Yeti and Alex, Happy Camp

Yeti, Klamath NF, USFS. Eight miles northeast of Happy Camp, CA. Closed timber litter and timber. Minimal fire behavior with creeping and smoldering. Several communities, numerous structures and communication infrastructure threatened. Area, road and trail closures in effect.

August 25, 2022 at 7:36 AM

The Yeti Fire is burning on the Klamath National Forest in between the communities of Seiad and Happy Camp, California. The fire remains south of Highway 96. Fire activity is primarily minor interior smoke presence as small pockets of residual fuels are consumed.

All evacuation warnings have been lifted for the Yeti Fire.

August 18, 2022 at 9:23 AM

No growth over several days with minimal fire activity. This will be the final report unless a significant change occurs.

August 15, 2022 at 2:30 PM

On Sunday August 14^th, the Klamath National Forest Incident Management, Type 3 Team, assumed command of the Yeti Fire Complex.

Yeti: The Yeti Fire has remained within containment lines for multiple days now. Crews are remaining vigilant for any roll out, especially on the steep slope above Highway 96. They continue to mop up as deeply as they can safely to ensure continued containment. Repair work continues as crews work to put erosion mitigation measures in place. Residents and visitors can expect to see isolated areas of smoke and heat through the next few weeks as unburned pockets of vegetation continue to smolder. An area closure is in place for public safety within the fire area.

Alex: The Alex Fire is 100% contained but will be patrolled regularly.

Motorists are reminded that there is still a potential for heavy smoke along the Highway 96 corridor and to be aware of firefighting equipment, personnel, and wildlife.

Weather: With high pressure building, a warming and drying trend will continue into the weekend. Smoke from down river fires will likely impact the area in the afternoon.

August 13, 2022 at 8:20 AM

Yeti: The Yeti Fire remains within containment lines. Patrols are continuing, especially along Highway 96, as isolated heat sources (rolling logs, blowing debris) smolder and ignite, causing small uphill runs and visible smoke. Firefighters are watching carefully and actively engaging if there are threats to containment. This is likely to continue into the coming weeks. 

This will be the last update from California Interagency Incident Management Team 10. Management of the Yeti and Alex Fires will be transitioned back to the Klamath National Forest tomorrow, August 14, 2022, at 7 a.m.  

Alex: The Alex Fire remains in patrol status.  

Weather: Weather again is predicted to trend warmer and drier, despite the cool start to the day. Relative humidity remains critically low. Smoke from down river fires may continue to impact the area in the afternoon.  

August 12, 2022 at 7:23 AM

Successful direct suppression actions, coupled with aggressive mop up have limited potential growth across the fire area. Continued reduction in activity is due to the fire having backed down to the Klamath River along all portions adjacent Hwy 96. Minor pockets of fuel along the river corridor continue to smolder as fire continues to consume residual interior fuels. Primary fire activity includes minor interior smoke presence due to continued small pockets of burning of residual ground fuels.

Point protection around values at risk will continue. Crews will mop up and keep the fire within the current containment lines. The fire suppression repair group has been formed and initiated work on all indirect and contingency lines.

Yeti: The Yeti Fire has remained within containment lines for multiple days now. Crews are remaining vigilant for any roll out, especially on the steep slope above Highway 96. They continue to mop up as deeply as they can safely to ensure continued containment. Repair work continues as crews work to put erosion mitigation measures in place. Residents and visitors can expect to see isolated areas of smoke and heat through the next few weeks as unburned pockets of vegetation continue to smolder. An area closure is in place for public safety within the fire area.

Alex: The Alex Fire is 100% contained, but will be patrolled regularly.

Weather: With high pressure building, a warming and drying trend will continue into the weekend. Smoke from down river fires will likely impact the area in the afternoon.

August 11, 2022 at 9:52 AM

Yeti: Minimal heat remains along the perimeter of the fire as crews continue to mop up and add depth to cool containment lines. Active overnight patrols encountered no issues on their final night shift.

Today, firefighters will continue to seek out any lingering heat in stump holes and heavy logs that could threaten the lines, particularly along the fire’s southwest edge from the Four Corners intersection west along Joe Miles Ridge Road and down to the Klamath River. 

