAG WARNING today. Residents are encouraged to follow evacuation orders so they are not putting themselves and firefighters who would work to save them at risk..

Evacuations: Siskiyou County has issued evacuation orders and warnings for the communities of Callahan, Mosquito Lake, Eagle Creek, Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg and Sawyers Bar. Trinity County has issued evacuation orders and warnings for the communities of Coffee Creek, Carrville, and Trinity Center. For specific information regarding evacuations please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices or #.

Road Closures: Coffee Creek Road west of Hwy. 3. Cecilville Road west from Callahan, which includes Cecilville to Plumber Creek north and west of the Siskiyou-Trinity county line. Sawyers Bar Road from Hwy 93 to Yellowjacket Road. Please be aware of fire traffic.

September 8, 2021 at 10:21 PM

Extreme fire behavior with crowning, uphill runs and long-range spotting observed. A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for lightning, dry fuels and outflow winds Thursday through Friday. Structures remain threatened with additional Evacuation Orders and Warnings remain with additional orders remain for Coffee Creek. Threats to power and emergency communications infrastructure, watersheds, reservoirs and water infrastructure, critical wildlife and plant habitat, historical and cultural resources of the Karuk tribe, commercial timberland and grazing land, and multiple critical watersheds. Road, area, and trail closures in effect. Type 2, CA Team 13 (Wakoski) in command. NIMO Team (Houseman) in command. Type 1, CA Team 2 (Johnny) on order, in-brief 9/9 @ 1300.

September 8, 2021 at 10:36 AM

Haypress (includes Summer) 129,749 acres. Cronan 5,940 acres. Total structures destroyed: 6 single residences and 9 minor structures. Assessment of structure loss is ongoing from last last night’s blow-up.

Yesterday’s fire behavior exhibited extreme behavior with rapid rates of spread on the northeast and east flanks. The extreme conditions and steep terrain contributed to multiple roll outs. Today’s priorities are protecting lives, property, and other values, while providing for firefighter and public safety. On the Haypress Fire, fire established itself on Billy’s Peak with a six-mile run to the northeast. Crews continue structure defense by reinforcing lines and property protection in Callahan area. The Cronan Fire is holding and remains in patrol status.  

Safety: Residents should heed evacuation orders so they are not putting themselves at risk and pulling firefighter resources off the flames to provide rescue services.    

Evacuations: Siskiyou County has issued evacuation orders and warnings for the communities of Callahan, Mosquito Lake, Eagle Creek, Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg and Sawyers Bar. Trinity County has issued evacuation orders and warnings for the communities of Coffee Creek, Carrville, and Trinity Center. For specific information regarding evacuations please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices or https:///www.trinitycounty.org/OES.  

Road Closures: The following road closures are in effect. Coffee Creek Road west of Hwy. 3. Cecilville Road west from Callahan, which includes Cecilville to Plumber Creek north and west of the Siskiyou-Trinity county line. Sawyers Bar Road from Hwy 93 to Yellowjacket Road. Hwy 3 from Gazelle-Callahan Road to the East Side Road.

September 8, 2021 at 9:01 AM

River Complex Fire Information: Last night, fire conditions intensified significantly, breaching contingency lines and triggering an immediate evacuation of Zone 3 which encompasses Coffee Creek and Eagle Creek Loop. Firefighters coordinated with the Trinity County Sheriff who issued and carried out the evacuation.

Shortly after the Zone 3 evacuation order was released, firefighters made the strong recommendation to also implement an evacuation order in Zone 5 based on what they were seeing on the ground. Firefighters coordinated with the Sheriff’s Department, but in the process of the ongoing evacuation in Zone 3, we mistakenly believed we had gained approval and began releasing evacuation information. In order to protect communities, we prematurely released information that Zone 5 was being evacuated. In California, the final responsibility and authority for all evacuations rests with the Sheriff.

While Zone 5 remains under an evacuation warning, residents should be aware that an evacuation order could be issued at any time.

We sincerely apologize to all who live in Zone 5 for this error. Please know that this occurred due to our extreme concern for you, and our commitment to ensuring you have adequate time to respond to an emergency order.

September 7, 2021 at 7:40 PM
All of Zones 1-5 are now under an evacuation order issued by the Trinity County Sheriff. All residents are advised to immediately evacuate south on SR3.

New Evacuation Zone Added

Zone 5 is now included in the evacuation order that was previously announced for Zone 3 this evening. Due to strong winds and critically low humidity’s. The main body of Haypress Fire that was established in Sugar Pine Creek has spread rapidly and jumped Coffee Creek Road, west of the community of Coffee Creek in a northeasterly and easterly direction south of Billy’s Peak and is threatening Coffee Creek and the Eagle Creek Loop Areas.

September 7, 2021 at 7:29 PM

Evacuation Order- Zone 3 ( Coffee Creek and Eagle Creek Loop area)

Due to strong winds and critically low humidity. The main body of Haypress Fire that was established in Sugar Pine Creek has spread rapidly and jumped Coffee Creek Road, west of the community of Coffee Creek in a northeasterly and easterly direction south of Billy’s Peak and is threatening Coffee Creek and the Eagle Creek Loop Areas.

All of Zone 3 in now under an evacuation order issued by the Trinity County Sheriff. All residents are advised to evacuate south on SR3.

Note that an EVACUATION ORDER indicates there is immediate threat to life and is a lawful order to leave now. The area is closed to public access.

September 7, 2021 at 6:50 PM

Large area ignition and growth to the northeast. Increased fire behavior compared to yesterday. Rapid development of long-range spot-fires. High intensity and aggressive burning, crown-fires, active torching, long-range spotting, rapid rates of spread observed. Gusty winds cleared smoke in the AM and accelerated fire behavior. Slope-reversal with rapid uphill runs were observed in many areas. Fire Behavior and growth is threatening multiple communities.

Active and high intensity fire behavior on west, south, eastern and northeastern portions of the fire. Aviation resources were able to limit growth in a few critical areas that are threatening communities. Several large smoke columns were observed.

September 6, 2021 at 3:41 PM

The Trinity County Sheriff has issued an EVACUATION ORDER for Zone 2 and Zone 4.

Zone 2 includes the areas along Coffee Creek Road starting west of the Gold Field Campground, to the East Fork of Coffee Creek. This area includes Boulder Creek Road, FS Road 37N19Y, Gold Fish Campground, and McGuire Gulch. This area includes all Coffee Creek Road addresses between 4950 & 6000 and all properties adjacent along Coffee Creek Road. Sections from east to west: 4, 33, 5, 32, and 30. Sections adjacent to these should be included.

Zone 4 includes Billy’s Peak southeast to State Route 3/North Derrick Flat Road area. State Route 3 south through Coffee Creek proper to Hatchet Creek road. Hatchet Creek Road west to the wilderness boundary. The wilderness boundary north to Coffee Creek Ranch. This area includes all remaining areas of Coffee Creek not included in Zones 1 or 2 and Carrville.

September 6, 2021 at 10:18 AM

Haypress 77,628 acres. Summer 37,704 acres. Cronan 5,940 acres.

