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- Incident Name: Wilderness, Marble Mountain Wilderness – Six Rivers National Forest
- Size (acres): 46
- Percent contained: 100%
- Estimated containment date: July 8, 2016
- Firefighters assigned: 88
- Firefighters injured: 0
- Structures destroyed: 0
- State: California
- Lead Agency: Six Rivers National Forest [/x_accordion_item]
July 8, 2016 at 10:34 AM
The Wilderness Fire, which started the afternoon of July 4, has now been contained by firefighters. The fire, burning in the Marble Mountain Wilderness on the Six Rivers National Forest, has burned approximately 46 acres—firefighters will get a more accurate acreage later today. Additional good news for firefighters is the light rain falling over the fire this morning.
Challenges for firefighters included very steep terrain, heavy fuels and standing dead trees. Management concerns in this area included the Wooley Creek drainage, the historic cabin, and other potential cultural resources.
Twenty-eight smokejumpers, four handcrews, two engines and three helicopters remain on the fire. Today, firefighters will continue mopping up. Mop up involves extinguishing or removing burning material near control lines, felling dead standing trees, and creating trenches to prevent logs and other material from rolling downhill after an area has burned. Mop up makes the fire area safer and reduces residual smoke.
“I’m really pleased with all the assistance we received on this fire—from the smokejumpers, to the fire crews from other forests, and even the caterer that came to us from Oregon,” said Forest Supervisor Merv George Jr. He added, “And, I’m especially thankful we were able to contain this fire quickly, for the rain, and that we did it safely with no injuries or accidents.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. For information about the search and rescue of the two hikers, please contact the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 842-2900.
July 6, 2016 at 9:30 AM
There is still no containment on a small fire burning in the Marble Mountain Wilderness on the Six Rivers National Forest. The 36-acre Wilderness Fire started the afternoon of July 4, south of Black Mountain and northwest of the historic Fowler Cabin, near where two missing hikers were found.
The fire is burning within the footprint of 2008 fires, in very steep terrain, heavy fuels and standing dead trees. Management concerns in this area include the Wooley Creek drainage and the historic cabin. Cultural resource advisors have been contacted to determine whether there are additional cultural resources of concern within the area.
There are currently 28 smokejumpers, two handcrews, two engines and three helicopters on the fire. An additional two handcrews have been ordered and should arrive sometime this morning.
According to Forest Supervisor Merv George Jr., “We weren’t able to get boots on the ground until yesterday afternoon, due to the extremely smoky conditions and low visibility. Firefighter safety is always our number one priority, so we needed some of that smoke to clear out before we sent our people in.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. For information about the search and rescue of the two hikers, please contact the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 842-2900.