Suppression repair is 80% complete on indirect lines as crews work with archeological and cultural resource advisors to install water bars to minimize erosion and take other measures to reduce the impact of dozer lines. 

Alex: Firefighters have encountered little to no heat along the perimeter. Crews will monitor and patrol today. 

Weather: Conditions remain warm and dry with light winds. With no rain for the past 30 days and extremely dry vegetation, the danger of new fires remains high. Residents and visitors are asked to use caution, remain vigilant and report any wildfires to the appropriate emergency authorities.

Evacuations and closures: All evacuation warnings have been lifted in the area of the Yeti Fire. For information on evacuations, please visit https://community.zonehaven.com/ To sign up for alerts, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert.

Highway 96 remains closed because of the McKinney Fire. 

August 10, 2022 at 1:29 PM

Yeti: Active overnight patrols throughout the fire area met no issues and the Yeti Fire remains 78% contained at 7,886 acres. 

Firefighters are working to mop up what little heat remains near the line – primarily along the southern edge where Joe Miles Ridge Road was used as a fireline. Elsewhere, crews continue to monitor for any lingering heat that might threaten containment, but most heat sources detected by infrared flights are well interior. 

Suppression repair has begun in areas where firefighters were building contingency lines. Personnel and heavy equipment will work to minimize the impact of dozer lines by installing water bars to limit erosion. 

An emergency area closure remains in place for public safety. 

Alex: Firefighters continued to mop up and monitor any possible threats to the line.  

Weather: Conditions remain warm and dry with moderately gusty winds forecast for the afternoon. With no rain for the past 30 days and extremely dry vegetation, the danger of new fires remains high. Residents and visitors are asked to use caution, remain vigilant and report any wildfires to the appropriate emergency authorities. 

Evacuations and closures: Evacuation warnings remain in effect for the fire area. For information on evacuations, please visit https://community.zonehaven.com/ To sign up for alerts, including critical evacuation information, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert.  

Highway 96 remains closed because of the McKinney Fire.  

August 9, 2022 at 8:38 AM

Yeti: Overnight patrols encountered no issues throughout the fire’s perimeter and containment on the Yeti Fire has increased to 78% with acres at 7,886.

Today, crews will continue to mop up any remaining heat sources they can access safely with a major focus in the Four Corners area along the fire’s southern edge. Some pockets of heat remain along the Klamath River as well as large, heavy logs and jackpots of fuel that continue to smolder and produce smoke.

Suppression repair has begun in some areas as crews work to minimize the impact of dozer lines by installing water bars to limit erosion and return the areas to as close to a natural state as possible.

A Forest Closure remains in place for public safety.

Alex: Firefighters continued to mop up. There still are areas of unburned fuels within the fire perimeter, and a crew remains assigned to this fire to monitor any possible threats to the line.

Weather: Conditions remain hot and dry with light winds over the entire area. With no rain for the past 30 days and extremely dry vegetation, the danger of new fires remains high. Residents and visitors are asked to use caution, remain vigilant and report any wildfires to the appropriate emergency authorities.

August 9, 2022 at 7:43 AM

Generally there has been reduced activity due to the fire backing down to the Klamath River at Fort Goff, Joe Miles Creek, West Grider Creek, west toward China Point, and along most portions of Hwy 96. Pockets of fuel along the river edge continue to provide flare-ups as fire continues to back downslope. Successful direct suppression actions, including tactical firing operations, continue to limit additional spread on significant portions of the fire. Primary fire activity includes minor interior flare-ups and continued pockets of burning as the fire consumes residual fuels.

August 8, 2022 at 7:32 AM

Yeti: The Yeti Fire held well again overnight. Crews continued to patrol Highway 96 to ensure that no falling snags or blowing embers cross the river and threaten containment. They also found and extinguished a small pocket of remaining heat near Four Corners.

Today, mop up will continue as crews work to ensure that no heat remains close to the fire perimeter. In addition, crews have begun repairing fire lines and building water bars to prevent future erosion and sedimentation. Residents will likely continue to see smoke and isolated pockets of burning material within the fire perimeter for the next few weeks. A Forest Closure is in place for public safety.

Alex: Firefighters on the Alex Fire continued to mop up. While little heat has been detected, there are still areas of unburned fuels within the fire perimeter, and crews are being extremely cautious to make sure that no pockets of heat remain.