Fire behavior was active yesterday with growth up high along north Coffee, Saloon, and Granite Creeks. On the Summer Fire, crews made progress on the burn out along the river and Cecilville Road to Plummers Creek and the Salmon River fire scar. They hope to close the gap today or tomorrow. On the Haypress Fire, smokejumpers arrived south of Josephine Lake and began securing smokes in the saddle. The prep and finalization of the line continued out towards Goldfield Road and south of Boulder Creek Lake, tying into the natural barriers on the south end. The Coffee Structure Group continues to prep, assess, and expand out from Coffee Creek. Parker’s Spot continues to grow to the north and will do so until it runs out of fuel or hits the main fire. The Cronan Fire remains in patrol status.  

Safety: As we celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers, take a moment today to appreciate the safety measures that are used to protect you and the firefighters during this fire season.   

Evacuations: Evacuation Order remains in effect for Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg and Coffee Creek Road past Sugar Pine trailhead in Trinity County. Evacuation Warning remains in effect Sawyers Bar, Coffee Creek, Trinity Center. For specific information regarding evacuations please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices or  https:///www.trinitycounty.orjg/OES 

Road Closures: Trinity County has issued a hard closure of Coffee Creek Road (where the pavement ends) west of Hwy 3. The Callahan-Cecilville Road is closed from approximately one mile west of the community of Callahan to the Plummer Creek drainage west of Cecilville. The Sawyers Bar Road is closed from Forks of Salmon to Forest Road 40N51. 

September 1, 2021 at 11:42 AM

Haypress 72,505 acres. Summer 33,451 acres. Cronan 5,919 acres.

Summary: Firefighters are making progress in areas across the Cronan, Summer and Haypress fires. The Cronan Fire should transition to day and night patrol/monitoring within the next few day. These resources will be moved to the Coffee Creek area of the Haypress Fire to support firefighting operations. On the Haypress, an unmanned aerial system (UAS or drone) is being used for aerial ignition in an effort to strengthen firelines in several areas.. Spotting continues to present challenges with more than 100 spots detected yesterday. Firefighters were able to extinguish nearly all, with the reminaing spots remaining a priority for today. Crews will initiate burnout operations in the Coffee Creek area within the next 72 hours to increase structure defense around homes and other values at risk.  The Incident Management Team are coordinating with the Monument Fire approximately 13 miles to the south.

Today:

• Strengthen structure defense in the communities of Summerville, Carrville, Coffee Creek and Trinity Center.
•  Construct and improve fire line in all divisions where conditions allow, and personnel and equipment are available.
• Continue point protection south and east on the Haywood.    

Fire Behavior: Moderate fire behavior observed across uncontained lines. Several locations had slope reversals/uphill runs at rapid rates of short to mid-range spotting. Fire continues to back at moderate rates of spread toward Cecilville Road. Fire is well established in Battle Creek and will begin movement uphill to the south.    

Weather: A low pressure system continues to move across the region. Main impacts to the fire area have seen a reduction of smoke from north to south. Nights will see easterly winds with wind speed around 5-10 MPH depending on terrain. Daytime winds will return to a more west and southwest direction remaining light starting Wednesday.

Evacuations: Evacuation Order: Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg, and Coffee Creek Road Past Sugar Pine Trailhead in Trinity County. Evacuation Warning: Sawyers Bar, Coffee Creek, Trinity Center For specific information regarding evacuations, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices or https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES

An evacuation order means there is an immediate threat to life and is a lawful order to leave immediately.  An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat to life or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Road Closures: Trinity County has issued a hard closure of Coffee Creek Road at North Fork Trailhead west of Hwy 3. The Callahan-Cecilville Road is closed from approximately one mile west of the community of Callahan to Cecilville.  The Sawyers Bar Road is closed from Forks of Salmon to Forest Road 40N51. 

Forest Closures: To better provide public and firefighter safety due to the ongoing California wildfire crisis, USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region has issued a temporary closure of all National Forests in California. This closure will be in effect through September 17, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. For more information, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD949139

August 29, 2021 at 11:02 AM

Another day of warm and dry conditions brought increased fire behavior across the River Complex, but cooler temperatures at night moderated fire activity.

Activity on the Summer fire was along the western border, as the fire progressed from Saint Clair Creek to French Creek. Crews continued to secure the north perimeter of the Haypress and hold the east fork of the Salmon River as the main fire progresses down from Fish Lake to their back burn operations. Fire activity has increased along the east flank of the Haypress, specifically north of the Three Sisters Gulch area along Upper Coffee Creek Road. Crews on the Cronan fire continue to hold and secure the control lines.

On July 30, 2021, 31 fires were originally discovered following a series of thunderstorms. Only three fires remain, the Cronan, Summer, and Haypress fires.

Incident Management Team 13 has joined National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) in control of the River Complex incident as of 0600 this morning.

Haypress 66,666 acres. Summer 26,217 acres. Cronan 5,912 acres.

Fire Behavior:

Haypress: Containment lines along Cecilville/Callahan Road will continue to smolder and smoke, and the fire will continue to back to the road. Crews will be working in the Coffee Creek/Three Sisters Gulch area to keep the fire from crossing the road and running up to Sugar Pine Ridge. The Parker spot fire will remain active and grow to the north where the fire is uncontained.

Summer Fire: Areas with intense heat on the west end will continue to grow, where fuel is available. High elevation barriers such as rock systems and change of vegetation will limit fire growth. There is high potential to grow into the 2020 Red Salmon Complex fire scar.

Cronan Fire: Unburned islands will continue to actively burn. Crews will be working to hold the fire within containment lines, as rollout is still a threat.

Weather: Very dry air will bring extremely low humidity this morning across the complex. This drier trend will combine with warmer temperatures. Winds will remain relatively light, with the upper slopes and ridgetops experiencing higher gusts during the afternoon hours. Smoke will linger Sunday, especially along the drainages, but an approaching weather front should help to mix that out on Monday. A cooling and more moist trend is expected early next week, however a slight increase in west winds is expected along the ridgetops during the daytime.

Today:

• Construct and improve fire line in all divisions where conditions allow, and personnel and equipment are available.
• Point Protection in the communities of Coffee Creek, Summerville, and Cecilville
• Scout, perform structure triage assessments, and build control line west of Coffee Creek,
• Trinity Center, and Hwy-3 corridor to protect these values.
• Insert resources and construct direct fire line on the spot fire in the Parker Meadow to mitigate threat to the Hwy-3 and Trinity Center areas.

Resources:
773 Personnel, 9 Helicopters, 48 Engines, 21 Dozers, 28 Water Tenders, 9 Masticators, 2 Skid-Steers

Evacuations:

Evacuation Order: Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg, and Coffee Creek Road Past Sugar Pine Trailhead in Trinity County.

Evacuation Warning: Sawyers Bar, Coffee Creek, Trinity Center

For specific information regarding evacuations, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices or https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES

August 28, 2021 at 10:33 AM

Crews are using water dropping helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to stay in front of the fire, and bring low intensity fires down towards perimeter lines in a controlled manner. There are currently 31 pieces of heavy equipment assigned to the River Complex, allowing the crews to build fire lines and continue their work to limit fire growth.

