Sky, Butte County

Sky, Lassen NF, USFS. Transfer of command from IMT 2 (CA Team 12) back to the local unit will occur today. Ten miles west of Belden, CA. Timber, chaparral and closed timber litter. Minimal fire behavior with creeping and smoldering. Structures and infrastructure threatened. Area closures in effect.

July 1, 2021 at 8:17 AM

As of 6:00 a.m. today, the California Interagency Incident Management Team was released, and command of the fire will return to the Lassen National Forest.

Control lines around the fire continue to be improved, and containment of the fire grew to 50%. Firefighters remain focused on securing hot spots within the fire perimeter, as expected weather conditions may make control more difficult. The forecast is hot and dry conditions throughout the week, with a possibility of isolated thunderstorms each day. There is the prediction of thunderstorms containing gusty winds with minimal associated precipitation. Erratic winds from passing storms could potentially increase the activity of a smoldering fire.

Yesterday, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office lifted the evacuation warning for the Philbrook and Snag Lakes area. PG&E will reopen the Philbrook and Snag Lake recreation areas over the next two days. Please be cautious if you are traveling around those areas, as there are increased traffic hazards from multiple fire resources.

This will be the final fire update unless significant events occur.

June 30, 2021 at 10:42 AM

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office is LIFTING the EVACUATION WARNING for the Lake Philbrook and Snag Lake Areas.

June 30, 2021 at 9:10 AM

Since this fire area has not been impacted by wildfire in recent history, it is heavily loaded with dense vegetation, much of which is dead or dying and has accumulated over time. These dynamics create pockets of high-intensity heat when a wildfire ignites it. During times of high temperatures and low relative humidity, the hotter areas of the fire are challenging to extinguish fully.

Much of the fire area contains dead-standing trees that need eliminating because they are threats to the fire personnel working around them safely. Additionally, the area on the north edge of the fire is extremely steep and makes access to that portion of the fire more challenging.

Control lines around the fire are being improved, and as a result, the containment of the fire has increased to 30%. This accomplishment is due to using water pumped by engines to cool down and fully extinguish hot spots near the fire’s edge.

Firefighters are working diligently to accomplish full containment before the expectation of adverse weather conditions. Hot and dry conditions are forecasted throughout the week, with a possibility of isolated thunderstorms each day. These thunderstorms are predicted to contain gusty winds with minimal associated precipitation. Erratic winds from passing storms could potentially increase the activity of a smoldering fire.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation warning Sunday at 9:30 p.m. for the Lake Philbrook and Snag Lake areas. A warning means that the public in the affected area should be immediately ready to leave if fire conditions worsen. For more information, visit: buttecounty.net/sheriffcoroner

Due to the evacuation warning in place and increased traffic from fire resources, PG&E has closed the Philbrook and Snag Lake recreation areas. Please refrain from traveling in the area around the fire to help minimize traffic hazards.