Weather: Smoke, or the lack thereof, will continue to influence weather conditions in the area. A heavy smoke inversion can help moderate temperatures. A subtle cooling trend is beginning with the start of the week, but conditions are still expected to be hot and dry. 

August 7, 2022 at 9:34 PM

Less smoke around the fire area allowed temperatures to rise to near 100 degrees along the lower elevations while relative humidity values fell to near 20%. Winds were generally light out of the west ranging from 4 to 8 mph and gusting to 12 mph in the afternoon. Very little to no cloud cover was observed.

Forecasted Weather Tomorrow (Monday): The amount and movement of smoke will effect tomorrow’s temperature and relative humidity values. Smoke modeling would suggest that less smoke will be present thus, another fairly hot and dry day is expected. Although a subtle cooling trend will begin on Monday only a reduction of a couple of degrees each day is anticipated while relative humidity values rise slightly. Winds should remain out of the east Monday night and be light while daytime wind will be southwesterly or terrain driven and light.

August 7, 2022 at 8:10 AM

Acres: Yeti, 7878; Alex, 151

Percent contained: Yeti, 19%; Alex, 80%

Structures threatened: 1146*

Structures damaged/destroyed: 0

*Increase in number of structures threatened is due to the addition of Happy Camp, which was put into an evacuation warning status on August 5.

Summary:

Yeti: The Yeti Fire held within constructed containment lines overnight.

Along Highway 96 and the river, the fire continues to back slowly down, consuming small pockets of yet-unburned vegetation as it moves. Embers thrown by large burning snags could still threaten containment, and crews remain on scene to ensure that no vegetation is able to ignite on the wrong side of the line.

West of Seiad, firefighters continued to mop up containment lines along Grider Creek Road, gaining between 100 and 150 feet of cold black line along the fire’s perimeter. Little heat has been detected along that line.

Mop up continues on the south end of the fire. Favorable weather and availability of crews and engines allowed firefighters to work directly along the fire’s active edge, and the entire southern edge is now lined. However, containment will only by declared when good depth is achieved and there is no chance of a hot ember escaping. Despite this, crews are continuing to work today on contingency lines to protect communities.

Crews continue to work along Highway 96, and motorists are asked to watch their speed. Smoke may be present on roadways, which can cause limited visibility.

Alex: The Alex Fire remains at 151 acres and is showing little heat. Crews continue to mop up.

Weather: Hotter and drier weather is expected to persist today. However, the Red Flag Warning and Fire Weather Watch predicted for the McKinney Fire is not anticipated to have a large effect on the Yeti Fire area.

August 6, 2022 at 8:11 PM

Pockets of active fire behavior observed, including sustained backing on steep slopes along most portions of the Klamath River along Hwy. 96. Active backing toward China Point on the west, with tactical firing operations occurring. Flanking fire with short upslope runs including torching and spotting are occurring in the Joe Miles Creek, with limited activity on the lee-side (China Creek) due to spotting and slop overs. Reduced fire activity observed on the east side of the fire due to suppression success in the West Grider Creek area. Winds have been following a diurnal pattern of up canyon during daytime hours, then light down canyon after dark. Significant lingering smoke accumulation during both day and night hours due to strong inversion in the river corridor.

August 6, 2022 at 8:04 AM

Acres: Yeti: 7,570; Alex: 151
Percent contained: Yeti, 0%; Alex, 20%

There will be a public meeting TONIGHT, August 6, 7 p.m. at the Happy Camp High School.

Yeti: Good progress has been made on the Yeti Fire in the last few days. Overnight, firefighters used an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to bring fire down to the river along the northern perimeter of the fire. That operation went very well, and crews today will continue to monitor for spots as vegetation is consumed. Two spots were detected yesterday between the river and Highway 96. Crews worked quickly to extinguish those spots, and the fire remains on the south side of the river.

In the area closest to Seiad Valley, crews mopped up fire lines to ensure containment. Those lines run along Grider Creek Road west of Seaid Valley and the Pacific Crest Trail. The fire has been tied back into the river near Sluice Box River Access.

At about dusk yesterday, crews used the UAS to gently bring fire down the hill down to a decommissioned road north of China Creek, which has been reopened for use as a fire line. Those operations were extremely successful, and firefighters will continue to work fire down the hill to meet that line. The intent is to carefully reduce vegetation up to the containment line, reducing fuels to take the energy out of the main fire.