On Friday, clearer skies and breezy conditions increased fire activity across the Haypress and Summer fires. Crews on the Cronan fire continue to hold and secure the control lines. Crews increased containment on the Parker Spot fire that is burning southeast of the Haypress. Decreasing winds tonight should provide optimal conditions for the night shift and their firing operations.

Incident Management Team 13 has arrived and will transition with Incident Management Team 15 for the remainder of the day. Incident Management Team 13 will assume control of the incident beginning Sunday at 0700 hours.

Fire Behavior:

Haypress: Most of the heat on the Haypress is along the east side, north of Three Sisters Gulch. Over the last several days, the fire has progressed up Hickory Creek and crossed the ridge. It has progressed down into the very upper portions of the north fork of Coffee Creek. Progress is being made on the Parker Meadow spot fire on the southeast of the Haypress, as crews continue to be supported with water dropping helicopters. The growth on the spot fire will be concentrated to the northwest towards rockier terrain and away from the community of Trinity Center. In preparation of the main fire backing down Fish Creek, crews are utilizing firing operations to construct and improve control lines on the east fork of the Salmon River.

Summer Fire: The Summer fire continues to grow to the west as it moves up to Bear Ridge. The fire will reduce the intensity once it hits the ridge, as the fuel is limited and not continuous.

Cronan Fire: A critically dry day yesterday caused one of the unburned areas within the Cronan fire perimeter to increase in fire activity. Crews took advantage of the overnight burn window to further secure the perimeter by burning out the remainder of the unburned vegetation. Particular attention will be paid to this area again today, to ensure the fire activity will not pose a threat to the control lines.

Weather: Light wind and higher temperatures are expected Saturday across the River Complex. Smoke dispersal will be poor, resulting in moderate fire weather conditions.

August 27, 2021 at 8:57 AM

End of day Thursday, fire activity became mildly active across the River Complex due to wind and dissipating smoke. Overnight, temperatures dropped and humidity increased and all three fires moderated. Fire resources in the Trinity Alps are utilizing MIST tactics (Minimal Impact Suppression Tactics) in an effort to leave the smallest footprint possible. Crews will take advantage of reduced smoke by utilizing Air Operations, and will be using UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) to limit uphill runs and bring fires down towards perimeter lines. Additional resources continue to arrive and are being assigned to critical areas of the fire. On the Haypress fire, the Parker Meadow spot fire to the southeast remains a high priority.

Weather: Warm, dry, and breezy conditions will continue Friday across the River Complex. Smoke is likely to thin as the inversion breaks, allowing for areas of clear air. This clear air coupled with the dry and breezy conditions will result in elevated fire weather potential through Friday night. Breezy northerly winds will continue Friday night, strongest at ridgetops and upper slopes. Smoke from the River Complex and the McCash fire will linger in the region.

Today:

• Scout, perform structure triage assessments, and build control line west of Coffee Creek,
• Trinity Center, and Hwy-3 corridor to protect these values.
• Insert resources and construct direct fire line on the spot fire in the Parker Meadow to mitigate threat to the Hwy-3 and Trinity Center areas.
• Construct and improve fire line in all areas, where conditions allow and personnel and equipment are available.
• Point Protection in the communities of Coffee Creek, Summerville, and Cecilville.

Fire Behavior:
Haypress: The fire operation continues, and crews are focusing on preventing spot fires north of the Cecilville/Callahan Road. Crews have been making good progress on the Parker Meadow spot fire on the southeast side of the Haypress, which showed little growth yesterday. Crews will continue containment efforts today.

Summer Fire: Increased fire activity is expected to continue in Saint Claire Creek yesterday and is expected to grow to the south and west toward the 2020 Red Salmon Complex. Fire growth will continue as the fire backs down towards the North Fork Trinity River and Rattlesnake Creek. This portion of fire is consuming dead and down fuels left from the 2006 Bake Oven Fire.

Cronan Fire: Continue to hold and secure the control lines. Pay close attention and look for opportunities to secure the unburned spots near the containment lines.

August 26, 2021 at 9:54 AM

Fire crews continue to build and improve containment lines on the River Complex. Additional resources continue to arrive and are being assigned to critical areas of the fire. On the Haypress fire, the Parker Meadow spot fire to the southeast remains a high priority and is being attacked by both ground and aerial assets, including a pack mule string to assist with supply transport. At this morning’s operational briefing, Agency Administrator Ruth D’Amico praised crews assigned to the River Complex by saying “Even with our limited resources, all of our crews are where they need to be and are doing what they need to do to fight this fire as quickly and safely as possible.”

Weather: A weak upper-level weather system will bring a shift in winds out of the northwest across the River Complex today. Transport winds will also shift out of the northwest, pushing smoke to the southeast. Skies will be clear mid-morning after the inversion begins to lift. Warm temperatures, low humidity and increasing winds may result in elevated fire behavior this afternoon. Wind gusts up to 15-20 mph are possible on the ridgetops this afternoon. Sustained winds of 6-10 mph are expected late this evening into early Friday morning.

Today:

• Insert resources and construct direct fire line on the spot fire in the Parker Meadow to mitigate threat to the Hwy-3 and Trinity Center areas.
• Scout, perform structure triage assessments, and build control line west of Coffee Creek,
• Trinity Center, and Hwy-3 corridor to protect these values.
• Continued assessment of fires and fire locations, including areas of rollout and spot fires.
• Point Protection in the communities of Coffee Creek, Summerville, and Cecilville.
• Road preparation, line improvement, mop-up, and holding actions where possible on all fires.
• Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines by removing available fuels.

Fire Behavior:

Haypress: The Haypress Fire had minimal fire growth yesterday as crews worked to increase containment. The fire continues to hold along the east fork of the Salmon River from the Caribou Road to Hazel Gulch. Crews will continue to utilize an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) drone to conduct a firing operation between I Am Up Ridge and Dog Pow Gulch. This firing operation will be conducted to help the main fire continue to back down the hill in a controlled manner. Firing operations will continue today on the east flank to the planned control line below Fish Lake. The fire is established in Hickory Creek and is currently backing down towards Battle Creek. Crews will patrol along the Upper Coffee Creek Road to monitor any heat found around structures. Crews have been making good progress on the Parker Meadow spot fire on the southeast side of the Haypress and will continue containment efforts today.

Summer Fire: The west flank of the Summer Fire crossed the Sainte Claire Creek yesterday and will continue to burn towards Plummer Creek on the boundary of the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Cronan Fire: The Cronan fire continues to remain within planned control lines. Crews will continue to mop-up areas close to the perimeter. Several large, unburned pockets remain in the northwest portion of the fire. When the opportunity arises, crews will look to burn these unburned pockets out during periods of favorable weather conditions to limit the potential for spotting. Each day, a fixed wing airplane flies over the fire to help crews detect hot spots around the fire and to ensure the heat remains inside the control lines.

