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WILLOWS, Calif., Aug. 17, 2023 — The Slide 1 Fire in the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness is 656 acres and containment is 5%. Fire behavior was low and creeping on the ground during today’s shift.

Smokejumpers and the Mendocino Hotshots (Crew 12) have been able to go direct along the trail system on the eastern edge of the fire, strengthening that line along a natural barrier. On the southern edge, crews worked hard along the Ides Cove trail system to strengthen that line. Aircraft supported crews on the fire line with bucket drops.

Though the fire has grown in acreage, fire managers are pleased with today’s success building containment lines and will continue the confine and contain strategy using the trail system and natural barriers to keep the fire in the wilderness area.

Resources committed to the incident include a type-2 helicopter, type-3 helicopter, one type-1 hand crew, three type-2 crews, two falling modules, two water tenders, a grader, excavator, helibase manager and safety officer. Additional resources are on order.

An order closure for the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness within the Grindstone Ranger District is expected tomorrow.

Also today, four smokejumpers and the Elk Mountain Hotshots (Crew 4) were joined by a helitack crew on the Rock Fire in the Sanhedrin Wilderness on the Upper Lake Ranger District. Two helicopters supported the crews with successful bucket drops. The Rock Fire is 1.5 acres. Though much progress was made, containment remains at 0%. Resources on scene will continue working on the line tomorrow.

The weather pattern is still showing active scattered showers and thunderstorms tonight and through the weekend. Fire personnel remain alert and ready to respond to new lightning starts and mutual aid calls.

Information about the Slide 1 Fire and other lightning-related fires is being updated on Inciweb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/camnf-2023-slide-1.

Photos of the Slide 1 Fire are available on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mendocinonf/albums/72177720310567798/with/53124041174