The southwestern edge of the fire (the point closest to Happy Camp) still has open line, but day shift crews are focusing today on strengthening lines in the China Point area and watching for spots across the river.

While work on primary line continues, firefighters are also reopening and strengthening contingency lines for use if changing conditions cause fire activity to increase. Those lines are west of Highway 96 from Thompson Creek South, and north of the community of Seiad. Contingency line is also being built along the Wolf Creek Ridge on the fire’s southern edge.

Alex: The Alex Fire has remained at 151 acres and is showing little heat. Crews continue to mop up lines and increase containment depth.

Weather: Firefighters can expect another hot day with normal diurnal winds with gusts to 15 mph on ridges and in unsheltered areas. Humidity and moisture recovery will continue to be critically low. A slight chance of thunderstorms persists for the afternoon.

August 5, 2022 at 6:42 AM

A progressive warming and drying trend continues to provide active fire behavior with additional fire growth. The fire continues to actively back down the slopes of China Peak and Evans Mountain. Also, along portions of the Klamath River at Fort Goff, the confluence of Joe Miles Creek, and toward China Point. Backing growth continues to the east toward Seiad Valley. Spot fires in Division AA have pushed the fire to the south towards China Creek. The fire remained active during the night due to poor relative humidity recovery.

The fire behavior is described as active, short crown runs, spotting, and flanking.

August 4, 2022 at 1:48 PM

A Temporary Evacuation Point is being set up at Karuk Tribal Wellness Center 627 Jacobs Way, Happy Camp, CA. The TEP number for questions is 530-598-5593.

The shelter at Weed Community Center is closing and is being relocated to Yreka to the Kahtishraam Wellness Center located at 1403 Kahtrishraam.  

Animal Sheltering is available at the following locations:

• Dog Evacuation Shelter: 2216 East Oberlin Road, Yreka CA 96097, 530-842-0829
• Cat Evacuation Shelter: 200 S. 11^th St. Montague, CA 96097, 541-531-1086
• Livestock Animal Evacuation Shelter: 1712 Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097 (access from Sharps road at horse barns) 530-340-1038

All found animals (with no known owner) within evacuation zone will be posted at: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/animalcontrol/page/mckinney-fire-lost-found-animals 

August 4, 2022 at 12:50 PM

Due to fire activity east of Happy Camp the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, with support of our fire partners, is upgrading the following zones to a MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER:

Zone SIS-1111

NORTH OF Gordons Ferry Road, Highway 96

SOUTH OF Forest Route 19n01

EAST OF Forest Route 19n01, Highway 96

WEST OF Highway 96

Zone SIS-1227

NORTH OF Forest Route 45n85

SOUTH OF California Highway 96, China Grade Road

EAST OF Elk Creek Road

WEST OF Forest Route 45n85, China Grade Road

We want to ensure the public of our commitment to provide adequate time for safe evacuation should fire behavior intensify to the point of issuing Evacuation Orders in the future.

Additionally, Zone SIS-1224 is now under Evacuation Warning.

Residents in the following zones, PLEASE use this time to get prepared to evacuate should the need arise:

NEW EVACUATION WARNING:

Zone SIS-1224

NORTH OF California Highway 96

SOUTH OF California Highway 96

EAST OF Indian Creek Road

WEST OF California Highway 96

INTERACTIVE EVACUATION MAP:

https://community.zonehaven.com/?fbclid=IwAR1w6Oqw7q5nTZzzjiXo5OOpZBq52SU-J__iau62zTl_S9nH-IPN88JuEzU&latlon=41.82027714650667,-123.32278509323226&z=12.569819086507144

**The WARNING zones are west of where the Yeti and Alex Fire Complex is burning. This is on the southwest end of the #McKinneyFire evacuation zone. **

August 4, 2022 at 8:56 AM

High temperatures and lower humidity led to more active fire behavior yesterday. Overnight, the fire held well along the Highway 96 corridor. It continues to back down the hill, with occasional rollout causing short uphill runs. Motorists can expect to see minor torching and single or small groups of trees burning when that happens. While activity in this area picked up yesterday, crews are along the highway to catch any embers that try to push the fire over the river.