August 25, 2021 at 9:56 AM

The containment on the River Complex has increased to 19%. Overnight growth was minimal at 939 acres, due to cooler temperatures and high humidity. Today, a persistent weather pattern continues across the fire area. Diminishing smoke is expected to occur in the later morning and early afternoon, especially on the upper elevations. Overall fire activity will increase as the smoke clears, but Air Operations will benefit from the increased visibility. With the Cronan fire remaining in the control lines, resources will be reassigned to other River Complex fires. On the Haypress fire, The Parker Meadow spot fire to the southeast is a high priority and is being attacked by both ground and aerial assets. The Summer fire is seeing minimal growth, with the activity primarily in the 2006 Baked Oven fire scar.

Weather: Cool and dry weather is expected Wednesday across the River Complex. Smoke will remain across the area throughout the morning. It is expected that the smoke inversion will lift, and the transport winds will push the smoke off to the northeast. The areas that clear of smoke will allow more favorable conditions and visibility for Air Operations. The smoke clearing will result in elevated fire weather conditions across the area.

Today:

• Place resources and construct direct fire line on the spot fire in the Parker Meadow to mitigate threat to the Hwy-3 and Trinity Center areas.
• Scout, perform structure triage assessments, and build contingency lines on private timber stands in the Trinity Center, and Hwy-3 corridor.
• Continued assessment of fires and fire locations.
• Point Protection in the communities of Coffee Creek, Summerville, and Cecilville.
• Road preparation, line improvement, mop-up, and holding actions where possible on all fires.
• Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines by removing available fuels.

Fire Behavior:

Haypress: The fire continues to show moderate fire growth as the crews work to increase containment. The fire continues to hold along the east fork of the Salmon River from the Caribou Road to Hazel Gulch. Yesterday, crews utilized an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) drone to conduct a firing operation between I Am Up Ridge and Dog Pow Gulch. This firing operation will be conducted to help the main fire continue to back down the hill in a controlled manner. This firing operation will continue today on the east flank to the planned line below Fish Lake. Additional growth is expected on the east side of the fire along the Coffee Creek Road near the Three Sisters Gulch. As the fire is established in the Hickory Creek and is currently backing down towards Battle Creek. Patrols continue to occur along the Upper Coffee Creek Road to monitor any heat found around the structures.

Summer Fire: The fire is holding along control lines and natural features. Today, growth will be limited to the southwest flank which is burning down towards the north fork of the Trinity River. This portion is burning in the 2006 Baked Oven fire within the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Cronan Fire: The Cronan fire continues to remain within the control lines. Crews work to mop-up the areas identified close to the perimeter. Several large, unburned pockets remain in the northwest portion of the fire. When the opportunity arises, crews will look to burnout these unburned pockets during periods of favorable weather conditions to limit the potential for spotting. Each day, a fixed wing airplane flies over the fire to help crews detect hot spots around the fire and to ensure the heat remains inside the control lines.

Fire Statistics: Total complex 88,721 acres, 19% containment. Haypress 61,218 acres. Summer 21,586 acres. Cronan 5,880 acres.

Evacuations:
Evacuation Order: Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg, and Coffee Creek Road Past Sugar Pine Trailhead in Trinity County.
Evacuation Warning: Sawyers Bar, Coffee Creek, Trinity Center
For specific information regarding evacuations, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices or https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES
An evacuation order means there is an immediate threat to life and is a lawful order to leave immediately. An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat to life or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Road Closures: Trinity County has issued a hard closure of Coffee Creek Road at North Fork Trailhead west of Hwy 3. The Callahan-Cecilville Road is closed from approximately one mile west of the community of Callahan to Cecilville. The Sawyers Bar Road is closed from Forks of Salmon to Forest Road 40N51.

August 24, 2021 at 11:26 AM

Favorable weather, higher humidity and smoky conditions will result in moderate fire behavior over the River Complex today. The Cronan Fire currently has fireline around the entire perimeter and crews continue to monitor and patrol for hot rolling material across Sawyers Bar road and spots across the 21 Road on the western edge of the fire. Growth in the Haypress Fire was observed in the Coffee Creek drainage north of Coffee Creek in the Hickory and Deacon drainages. The spot fire southeast of the Haypress is estimated at 300-acres and most actively burning on the southeastern flank as it backs into Swift Creek and Parker Creek. Fire crews will continue to control fire intensity using firing operations strategically to limit the overall fire growth.

Weather: Smoke will again determine fire weather conditions across the fire area Tuesday. Smoke may linger in the steeper drainages into the afternoon, although some thinning at ridgetops and pockets of clearing are possible Tuesday afternoon across the River Complex. Areas with less smoke can expect elevated fire weather conditions, and those areas with thicker smoke will see moderate fire weather. The upper-level smoke will continue to drift off to the east and northeast during the day Tuesday.

Fire Behavior:

Haypress: On the Haypress fire, there are several places where the fire continues to grow towards the planned control lines. On the northern flank, the fire is backing down from the ‘I Am Up Ridge’ towards the planned control line of the east fork of the Salmon River. Dense, dry fuels combined with complex terrain are causing spotting issues for crews. The crews worked to contain several spot fires that ignited in this area between the river and the Cecilville/Callahan Road. The fire is well established on both sides of Upper Coffee Creek Road in the area of Three Sisters Gulch and will continue to progress north in Hickory and Deacon Creeks and back east towards Battle Creek. The Parker Meadow spot fire was estimated at 300-acres yesterday afternoon and will continue back down the ridge to the south into Swift Creek.

Summer Fire: The Summer fire is holding on the control lines along the northern flanks. It continues to hold on the 16 road and along Sainte Claire Creek on the western perimeter. Growth on the Summer fire will be focused on the southwest portion which is backing through the 2006 Bake Oven fire in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Cronan Fire: Focus on the Cronan fire will be to secure and hold the control lines and the spot fires that occurred over the last several operational periods.

August 21, 2021 at 12:01 PM

An in-person community meeting is scheduled for Saturday, August 21st at 6:30pm, at the IOOF Hall located at 11 Scott Rd in Trinity Center. The meeting will be recorded and posted afterward to the Klamath National Forest Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KlamathNF/.

New Evacuation Warning: Per the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office and the Trinity County Office of Emergency Services (530-623-1116), the following areas are now under an Evacuation WARNING: the Coffee Creek and Trinity Center communities. All residences and areas west of SR 3 from Long Canyon to Rams Horn Road. This includes all areas of Trinity Center proper, north along SR 3 thru Coffee Creek proper. This is a Fire Evacuation WARNING only and SR 3 will remain open at this time.

Fire behavior was moderate overnight with creeping, backing, and occasional uphill runs. Firefighters will continue to implement structure defense plans throughout the day in fire threatened areas.

Weather: A weak weather system will push through the area early Saturday, with cooler temperatures and drier air. Winds will be out of the west-northwest, and lighter than previous days. Smoke from the McCash Fire will drift over the River Complex, mixing with local fire smoke likely moderating fire weather potential. Smoke cover will enable slightly higher humidity and weaker winds. In areas that see more clearing, elevated fire weather potential does exist, although lighter winds will limit the overall fire activity.

