Fire
 
Heavy fuels from the Yeti Fire continue to smolder. There is a new, active fire near Scott Bar. With hotter, drier weather the fires in the SRF Lightning Complex are expected to be more active today. As conditions allow, firing operations are planned for the SRF Lightning Complex in order to limit fire spread and intensity.

Smoke
 
Smoke from the Yeti Fire as well as the new fire near Scott Bar will impact Happy Camp, Seiad Valley and Klamath River. Hoopa, Weitchpec, and Orleans should expect Unhealthy this afternoon, followed by clearing. Heavy afternoon and evening smoke in Forks of Salmon is expected to clear overnight. Heaviest smoke from the SRF Lightning Complex will continue to impact nearby communities, with Hazardous air quality this afternoon and evening in Willow Creek and much of the day in Burnt Ranch. Expect Unhealthy much of the day in Hyampom and Hayfork. Over the weekend the inversion layer is expected to grow stronger with more smoke lingering in drainages.

Fire and Smoke Map For current smoke conditions and additional hourly data, see the Fire and Smoke Map at "https://fire.airnow.gov/"

Summary 
 
Yeti: The Yeti Fire has remained within containment lines for multiple days now. Crews are remaining vigilant for any roll out, especially on the steep slope above Highway 96. They continue to mop up as deeply as they can safely to ensure continued containment. Repair work continues as crews work to put erosion mitigation measures in place. Residents and visitors can expect to see isolated areas of smoke and heat through the next few weeks as unburned pockets of vegetation continue to smolder. An area closure is in place for public safety within the fire area.

Alex: The Alex Fire is 100% contained, but will be patrolled regularly.
 
Weather: With high pressure building, a warming and drying trend will continue into the weekend. Smoke from down river fires will likely impact the area in the afternoon. 
 
Evacuations and closures: No evacuation orders or warnings are in place due to the Yeti Fire. For information on evacuations, please visit https://community.zonehaven.com/ To sign up for alerts, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert. 
 
For Highway 96 road conditions, please visit https://roads.dot.ca.gov/.
 
Fire restrictions and an emergency fire area closure are in effect on the Klamath National Forest. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/ Information about the McKinney Fire (east of the Yeti Fire along Highway 96) is available at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8287/

Summary 
 
Yeti: Minimal heat remains along the perimeter of the fire as crews continue to mop up and add depth to cool containment lines. Active overnight patrols encountered no issues on their final night shift.
 
Today, firefighters will continue to seek out any lingering heat in stump holes and heavy logs that could threaten the lines, particularly along the fire’s southwest edge from the Four Corners intersection west along Joe Miles Ridge Road and down to the Klamath River. 
 
Suppression repair is 80% complete on indirect lines as crews work with archeological and cultural resource advisors to install water bars to minimize erosion and take other measures to reduce the impact of dozer lines. 
 
Alex: Firefighters have encountered little to no heat along the perimeter. Crews will monitor and patrol today. 
 
Weather: Conditions remain warm and dry with light winds. With no rain for the past 30 days and extremely dry vegetation, the danger of new fires remains high. Residents and visitors are asked to use caution, remain vigilant and report any wildfires to the appropriate emergency authorities.
 
Evacuations and closures: All evacuation warnings have been lifted in the area of the Yeti Fire. For information on evacuations, please visit https://community.zonehaven.com/ To sign up for alerts, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert. 
 
Highway 96 remains closed because of the McKinney Fire. 
 
