Single Publication

 Wednesday, September 20, 2023

WEATHER: Cooler and drier conditions are expected through today. Tomorrow, humidities will begin to increase with higher moisture levels into next week.  Winds will be out of the northeast through Thursday as breezy winds peak today. 

FIRE BEHAVIOR: Fire behavior is expected to be minimal. Gusty winds up to 25 mph are expected today on ridgetops; firefighters will be monitoring fire behavior.  As the smoke clears, fire activity may increase with the warming slopes and afternoon winds.

FIRE MANAGEMENT:  Note that today at 0700 California Interagency Team 11 will be managing the Elliot and UFish Fires.  The management of all other fires that were formerly part of the Happy Camp Complex (Scott, Malone, Head, Lake, Hancock, Den, Kings, Townsend; all 100% contained) has returned to the Klamath National Forest. 

UFISH FIRE: 7,603 acres at 58% containment.  Containment line along the Hwy 96 corridor is complete and looks good. The northwest perimeter is in monitor & patrol status as well. The fire is gently backing down to Titus Creek on the southeast side and crews are monitoring this area.  No firing operations are currently planned at Windy Gap above the Titus Creek drainage; a long weather window is necessary for this to occur. 

ELLIOT FIRE: 13,649 acres at 51% containment.  Existing containment line is in good shape.  The burn area at the northern end resembles a desirable prescribed burn. The fire perimeter along the Hwy 96 corridor is black; firefighters are patrolling along Hwy 96 to watch for rollout.

Hazard tree removal is in progress along Doolittle Creek Road (17N11 Rd) as snags from the 202 Slater Fire are impacting access to the current UFish Fire area.  Suppression repair is ongoing in both fire areas.

SMOKE EFFECTS:  Today and tomorrow will see significant air quality improvements in communities around the Happy Camp Complex.  Strong winds from the north for two consecutive days helped clear out the area but, starting Friday afternoon, we will see winds shift from the west that will likely bring smoke from the Happy Camp Complex and neighboring Six Rivers Lightning Complex back into the valleys and impact air quality over the weekend.  For more information on the Six Rivers Lightning Complex, go to http://www.linktr.ee/srffirepio. 

EVACUATIONS: View current Siskiyou County evacuation orders and warnings by visiting https://community.zonehaven.com. Please note that zone Orders and Warnings were changed yesterday. Siskiyou County residents are encouraged to sign up for rapid emergency notifications using the CodeRED emergency alert system at: https://bit.ly/SiskiyouCodeRedEmergencyAlert.

CLOSURES: A closure order has been implemented in the Klamath National Forest. Find more information at https://bit.ly/KlamathNFAlertsNotices. 

As hunting season continues, please be aware of area closures within national forests. Contact local Forest Service offices for specific information.

DELAYS: One-way traffic control is on Highway 96 at various locations, from 5 miles east of Seiad to the Klamath River. Scott River Road is closed between Highway 96 and Mill Creek Road. https://roads.dot.ca.gov/.