Today’s planned actions:

• Monitor and implement structure defense plans in communities threatened by the fire.
• Continue mop up and patrol of existing control lines, monitor for spot fires and slop-overs on all River Complex fires.
• Construct and improve fire lines in all divisions where conditions allow, and personnel and equipment are available.
• Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines and remove available fuels for the fire to consume.
• Continue direct and indirect line construction and firing operations on the north side of the Summer and the south side of the Haypress to keep the fire from progressing towards communities.
• All fires within the River Complex are being managed under a full suppression tactics plan.

Fire Behavior:
Haypress: The Haypress fire remains active along the northern flank as it backs down from Fish Lake towards the Cecilville/Callahan Road in the area of Dark Gulch. Active fire behavior along the Upper Coffee Creek Road in the area of Three Sisters Gulch will remain today. The extreme run that the fire made to the south two-days ago ignited a spot fire several miles to the southeast near Sandy Gulch. This spot fire will back down to Parkers Creek to the north and Parker Meadow to the south.

Summer Fire: The southern flank of the Summer Fire has burned into areas of rocky, sparse fuels. Fire growth will be on the western perimeter, as the fire backs down towards Claire Creek. The Summer and Haypress fires have not merged but continue to burn towards each other near the community of Summerville.

Cronan Fire: Fire will continue to progress to the west while crews conduct firing operations along Yellow Jacket Ridge. Firing operations will reduce the chances of high intensity fire making an uphill run and spotting over existing and planned control lines. Steep slopes continue to pose problems with rolling material. Crews contained a small spot fire yesterday which ignited below the Sawyer’s Bar Rd.

August 20, 2021 at 10:04 AM

River Complex Fires continued to burn actively throughout the day and into yesterday evening. The Haypress Fire experienced the largest growth, spreading to the south and east. Today, fire crews will focus on structure defense planning in fire threatened communities. Fire crews are focusing efforts in critical areas of the fire in anticipation of increased fire activity today. To be more efficient, fire managers are utilizing the knowledge of local timber companies on fire area road systems, geography, and terrain. This will decrease time required to plan and implement suppression tactics.

Beginning Sunday, August 22nd, 2021, new Forest Closures will take effect:

USDA Forest Service Temporarily Closes Nine Northern California National Forests for Public Safety.

This closure will be effective on Sunday, August 22nd, at 11:59 pm through Monday September 6th, 2021 at 11:59 pm. To view the closure order, visit: https://go.usa.gov/xF7EM

Weather: Another elevated fire weather day is expected today (Friday). Warm, dry, and breezy northwest winds are expected across the fire area. While smoke may moderate or delay fire weather potential until later in the afternoon, low humidity and breezy winds will promote elevated fire weather potential through Friday evening.

Today:

• Monitor and implement structure defense plans in communities threated by the fire.
• Continue mop up and patrol of existing control lines, monitor for spot fires and slop-overs on all River Complex fires.
• Construct and improve fire lines in all divisions where conditions allow, and personnel and equipment are available.
• Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines and remove available fuels for the fire to consume.
• Continue direct and indirect line construction and firing operations on the north side of the Summer and the south side of the Haypress to keep the fire from progressing towards communities.
• All fires within the River Complex are being managed under a full suppression tactics plan.

Fire Behavior:

Haypress AND Summer Fires: The Haypress and the Summer fires will continue to actively back down the slopes, closing the distance between the two fires adjacent to Summersville. The extremely dry fuel conditions and the prevailing northwesterly winds will cause the Haypress and Summer fires to continue to spread with a rapid rate to the south and east. There is potential for extreme fire behavior and long-range spotting during the late afternoon.

Cronan Fire: The west flank of the Cronan fire will remain active as the crews look for opportunities to progress along the Yellow Jacket Ridge with their firing operation towards the planned control line at Murderers Gulch.

Haypress Fire: 56,661 acres (12,285 acres growth) 3% Contained
Summer Fire: 19,182 acres (2,571 acres growth) 2% Contained
Cronan Fire: 4,520 acres (1,230 acres growth) 18% Contained
Multiple other smaller fires (37 total acres) make up the total River Complex acres with a total of 2% containment. All other fires are either out or in patrol status.

August 18, 2021 at 11:31 AM

A virtual town meeting will be held tonight, August 18, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. on the Klamath National Forest Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KlamathNF. Questions can be submitted ahead of time at 2021.river@firenet.gov.
The fire will remain active today with continued breezy conditions which will provide clear air and good ventilation conducive to burning conditions. Firefighters will continue to focus on preparing for structure defense in communities threatened by the fires. Crews will also continue constructing and improving fire lines where safely able to do so.

Weather: Another dry and breezy day Wednesday will result in elevated fire weather potential across the River Complex. Stronger winds aloft will continue to keep the majority of the drift smoke off to the southeast. The clearer air will allow for breezy winds to reach the surface, and when coupled with dry air will result in continued elevated fire weather conditions through Wednesday.

Today:

Elevated fire weather may result continuing active fire behavior.
Contain fire to the south side of the Cecilville/Callahan Road on the north side of the Haypress
Continue mop up and patrol of existing control lines, monitor for spot fires and slop-overs on all River Complex fires.
Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines and remove available fuels for the fire to consume.
Continue direct and indirect line construction and firing operations on the north side of the Summer and the south side of the Haypress to keep the fire from progressing towards communities.
All fires within the River Complex are being managed under a full suppression tactics plan.

Fire Behavior:

Haypress Fire: The Haypress fire continues to back down towards Cecilville/Callahan Road. The majority of the activity is on the east side of the fire in the area of Coffee Creek Road. The several spots that were east of the road burned together and made some good runs up to Grouse Ridge and are now backing into Union Creek.
Summer Fire: The Summer fire continues slowing back down towards Summerville and the Haypress Fire. It is most active on the western flank near Cecil Creek Road and on the south flank as it burns around Grizzly Meadows area.
Cronan Fires: The Cronan fire will continue growth on the western flank as the fire is well established in the Olsen Creek and is making its way up to the Yellowjacket Ridge. It also is backing down into the next creek to the west, Big Creek. Crews will continue to fire off Yellowjacket Ridge to limit the potential for head runs spotting across their planned control line.

Fire Statistics: Total complex 48,214 acres, 10% Containment
Haypress Fire: 31,732 acres (2,779 acres growth) 3% Contained
Summer Fire: 14,102 acres (1,049 acres growth) 2% Contained
Cronan Fire: 2,343 acres (269 acres growth) 18% Contained
Multiple other smaller fires (37 total acres) make up the total River Complex acres with a total of 2% containment. All other fires are either out or in patrol status.

Evacuations:
Evacuation Order: Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg, and Coffee Creek Road past Sugar Pine Trailhead in Trinity County.
Evacuation Warning: Sawyers Bar

An evacuation order means there is immediate threat to life and is a lawful order to leave immediately. The area is closed to public access. An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Road Closures: The Callahan-Cecilville Road is closed from approximately one mile west of the community of Callahan to Cecilville. The Sawyers Bar Road is closed from Forks of Salmon to Forest Road 40N51. Trinity County has closed Coffee Creek Road west of Sugar Pine Trailhead.