Fire restrictions and an emergency fire area closure are in effect on the Klamath National Forest. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/ Information about the McKinney Fire (east of the Yeti Fire along Highway 96) is available at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8287/

Video explainer of aerial ignition

“Plastic sphere dispenser” is one of the technical names for the machine used to execute strategic firing operations from helicopters. But everyone knows it as a ping pong ball machine. 
PSD ignition has been utilized in fighting the Yeti Fire as firefighters worked to build containment line and slowly bring the fire’s edge to control features that offer a high probability of success such as the Klamath River. Crews carefully strung fire along the ridges coming off of China Peak heading toward the river in order to prevent green pockets of unburned fuel at lower elevations from flaring up, spotting the ridge and causing control problems. 
A PSD machine is loaded into a helicopter and has a dedicated operator that rides in the backseat in addition to the firing boss and pilot up front. In this case, the operator was Joshua Collum, Senior Firefighter with the Happy Camp Helitack crew. As it was his first time working the capacity, his trainer and Happy Camp Helitack Captain, Ray Wilson, rode with.
The machine has a hopper that is loaded with the “ping pong balls” – plastic spheres that contain potassium permanganate – and the loading and firing device. This device injects the spheres with a small amount of ethyl glycol (antifreeze) that causes a chemical reaction which generates enough heat to ignite the ball once it’s on the ground. As the operator, Collum can control how many balls are dropped at a time (2 or 4 balls) as well as the frequency of the drops making this type of operation incredibly precise and efficient. 
“The firing boss decides when and how to fast to fire,” Collum said. “I verify the (ignition) pattern matches what he requests and monitor the chute, keep it flowing and make sure it’s operational.”
It’s that precise control that makes this technique so valuable in these applications.
“Using the helicopter offers a lot more control over the pace of ignition, how slow or fast you want to bring the fire along,” said Ira Graves, Air Operations Branch Director trainee for California Interagency Incident Management Team 10 and a former PSD machine operator. “Then, once you’ve done your ignition, you can back off and you have a great vantage point to assess your situation.” 
In addition to precision and efficiency, aerial ignition offers a reduced exposure to firefighters on the ground by preventing them from having to work in the steep, rugged terrain of the Klamath Mountains.  
“If you want your fire on the ridgetops, with a helicopter, you can line it in minutes,” Graves said. “With a crew It could take hours to get them into position, get it lit and then they’re hiking in very unfavorable terrain, probably in the dark with active fire. PSD use brings a safety factor into play.” 
While helicopter operations come with a degree of assumed risk as do all air operations, one way to further reduce the risk to crews that has come into play in recent years has been the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems. As the technology continues to emerge, UAS are being used more often on fires and becoming more valuable to incident managers.
UASs have been employed for various purposes on the Yeti Fire including using infrared imagery for reconnaissance, scouting possible line locations and aerial ignition as well. 
“It allows us to continue the precision ignition at night,” said Staci Dickson, lead Air Operations Branch Director for Team 10. “Aerial ignition is the mission with the most risk for our helicopters. We can’t do it at night with them, especially in this terrain. With the UAS, the humans are on the ground, only the machine is in the air.”

Fire
 Fire activity has greatly decreased over the Yeti Fire, but heavy fuels will continue to smolder for quite some time. The SRF Lightning Complex near Willow Creek continues to have active fire behavior.
 Smoke
 Smoke from the Yeti Fire will remain heavy in Seiad Valley today with reduced smoke expected in Klamath River and Happy Camp. Willow Creek, Hoopa, Weitchpec, and Orleans should expect a brief period of USG to Unhealthy in early afternoon, followed by clearing. Afternoon heavy smoke in Forks of Salmon may linger overnight. Heaviest smoke from the SRF Lightning Complex is expected to impact nearby communities, with Hazardous air quality much of the day in Burnt Ranch. Periods of Very Unhealthy are also likely in Hyampom and Hayfork. With higher pressure establishing over the forecast area, the inversion layer is expected to grow stronger with more smoke lingering in drainages over the coming days.
 Fire and Smoke Map
 For current smoke conditions and additional hourly data, see the Fire and Smoke Map at "https://fire.airnow.gov/"

Summary  
 
Yeti: Active overnight patrols throughout the fire area met no issues and the Yeti Fire remains 78% contained at 7,886 acres. 
 
Firefighters are working to mop up what little heat remains near the line – primarily along the southern edge where Joe Miles Ridge Road was used as a fireline. Elsewhere, crews continue to monitor for any lingering heat that might threaten containment, but most heat sources detected by infrared flights are well interior. 
 
