Wildfire

Monday, August 13, 2012

Time: 6:00 pm

Location: Almanor Recreation Center

450 Meadowbrook Loop

Chester, CA

The Chips Fire Incident Management Team is holding a community meeting to provide the public with current information on fire suppression efforts.  Contact the Chips Fire Information Center if you have any questions at (530)283-3593/-3288.

The Chips Fire made a run to the north today south of the Little Grizzly camping area and was held by crews at the Humbug Road containment line. Crews attempting to improve old containment line from Yellow Creek Camp to Butt Valley Reservoir were force to pull off the line due to increased fire activity late this afternoon. Contingency line north of Humbug road is being improved.

The fire spotted into Digger Creek near Caribou today and made a push north and up-slope away toward the western shore of Butt Lake. The fire has reached the western shore of Butt Lake. Crews working on Red Hill continue to make excellent progress on securing containment lines in this area. The fire remained quiet along Highway 70 where crews continue to patrol and mop-up hot spots.

New contingency lines are being established along Highway 89 and north of Humbug Road as further protection of communities in along the western shore of Lake Almanor. Office of Emergency Service’s engine strike teams are actively working in west Almanor communities to assist residents with making their homes defensible should spot fires occur in the lake shore area.

The Reading Fire has grown to 17,530 acres. It is 7% contained. The fire is not expected to be contained until August 21.

The fire is burning in mixed conifer and red fir overstory with pine mat manzanita and a variable understory fuel loading of dead and down materials.

Active fire behavior with short uphill crown fire, single and group tree torching with moderate rates of spread.

Yesterday the fire crossed primary containment lines in the Mosquito Creek drainage, as well as south of the Little Grizzly dispersed camping area on the fire's north flank. It grew by nearly 10,000 acres. The fire also spotted across the North Fork of the Feather River, and Caribou Road onto Red Hill where crews worked through the night to construct line to keep the fire north of Highway 70. PG&E transmission lines were shut down yesterday afternoon due to impacts from the smoke and heat.

The power outage impacted customers across Plumas County. The primary containment line on the fire's northeast flank now stretches from Yellow Creek Camp to Butt Valley Reservoir, then from the Reservoir south to Highway 70. Firefighters and dozers are working to secure and improve these lines today. The Incident Command Post is now established on Highway 89 near the west shore of Lake Almanor to provide better support to firefighters working in the vicinity.