Forest Closures: The Shasta-Trinity, Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests have issued an order closing the Trinity Alps Wilderness through November 15, 2021. Trails and recreational areas are all closed. The Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests have closed the Marble Mountain and Russian Wildernesses and the forest within the Salmon/Scott River Ranger District. All roads, trails and recreation areas are closed to the public through September 15, 2021.

August 17, 2021 at 10:26 AM

At 6:00 am on August 17, California Interagency Incident Management Team 15, led by Incident Commander Jim Harris, took command the River Complex fires. Firefighters on the River Complex are anticipating an increase in fire activity across the River Complex due to a Red Flag Warning, that is in effect from 2:00 pm until 11:00 pm. Today, firefighters will focus on constructing and improving fire lines, and preparing for structure defense in communities threatened by the fires.

Weather: A weather system continues to push through the region with a very dry air mass filtering in from the northwest. Stronger winds aloft will spread over the area later today, and when coupled with the dry air, will result in critical fire weather conditions across the fire area. The strongest winds are expected on ridgetops and upper slopes where gusts of up to 30 mph are possible through the evening. While conditions will be cooler, more sunshine will reach the surface, allowing for better mixing and ventilation of the fire area. As the inversion lifts in the early afternoon, fire behavior will increase.

Today:

• Red Flag Warning issued due to wind and low humidity levels.
• Contain fire to the south side of the Cecilville/Callahan Road on the north side of the Haypress
• Continue mop up and patrol of existing control lines, monitor for spot fires and slop-overs on all River Complex fires.
• Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines and remove available fuels for the fire to consume.
• Continue direct and indirect line construction and firing operations on the north side of the Summer and the south side of the Haypress to keep the fire from progressing towards communities.
• All fires within the River Complex are being managed under a full suppression tactics plan.

Fire Behavior:

• Haypress Fire: The dry conditions and afternoon northwesterly winds will continue to adversely affect the east side of the fire near Fish Lake Dip and on the spot fires across West Coffee Creek Road as they have slope and fuel aligned up to Grouse Ridge.
• Summer Fire: Fire activity will be focused in the areas west of Cecil Creek and on the upper elevations on the very south end of the fire.
• Cronan Fires: Fire activity is isolated to the western flank as the fire backs into Olsen creek.

Evacuations:

Evacuation Order: Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg, and Coffee Creek Road past Sugar Pine Trailhead in Trinity County.
Evacuation Warning: Sawyers Bar

An evacuation order means there is immediate threat to life and is a lawful order to leave immediately. The area is closed to public access. An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Road Closures:

• The Callahan-Cecilville Road is closed from approximately one mile west of the community of Callahan to Cecilville.
• The Sawyers Bar Road is closed from Forks of Salmon to Forest Road 40N51.
• Trinity County has closed Coffee Creek Road west of Sugar Pine Trailhead.

August 16, 2021 at 11:24 AM

The Haypress Fire continues to spread downslope to the east and has crossed the upper Coffee Creek area and is actively increasing in size as it spreads towards the top of Grouse Ridge. With a weak cold front predicted, better ventilation may occur, with risk of increased fire behavior over the fire area. Growth continues along the south flank of the Haypress Fire and continues to spread in Big Bend Creek and up to Adams Peak on Klamath and Shasta-Trinity National Forest border. Infrared data also shows the Summer Fire had significant growth to the north west, while the Cronan Fire showed some backing fire to the south west.

Today:

• Contain fire to the south side of the Cecilville/Callahan Road on the north side of the Haypress
• Continue mop up and patrol of existing control lines, monitor for spot fires and slop-overs on all River Complex fires
• Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines and remove available fuels for the fire to consume
• Continue direct and indirect line construction and firing operations on the north side of the Summer and the south side of the Haypress to keep the fire from progressing towards communities
• All fires within the River Complex are being managed under a full suppression tactics plan

Fire Behavior: Observed fire behavior included group tree torching and moderate duration crown fire runs in extremely dry fuels and vegetation in steep terrain. Crews on the ground reported moderate fire activity overnight Sunday into Monday morning.

Weather: A cold front will push through the region today with slightly cooler and drier air filtering in. The front will clear out much of the upper-level drift smoke from the area, although some lingering smoke is expected in the steeper drainages. Winds will increase with the clearing and increased mixing, resulting in better ventilation across the fire area. The increased ventilation coupled with more sunshine reaching the ground will result in elevated fire weather conditions Monday. Expect the greatest fire weather potential by late afternoon, after the inversion lifts and peak mixing occurs.

August 15, 2021 at 11:00 AM

Moderate fire growth occurred on the south flank of the Haypress Fire with most of the fire spread occurring in Big Bend Creek up to Adams Peak on the Klamath and Shasta-Trinity National Forest border. Infrared data shows the fire is backing downslope to the southwest near Summerville from a firing operation, and additional growth to the northeast into the west Coffee Creek Road area near the 09W05 trail. The west Coffee Creek Road area is a very dense continuous mixed conifer forest with no previously recorded fire history. The Summer fire had limited growth to the north west, while the Cronan showed some backing fire to the south west.

Yesterday: A new fire was added to the complex yesterday. The Pierce Fire currently has 15 smoke jumpers taking suppression action. The fire is less than 2 acres currently.

Today:

• Contain fire to the south side of the Cecilville/Callahan Road on the north side of the Haypress
• Continue mop up and patrol of existing control lines, monitor for spot fires and slop-overs on all River Complex fires
• Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines and remove available fuels for the fire to consume
• Continue direct and indirect line construction and firing operations on the north side of the Summer and the south side of the Haypress to keep the fire from progressing towards communities
• All fires within the River Complex are being managed under a full suppression tactics plan

Fire Behavior: Observed fire behavior included group tree torching and moderate duration crown fire runs in extremely dry fuels and vegetation in steep terrain. Crews on the ground reported moderate fire activity overnight Saturday into Sunday morning.

Weather: Hot, dry, and continued unstable conditions persist Sunday, resulting in a near-critical fire weather environment. The most critical weather concern of the day will be smoke and its impact on heating and drying. It is expected that many areas will remain blanketed in smoke, with little relief expected today. These areas are expected to stay cooler and more humid under the influence of the smoke. Some thinning of the of the upper drift smoke is expected in the late afternoon. The thinning of smoke, coupled with increased ventilation could result in an uptick in winds along with warming and drying this afternoon. Expect stronger winds on the ridgetops ahead of a weak weather system.

August 14, 2021 at 11:18 AM

Large fire growth occurred on the southeast flank of Haypress with the majority of the spread in McNeil Creek, up to Adams and Packers Peak on the Klamath and Shasta-Trinity National Forest border. Infrared data shows the fire is backing downslope to the east into west Coffee Creek Road near the Crosby and Thompson Gulch areas. The west Coffee Creek Road area is a very dense, continuous mixed conifer forest with no previously recorded fire history. The Summer fire had limited growth to the north west, while the Cronan showed some backing fire activity to the south west.

