W-5 Cold Springs

W-5 Cold Springs, Northern California District, BLM. Transfer of command from IMT 2 (CA Team 13) back to the local unit will occur tomorrow. Eleven miles east of Madeline, CA. Timber and brush. Minimal fire behavior with flanking, backing and creeping.

September 6, 2020 at 12:03 PM

There will be minimal fire behavior today with minimal to no threat of fire spread. The last remaining pockets of active burning are well within interior control lines.

Firefighters will work on securing the last section of open uncontained fireline, patrol existing containment lines and mop-up as needed. (3) Continue suppression repair and rehabilitation. (4) Continue demobilization of excess resources (5) Prepare for transition to Type 3 team.

Resource advisors will be completing their fireline repair reconnaissance of the W-5 Cold Springs and crews will continue suppression repair and preparing to transition the incident to a Type 3 organization tomorrow.

Demobilization of excess resources continues with most resources expected to be released over the weekend while needed remaining resources will stay with the Type 3 organization.

September 2, 2020 at 7:59 AM

The W-5 Cold Springs Fire has now burned for 16 days and is currently 84,801 acres with 81% containment. Fire is burning in sage brush, grass and juniper/mountain mahogany woodlands and is being managed for full suppression and 100% containment. Fire is now well established in areas with difficult access that has not burned for decades containing dense juniper and mahogany woodlands. The W-5 Cold Springs Fire has a maximum elevation of 8737 feet (Hat Mountain), a minimum elevation of 4570 feet (County Rd. 1 adjacent to lower lake) for an average elevation of 5824 feet and a perimeter of 120 miles. Crews continue to work to hold the fire to road systems.

In the Buck Mountain Area, fire behavior is mostly flanking and backing with occasional uphill runs in drainages and draws. Resources continue to make steady progress in fire containment and the threat of fire spread beyond containment lines has diminished. Lines are continually being reinforced as unburned fuels within the perimeter are being consumed. The threat of fire spread beyond the fire perimeter is expected to be minimal as containment increases.

If there are any ranchers with livestock within or close to the fire perimeter, please contact John Forester, Fire Liaison officer at 619-806-7207 to coordinate movement of livestock around the fire perimeter if needed.

West Valley Reservoir has reopened and is no longer being used for fire operations.

Dozers and hand crews are being utilized to make progress on the west side of the fire near Hat Mountain. Helicopters continue to cool hot spots in the southwest and northwest portions of the fire aiding firefighters on the ground and are gaining containment in those areas.

Several sheep and cattle grazing allotments, recreation and hunting areas, prehistoric cultural resources and private historic homestead ranch structures and cabins remained threatened. Modoc National Forest timber, recreation, and wilderness values are also at risk.  The East Creek Bridge is also threatened. 

Tactical firing operations on the south and southwest portions of the fire increased containment which allowed crews to engage at the fires edge.
There has been no reported cases or symptoms of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the fire crews at the W-5 Cold Springs Fire Incident Command Post.  Crews self-screen twice daily and are screened when entering the incident command post. The fire team, California Interagency Incident Command Team 13, is working with the Modoc National Forest Incident Management Organization (IMO) and the Bureau of Land Management. We are following all of the (IMO’s) Coronavirus recommendations and plans. The steps we have taken to mitigate the virus have not compromised firefighting operations.

While the full-suppression effort continues to protect life and property, much of the fire area is experiencing low- to moderate-intensity burning that may be beneficial to the habitat and the critters that depend on it. All burned areas on the National Forest will be analyzed for stabilization and rehabilitation efforts made to maximize beneficial effects and minimize additional negative disturbances.  Fire removes low-growing underbrush, cleans the forest floor of debris, opens it up to sunlight, and nourishes the soil. Reducing this competition for nutrients allows established trees to grow stronger and healthier. History teaches us that hundreds of years ago forests had fewer, yet larger, healthier trees.

August 27, 2020 at 6:34 AM

The W-5 Cold Springs Fire is currently 69,200 acres with 36% containment. Fire is burning in sage brush, grass and juniper/mountain mahogany woodlands and is being managed for full suppression, 100% containment and 100% control. Fire is now well established in areas with difficult access that has not burned for decades containing dense juniper and mahogany woodlands. Crews continue to work to hold the fire to road systems.

The fire continues to move to the North and Northeast. Several sheep and cow grazing allotments, recreation and hunting areas, prehistoric cultural resources and private historic homestead ranch structures and cabins remained threatened. Modoc National Forest timber, recreation, and wilderness values are also at risk. The East Creek Bridge is also threatened. As fire moves into areas of residences, electrical infrastructure could be threatened.

August 24, 2020 at 8:55 PM

Extreme fire behavior with uphill runs and long range spotting. Evacuation Orders are in place. Closures issued to nearby campgrounds and roads in the area. Threats remain to remote ranches, residential structures, grazing allotments, private timber, prehistoric and cultural resources, and critical Greater Sage Grouse habitat. There is a Red Flag Warning issued for the area. California Type 2, Team 13 (Wakowski), BLM Northern California Dist. and Modoc N.F in unified command.

August 24, 2020 at 6:01 AM

The W-5 Cold Springs Fire is currently 52,000 acres with 6% containment. The decrease in percentage of containment is due to the increased perimeter. Fire is burning in sage brush, grass and juniper/mountain mahogany woodlands. Fire is being managed for full suppression for 100% containment and control. Fire is now well established in an area with difficult access that has not burned for decades containing dense juniper and mahogany woodlands.

The W-5 Cold Spring Fire started on August 18 due to lightning and is burning about 11 miles east of California community of Madeline in Lassen County along Clarks Valley Road. The fire has burned onto Modoc National Forest. Habitat for greater sage-grouse has been burned.

20 private ranches with structures within 1 mile of fire. The fire has a high potential for continued spread to the north and northeast. With the continued spread, ranches, residences and other buildings will be threatened. A red flag warning beginning at 2000 tonight for thunderstorms and gusty outflow winds will likely contribute to rapid fire growth.

EVACUATIONS AND WARNINGS
Blue Lake Campground is under mandatory evacuation order. The lake is closed to all users due to fire activity in the area.
Dodge Reservoir Campground is under and evacuation order and temporarily closed for public safety.

ROAD CLOSURES
Road 512, Road 506, Clark Valley Rd; Boot Lake Rd
Forest Road 64 and all spur roads to the south

TODAY’s WEATHER
A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 8 PM Sunday to 11 AM PDT Monday for thunderstorms and strong outflow winds for northeast California, the Tahoe Basin, eastern Sierra, and far western Nevada. The main period of concern for thunderstorm potential is Sunday evening through Monday morning, with faster moving storms producing lightning and limited rainfall