Single Publication

VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING:  A virtual public meeting for the Happy Camp Complex will be held on Saturday, August 26th at 5:30 p.m. Fire personnel will provide an operational overview of the fire situation. The meeting will be live-streamed on Facebook (facebook.com/KlamathNF) and YouTube (youtube.com/@ciimt5). A Facebook account is not necessary to view the meeting.

The warming and drying trend increased fire activity on the Happy Camp Complex yesterday. This morning, relative humidity was already dropping at higher elevations, and fuels heated by direct sunlight will become active around noon. Drier fuels, direct sunlight, and a higher potential for spot fires will test the fire lines and challenge firefighters today.  

WEST SIDE OVERVIEW (ACRES/CONTAINMENT): Elliot (4,967 acres, 3%), Swillup (1,895 acres, 0%), Malone (438 acres, 7%), Ufish (1,372 acres, 0%)

Overnight fire crews conducted a tactical firing operation on the Elliot and Swillup fires. The successful firing operation removed vegetation between the fire’s edge and Highway 96. This action eliminated the potential of the fire making a hard run toward the highway and spotting across the roadway and river. The second tactical firing operation occurred on the Swillup Fire's northeast fire line, providing a good protection barrier around the structures.  

With wind and lower humidity today, the Elliot, Swillup, and Ufish fires will continue to be active. The Ufish Fire continues to back down to the Klamath River, and crews will strengthen the indirect fire lines in the river corridor. The Malone Fire will be monitored throughout the day.

EAST SIDE OVERVIEW (ACRES/CONTAINMENT): Head (6,739 acres, 29%), Block (0.1 acres, 100%), Townsend (81 acres, 100%), Den (294 acres, 95%), Scott (1,862 acres, 50%), Lake (199/ acres, 5%)

The Scott and Gold fires burned together and will now be known as the Scott Fire. The fire put up a large column yesterday as a pocket of interior vegetation ignited. The fire will remain active today, and firefighters will strengthen established lines and watch for potential spot fires.

Crews have completed line construction on the east flank of the Head Fire from State Route 96 to Collins Baldy Lookout, and down to Scott Bar. Firefighters will now shift their efforts to the northwest and west flanks of the fire. Cal FIRE resources will shift over to assist fire crews. Work will focus on the northwest and west flanks of the fire. Infrared imagery taken last night shows intense heat in these areas.

EVACUATIONS: View current Siskiyou County evacuation orders, warnings by visiting: community.zonehaven.com. Siskiyou County residents are encouraged to sign up for rapid emergency notifications using the CodeRED emergency alert system. https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert

An evacuation center has been established at the Kahtishraam Wellness Center, 1403 Kahtishraam, Yreka, CA 95097. Call (530) 340-3539 if you have questions regarding the shelter.

ROAD CONDITIONS: State Route 96 is now open. One-way traffic control remains in place in several areas while crews work to repair damaged infrastructure, remove debris, and stabilize slopes. Delays at the locations with one-way traffic control will be up to 15 minutes. The road will be closed to the public east of Seiad daily from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to facilitate fire traffic. For the exact locations of where this work is taking place, please use quickmap.dot.ca.gov.  County Road closures will be listed on the Siskiyou County Public Works website: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/publicworks/page/closures-and-delays.

FOREST CLOSURE: Two closure orders have been implemented: Happy Camp Complex Emergency Fire Closure, No.05-05-23-06; Happy Camp Complex Emergency Fire Closure, No. 05-05-23-07. Please refer to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices to view the orders and maps.

TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION (TFR): A TFR has been established over the fire area. Flight restrictions include the use of drones. The operation of drones under the TFR is prohibited.

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL: The area within the Forest Orders, including the PCT from the Shelly Fork junction to Seiad Valley, is a hard closure. The PCT from Etna Summit to the Oregon border is a soft closure intended to prevent long-distance hikers from entering the official closure area.  Incidental PCT use outside the Forest Closure area is not officially prohibited. Visitors should be aware conditions can change rapidly regardless of where they are recreating on the Forest.

AIR QUALITY: For information regarding smoke impacts and what you can do to protect yourself, visit: https://www.airnow.gov/