A public meeting is planned for Saturday, August 14th, at the Etna High School Multipurpose room at 5:00 pm. The meeting will also live stream on the Klamath National Forest Facebook Page. Covid mitigations will be in place for all in person attendees at Etna High School. https://www.facebook.com/KlamathNF/

Yesterday: Night operations monitored and patrolled in key areas where fires were backing toward Summerville and along the South Fork of the Salmon River. Fire crews assigned to Coffee Creek continue to assess structures in the area and are preparing a structure defense plan.

Today:

• Contain fire to the south side of the Cecilville/Callahan Road on the north side of the Haypress
• Continue mop up and patrol of the slop-over on the north side of the Cronan
• Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines and remove available fuels for the fire to consume
• Continue direct and indirect line construction and firing operations on the north side of the Summer and the south side of the Haypress to keep the fire from progressing towards communities
• All fires within the River Complex are being managed under a full suppression tactics plan

Fire Behavior: Observed fire behavior included group tree torching and moderate duration crown fire runs in extremely dry fuels and vegetation in steep terrain. Crews on the ground reported moderate fire activity overnight Friday into Saturday morning.

Weather: Hot interior temperatures will continue into the weekend as high pressure remains over the area, although smoke from area fires will tend to limit heating, especially around Trinity County. Winds will be general diurnal and terrain-driven for the next several days, with locally breezy northwest up- valley and gap winds each afternoon. There is a slight chance for a few isolated thunderstorms around eastern or northern Trinity County during this afternoon. Any storm may have limited rainfall and bring a threat for gusty and erratic winds.

August 13, 2021 at 11:52 AM

Large fire growth occurred on the southeast flank of Haypress with most of the spread in McNeil creek, up to Adams and Packers peak on the Klamath and Shasta Trinity border. Infrared data shows the fire is backing downslope to the east into Coffee Creek near the Crosby and Thompson Gulch area. The Coffee Creek area is an area of very dense continuous mixed conifer forest with no previously recorded fire history. The Summer fire had limited growth to the north west, while the Cronan showed some backing fire to the south west.

Yesterday:  Night operations monitored and patrolled in key areas where fires were backing toward Summerville and along the South Fork of the Salmon River. Fire crews assigned to Coffee Creek continue to assess structures in the area and are preparing a structure protection plan.
Today:

• Contain fire to the south side of the Cecilville/Callahan Road on the north side of the Haypress
• Contain the slop-over on the north side of the Cronan and tie line back into the 51 Road
• Conduct firing operations where feasible to strengthen containment lines and remove available fuels for the fire to consume
• Continue direct and indirect line on the north side of the Summer and the south
• side of the Haypress to keep fire from progressing into the Summerville area
• All fires are planned for full suppression

Fire Behavior: Observed fire behavior included group tree torching and moderate duration crown fire runs in extremely dry fuels and vegetation and steep terrain. Large fire growth is expected on the head or east side of the Haypress with rapid spread toward the ridge between the Klamath and Shasta-Trinity National Forests. Crews on the ground reported moderate fire activity overnight Thursday into Friday morning.  

Weather: A local Red Flag Warning is in effect for the River Complex Friday afternoon through Friday night for isolated dry thunderstorms and possible gusty outflow winds of between 35 and 45 mph. Hot and unstable conditions coupled with monsoonal moisture will support the thunderstorm potential. Incident meteorologists are monitoring weather and storm development 24 hours a day.
Fire Statistics:

• Total complex 36,954 acres (4,305 acres growth); 10% Containment
• Haypress Fire: 23,698 acres (3,566 acres growth) – 3% Contained
• Summer Fire: 11,398 acres (643 acres growth) – 2% Contained
• Cronan Fire: 1,826 acres (93 acres growth) – 3% Contained
• Multiple other smaller fires make up the total complex acres with a total of 2% containment. All other fires are either out or in patrol status.

Evacuations: 

• Evacuation Order: Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg, and Coffee Creek past Sugar Pine Campground in Trinity County.
• Evacuation Warning: Sawyers Bar

An evacuation order means there is immediate threat to life and is a lawful order to leave immediately. The area is closed to public access. An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.   Road Closures:

• The Callahan-Cecilville Road is closed from approximately one mile west of the community of Callahan to Cecilville.
• The Sawyers Bar Road is closed from Forks of Salmon to Forest Road 40N51.
• Trinity County has closed Coffee Creek Road west of Sugar Pine Campground.

Forest Closures:

•  The Shasta-Trinity, Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests have issued an order closing the Trinity Alps Wilderness through November 15, 2021. Trails and recreational areas are all closed.
• The Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests have closed the Marble Mountain and Russian Wildernesses and the forest within the Salmon/Scott River Ranger District. All roads, trails and recreation areas are closed to the public through September 15, 2021.

August 12, 2021 at 8:30 AM

Evacuation Orders and Warnings remain in effect. Threats to structures, emergency communications infrastructure, commercial timberland, cultural/ historic sites and critical wildlife habitat. Road, trail and area closures in effect including County Road 93 and the Pacific Crest Trail. There is a Fire Weather Watch issued for the fire area Friday for abundant lightning on dry fuels. NIMO Team (Houseman) assigned. Type 2, CA Team 15 (Harris) assigned with a scheduled inbrief 8/14. Type 2, CA Team 14 (Watkins) in command.

August 9, 2021 at 8:21 PM

Fires within the River Complex grew by 1,888 acres on Sunday. Fire behavior is smoldering and creeping under a strong nighttime inversion and a heavy smoke layer. The Haypress Fire grew by approximately 1,019 acres for total acreage of 16,620. The Summer Fire grew approximately 716 acres from the previous day for total acreage of 9,078. The Cronan Fire grew approximately 153 acres the previous day for a total acreage of 1,365 acres. Total acreage for the complex is 27,076 acres with containment remaining at 5%.

The Snow fire was added to the River Complex Saturday night. A crew of smoke jumpers were inserted Sunday afternoon and are taking suppression action on that fire.

Fire Behavior: The fire behavior consisted mostly of low to moderate backing and flanking off ridges into the South, East, and North Forks of the Salmon River.

Planned Actions Today: Critical operations are to connect and complete the holding line south from the Cecilville Road along Fish Creek and Rush Creek to Caribou Road before fire reaches these areas. The natural barriers in the Fish Creek and Rush Creek areas provide the highest probability of success in keeping the fire from impacting the residences in Coffee Creek and the town of Coffee Creek.

Weather: A weak front cleared out much of the high-level drift smoke, although smoke lingered in the steeper drainages. Marginally cooler temperatures were observed behind the boundary. High pressure will build into the region this week with hot and dry conditions returning to the region.

August 8, 2021 at 10:06 AM

Fires within the River Complex grew by 2,103 acres on Saturday. Largely, fire behavior is smoldering and creeping under a strong nighttime inversion and heavy smoke layer. The Haypress Fire grew by approximately 1,092 acres for total acreage of 15,601. The Summer Fire grew approximately 869 acres from the previous day for total acreage of 8,362. The Cronan Fire is currently 1,212 acres. Total acreage for the complex is 25,188 acres with 5% containment.