Suppression repair has begun in areas where firefighters were building contingency lines. Personnel and heavy equipment will work to minimize the impact of dozer lines by installing water bars to limit erosion. 
 
An emergency area closure remains in place for public safety. 
 
Alex: Firefighters continued to mop up and monitor any possible threats to the line.  
 
Weather: Conditions remain warm and dry with moderately gusty winds forecast for the afternoon. With no rain for the past 30 days and extremely dry vegetation, the danger of new fires remains high. Residents and visitors are asked to use caution, remain vigilant and report any wildfires to the appropriate emergency authorities. 
 
Evacuations and closures: Evacuation warnings remain in effect for the fire area. For information on evacuations, please visit https://community.zonehaven.com/ To sign up for alerts, including critical evacuation information, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert.  
 
Highway 96 remains closed because of the McKinney Fire.  
 
Fire restrictions and an emergency fire area closure are in effect on the Klamath National Forest. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/ 
Information about the McKinney Fire (east of the Yeti Fire along Highway 96) is available at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8287/ 

Fire

Summary 
 
Yeti: Overnight patrols encountered no issues throughout the fire’s perimeter and containment on the Yeti Fire has increased to 78% with acres at 7,886. Today, crews will continue to mop up any remaining heat sources they can access safely with a major focus in the Four Corners area along the fire’s southern edge. Some pockets of heat remain along the Klamath River as well as large, heavy logs and jackpots of fuel that continue to smolder and produce smoke.

Suppression repair has begun in some areas as crews work to minimize the impact of dozer lines by installing water bars to limit erosion and return the areas to as close to a natural state as possible. 
 
A Forest Closure remains in place for public safety.  
 
Alex: Firefighters continued to mop up. There still are areas of unburned fuels within the fire perimeter, and a crew remains assigned to this fire to monitor any possible threats to the line.
 
Weather: Conditions remain hot and dry with light winds over the entire area. With no rain for the past 30 days and extremely dry vegetation, the danger of new fires remains high.
 
Residents and visitors are asked to use caution, remain vigilant and report any wildfires to the appropriate emergency authorities. 
 
Evacuations and closures:  Evacuations warnings remain in effect in the fire area. For information on evacuations, please visit https://community.zonehaven.com/ To sign up for alerts, including critical evacuation information, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert.  
 
Highway 96 remains closed due to the McKinney Fire. 
 
Fire restrictions and an emergency fire area closure are in effect on the Klamath National Forest. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/  Information about the McKinney Fire (east of the Yeti Fire along Highway 96) is available at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8287/ 

Summary

Yeti: The Yeti Fire held well again overnight. Crews continued to patrol Highway 96 to ensure that no falling snags or blowing embers cross the river and threaten containment. They also found and extinguished a small pocket of remaining heat near Four Corners.
 
Today, mop up will continue as crews work to ensure that no heat remains close to the fire perimeter. In addition, crews have begun repairing fire lines and building water bars to prevent future erosion and sedimentation. Residents will likely continue to see smoke and isolated pockets of burning material within the fire perimeter for the next few weeks. A ForestClosure is in place for public safety.

Alex: Firefighters on the Alex Fire continued to mop up. While little heat has been detected, there are still areas of unburned fuels within the fire perimeter, and crews are being extremely cautious to make sure that no pockets of heat remain.

Weather: Smoke, or the lack thereof, will continue to influence weather conditions in the area. A heavy smoke inversion can help moderate temperatures. A subtle cooling trend is beginning with the start of the week, but conditions are still expected to be hot and dry.

Evacuations and closures: Evacuations are in effect in the fire area. For information on evacuations, please visit https://community.zonehaven.com/ To sign up for alerts, including critical evacuation information, please visit https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert.

Highway 96 remains closed due to the McKinney Fire.

Fire restrictions and an emergency fire area closure are in effect on the Klamath National Forest. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/ 

Information about the McKinney Fire (east of the Yeti Fire along Highway 96) is available at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8287/   

Click here to watch a video of the Yeti Fire Community Meeting Livestream 8-6-2022