On the east side of the fire, crews used favorable nighttime conditions to bring fire down along the Grider Creek Road (Forest road 46N66) removing vegetation from the path of the main fire and strengthening containment. This line will tie into dozer line west of the Pacific Crest Trail.

The fire has been most active on the southwest corner, moving toward China Point. It has not yet reached the China Point Road. Crews are working several ridges to build containment in front of the fire, including south of Joe Miles Creek and Grider Ridge (where it turns due south). During the heat of the day, normal diurnal winds are pushing the fire to the south and southeast, and these lines are being constructed to impede that growth.

While crews are constructing these primary lines, they are also working on secondary lines, prioritizing protection of the communities of Seiad and Happy Camp. This includes lines south from around Thompson Creek down to China Point on the west side of Highway 96, and north of the community of Seiad.

Alex:  Crews on the Alex Fire continue to build line directly along the fire’s edge. It has not grown for the last 24 hours, and is showing little activity. However, with the predicted heat and low humidity, crews are continuing to strengthen containment lines.

Weather: The weather today is predicted to be hotter and drier even than yesterday, with temperatures rising to above 100 degrees again in the valleys and the mid-90s on ridgetops. Typical diurnal winds are expected. This pattern is anticipated to persist for at least the next several days, with a slight change of thunderstorms re-entering the forecast early next week.

Evacuations:

Evacuations are in effect in the fire area. For information on evacuations, please visit https://community.zonehaven.com/ To sign up for alerts, including critical evacuation information, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert.

Highway 96 remains closed due to the McKinney Fire.

August 3, 2022 at 8:53 AM

Yeti: Cooler temperatures moderated fire activity overnight. Crews worked overnight to successfully catch yesterday’s observed spots on the east side of the ridge south of China Mountain and continued to strengthen the line that moves toward China Point. The fire continued to back slowly toward the river, and crews were on hand to make sure it didn’t cross.

Today’s warmer, drier conditions may bring an increase in fire behavior, and crews will continue to strengthen containment lines in anticipation of that change.

The Yeti Fire is very visible from Highway 96 west of Portuguese Creek. Motorists are advised to drive slowly and be aware of firefighters and equipment on the road.

Alex: The Alex Fire showed an increase in behavior yesterday as thunder cells moved over the area. Crews have containment line around most of the fire, and they will continue to strengthen that today.

Weather: The upper-level system that has kept humidity high for the past few days will pass out of the area today, although a chance of lingering thunderstorms will persist. This will result in warmer, drier conditions. Winds are expected to pick up a bit today, with gusts up to 18 mph predicted for the afternoon.

August 3, 2022 at 6:49 AM

Evacuations are in effect for the community of Seiad and residents along Highway 96 towards Fort Goff. 364 people have been evacuated. Critical infrastructure continues to be threatened along the Highway 96 corridor. Highway 96 is open northbound to the intersection of HWY 96 and Scott River Road.

August 2, 2022 at 8:51 PM

A Community Meeting will be held Wednesday, 8/3 at 8pm at the Happy Camp High School – Gymnasium. As of August 2, 2022, California Team 10 has assumed command of the Yeti (formerly China 2) and Alex Fires. 

The Yeti Fire (formerly known as the China 2 Fire) was active this afternoon as another series of thunder cells moved into the area. The fire continues to back toward Klamath River adjacent to Highway 96 to the north and northwest, and has reached the river in multiple places west of Portuguese Creek. Crews have been working for several days constructing line to the southeast of China Mountain along West Grider Creek to tie into existing dozer lines west of The Pacific Crest Trail to stop fire spread toward the Seiad Valley. Crews are also working on containment line from China Mountain to the southwest toward China Point. About midday, crews pulled back as a strong thunder cell north of the fire collapsed, causing spotting on the fire’s southern perimeter (northeast of China Mountain). There is an approximately 50% chance of wetting rain predicted overnight, and firefighters will use the more favorable conditions predicted to try to pick up those spots.

The Alex Fire, located north of Empire Creek (west of the Beaver Creek Road) received considerable precipitation overnight last night and is showing little growth.

As of today, California Interagency Incident Management Team 10 has assumed command of the Yeti and Alex Fires. Management of the McKinney Fire is under California Team 2.