Starting today, our responsibility for managing fires will extend into the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Authority for managing some of the fires near the boundary of the Klamath and Shasta-Trinity National Forests was delegated to California Team 14 last night by Forest Supervisor Rachel Birkey. A new fire in the Snowslide Peak area of the SHF was reported yesterday and crews are enroute to gather additional information on the fire such as acreage and threats to infrastructure and/or critical natural resources. Crews will continue to construct direct and indirect line, combined with firing operations to contain the larger fires.

Dry weather and warmer temperatures accompanied by diurnal and terrain-driven winds are expected. Another trough will bring slightly milder temperatures on Sunday. Next week, another warming and drying trend is expected as high pressure builds in.

Evacuation orders: Siskiyou County has issued evacuation orders for the communities of Cecilville, Summerville and Petersburg. An evacuation order means there is immediate threat to life and is a lawful order to leave now. The area is closed to public access.

Road closures: The Callahan-Cecilville Road is closed from approximately 1 mile west of the community of Callahan to Cecilville.

Priorities remain protection of identified values at risk within the complex and all fires are planned for full suppression.

Additional personnel and equipment have been requested, although numerous fires in the area and across the country are limiting available resources.

August 7, 2021 at 8:59 AM

Fire behavior has been mostly low to moderate backing off the ridges into the South, Middle and North Forks of the Salmon River.  The Haypress Fire grew by approximately 1,009 acres for total acreage of 14,509. The Summer Fire grew approximately 882 acres from the previous day for total acreage of 7,493. The Cronan Fire is currently 1,082 acres. Total acreage for the complex is 23,085 acres with 3% containment.   

The complex consists of 10 active fires. Of the active fires, 3 fires have been contained and are in patrol status. Most of the active fires are ½ to 20 acres.  Crews will continue to construct direct and indirect line, combined with firing operations to contain the larger fires.   

Warmer and drier conditions developed over the River Complex on Friday. The warmer and drier conditions will persist into the weekend.   

Evacuation orders:  Siskiyou County has issued evacuation orders for the communities of Cecilville, Summerville, Petersburg, and Sawyers Bar. An evacuation order means there is immediate threat to life and is a lawful order to leave now. The area is closed to public access.    

Road closures: The Callahan-Cecilville Road is closed from approximately 1 mile west of the community of Callahan to Cecilville.   

Priorities remain protection of identified values at risk within the complex and all fires are planned for full suppression.   

Resources: 

• 335 personnel  
• 6 hand crews 
• 3 helicopters 
• 20 engines 
• 3 dozers 
• 1 water tender 

  Additional personnel and equipment have been requested, although numerous fires in the area and across the country are limiting available resources. 

August 6, 2021 at 9:00 PM

Moderate fire behavior with isolated torching, flanking and backing. Evacuation Orders and Warnings remain in effect. Threats to structures, emergency communications infrastructure, historical and cultural resources, critical wildlife habitat, the Pacific Crest trail, and to world’s largest incense cedar. County Road 93 is closed. Impacts to Class 1 Airshed. The fire is burning in the Trinity Alps and Marble Mountain Wilderness. Type 2, CA Team 14 (Watkins) in command.

August 6, 2021 at 12:16 PM

Fire behavior overnight on the River Complex was active with a significant increase in growth on the two largest fires. The Haypress Fire grew by approximately 1,978 acres for total acreage of 13,500. The Summer Fire grew approximately 1,881 acres from the previous day for total acreage of 6,611. The Cronan Fire is currently 662 acres. Total acreage for the complex is 20,783 acres with 3% containment.

The complex consists of 14 known active fires. Of the known fires, 3 fires have been contained and are in patrol status. Most of the active fires are ½ to 20 acres. Active rates of spread and fire activity were reported due to predicted south winds.

A mostly dry front is expected to pass through the region late Saturday into Sunday. Then hot and dry conditions return under upper-level ridging next week.

Evacuation orders: Siskiyou County has issued evacuation orders for the communities of Cecilville, Summerville, and Petersburg. An evacuation order means there is immediate threat to life and is a lawful order to leave now. The area is closed to public access.

Road closures: The Callahan-Cecilville Road is closed from approximately 1 mile west of the community of Callahan to Cecilville.

Priorities remain protection of identified values at risk within the complex and all fires are planned for full suppression.

Resources:

• 335 personnel
• 6 hand crews
• 3 helicopters
• 20 engines
• 3 dozers
• 1 water tender
• Additional personnel and equipment have been requested, although numerous fires in the area and across the country are limiting available resources.

A virtual community meeting on Facebook Live is scheduled for Saturday August 7, 2021 at 5:00 pm on the Klamath National Forest’s Facebook page. If the public has questions prior to the Virtual Meeting, they may ask them via Klamath National Forest’s Facebook page.

August 5, 2021 at 9:03 PM

Active fire behavior with torching and spotting observed. Evacuation Orders and Warnings remain. Threats to structures, emergency and non-emergency communications infrastructure, critical wildlife habitat and the worlds largest Incense Cedar. County Rd. 93 is closed with additional area and road closures in effect. Smoke impacts to a Class 1 Airshed. Fires are burning in the Trinity Alps and Marble Mountain Wilderness. There is a Red Flag Warning in effect for gusty winds and low RH until 2200 tonight. Type 2, CA Team 14 (Watkins) in command.

August 4, 2021 at 9:24 PM

Active fire behavior observed today. Red Flag Warning remains for gusty winds and low RH until 10pm tonight. Evacuation Orders and Warnings remain. Threats to structures, emergency communications infrastructure, communications infrastructure, and to critical wildlife habitat. Road closures in effect. Impacts to Class 1 Airshed. Burning in the Trinity Alps and Marble Mountain Wilderness. Type 2, CA Team 14 (Watkins) in command.

August 4, 2021 at 12:47 PM

Effective at 6:00 pm on August 3, 2021, the California Interagency Incident Management Team CIIMT 14 took command of the River Complex located on the Klamath National Forest. The complex consists of approximately 22 fires. Of these, 6 fires have been contained and are in patrol status. Of the active fires, most are ½ to 20 acres. The largest fires are Haypress at 5,500 acres, Cronan at 450 acres and Summer at 2,500 acres for a total of 8,487 acres.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the River Complex for Wednesday August 4, 2021. The area is expected to experience hot, dry and windy conditions caused by an incoming dry, low-pressure system with increasing southerly winds. Smoke conditions continue to persist with poor air quality.

Today, priorities will include point protection and protection of identified values at risk. Firefighters will also be doing recon and developing plans to suppress all fires within the River Complex.

Siskiyou County Sheriff’s office has issued the following evacuation information:

EVACUATION ORDERS: The town of Cecilville, all residents along Caribou Road, all residents along Taylor Creek Road and surrounding areas due to the River Complex. Please leave these areas immediately.

EVACUATION WARNINGS: The following areas near Cecilville: Godfried, Blue Ridge, Black Bear, Uncle Sam Mine and Eddy Gulch Road.
Evacuation warnings remain in effect for Forks of Salmon and Sawyers Bar areas. This is only a WARNING currently. Be ready and alert to go in case an order is issued in the future.