Updated 8.2.22 at 6:30 PM
 
CHANGE IN EVACUATIONS: The Lake County Sheriff expanded the Evacuation Order to include all residents residing north and south of Hwy 352 (Lake Mary Ronan Road) and all residents who live along Lake Mary Ronan.  All prior evacuation orders are still effect.

Pre-evacuation warnings are still in effect for residences east and south of Hwy 93 between intersections with Hwy 28 and Lake Mary Ronan Road.
 
For information on Red Cross Evacuation Centers at Polson High School and Somers Middle School please call 1-800-272-6668, then select Option 1 for the Duty Officer.  

Road closures: Lake Mary Ronan Road is closed.
 
Power Outages: Mission Valley Power shut off power at Black Lake Road, the Proctor Club house, and Hog Heaven at the request of Lake County Emergency Management and expected to remain off through Tuesday. The situation will be reassessed Wednesday morning.  

 The Elmo Fire is currently 16,226 acres and 10% contained. The fire perimeter expanded to the north and east, including Black Lake, Red Lake, the vicinity of Black Lake Rd and Dayton Creek Rd, and approaching Highway 93 near Chief Cliff.

Evacuations

• Mandatory evacuations are in place for the Lake Mary Ronan Corridor including Lake Mary Ronan Road, Black Lake Road, and the surrounding areas. Red Cross evacuation centers have been established at Somers Middle School and Polson High School.

Area Closures

• Highway 93: Single-lane traffic with reduced speeds is possible between Dayton (MM83) and Elmo (MM77). Visibility may be limited. There is no parking for fire viewing to keep the roadway open for emergency vehicles. Motorists can view the most recent updates on highway access at www.511mt.net.
• The Boat Ramp at the Elmo Fishing Access Site is CLOSED.
• Lake Mary Ronan State Park is CLOSED.

Current and Planned Activity

Yesterday, gusty winds began in the early afternoon and aligned with the topography around Chief Cliff, pushing the fire east towards Highway 93. Firefighters made progress establishing containment along the southern perimeter of the fire along Highway 28. Aviation resources were utilized for much of the day but were grounded for a short period of the afternoon due to winds. Overnight, crews continued to operate and coordinate with local resources for structure protection near Black Lake and Red Lake Roads.

Today, firefighters on the eastern side of the fire will continue to focus on structure protection, reinforcing, and constructing line. Air resources will continue to aid firefighters on the ground with water and retardant drops. Resources made available from the southern perimeter will support structure protection to the east. As conditions allow, direct tactics will continue to be utilized along the northern perimeter of the fire to limit fire growth utilizing new dozer lines and the existing roads.

Weather: Mostly sunny with temperatures in the upper 80s. A red flag warning is in effect again today due to steady winds with gusts up to 35 miles per hour and low relative humidity. Afternoon winds are expected to come out of the west.

At approximately 2 PM, Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 7 recommended the evacuation of the Lake Mary Ronan corridor to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. The Team is working with the Montana Department of Transportation on the use of pilot cars on Highway 93 between Elmo to Rollins due to poor visibility.

  Public Meeting Notice – Monday, August 1st at 7:00 pm

Elmo Pow Wow Grounds, Hwy 93

The Elmo Fire grew just over 2,000 acres yesterday for a current size of 12,975 acres; the fire is still 0% contained. The fire was most active in the northwest side yesterday afternoon and evening in the Cromwell Creek area. Similar fire behavior is expected today with short crown runs occurring in narrow strings of timber.

Current and Planned Activity

Yesterday, the Bitterroot Hotshots worked in the northwest portion of the fire holding and improving existing line as fire activity allowed. Firefighter efforts were supported by four scooper planes and four SEATS (single engine air tankers) in the northwest. On the northeast side of the fire, the Helena Hotshots worked directly on the fire’s edge to the east towards Chief Cliffs estates while the Idaho Panhandle Hotshots constructed line to the west. Crews engaged directly on the fire’s east edge as well, with the Bitterroot Hotshots and a Type II Initial Attack crew working their way to the north. Numerous engines continued to patrol along Hwy 28 extinguishing any remaining heat close to the road.

Today, firefighters along with heavy equipment and aviation resources will continue to hold and improve previously constructed fireline. Crews will construct direct fireline where possible and scout for other opportunities as needed.

Weather: Another hot and dry day is expected with temperatures in the mid-90s. Winds will be out of the southwest at 5-8 mph and shifting to the west at 10-14 mph with gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon.

Evacuations

Pre-evacuation warnings are still in place for residents south of Lake Mary Ronan Road and west of Hwy 93.

Area Closures

Highway 28 is now OPEN. Smoke may cause low visibility, please use caution when driving.

The Boat Ramp at the Elmo Fishing Access Site is CLOSED.

Lake Mary Ronan State Park is CLOSED.

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The Boat Ramp at the Elmo Fishing Access Site is CLOSED.

Lake Mary Ronan State Park is CLOSED.

There will be a public meeting tomorrow Monday, August 1st at 7:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the Elmo Pow Wow grounds.

Masks are strongly encouraged.

Public Meeting Notice – Monday, August 1st at 7:00 pm

Elmo Pow Wow Grounds, Hwy 93

Location: Siskiyou County, CA

Size: 60,392 acres

Percent Contained: 95 %

Cause: Under Investigation

Vegetation: Timber (Litter and Understory), Tall Grass, and Brush

Number of Personnel Assigned: 1,870

Start Date: Friday July 29, 2022 at 2:15pm

UPDATE: 
Firefighters remain vigilant as they gain containment on the McKinney Fire. Hot, dry, and windy conditions are increasing, which also increases the potential for new starts. Crews remain prepared to respond to any new fires as they work to repair damage to the land.Hand crews and engines are focusing on the George Fire, west of the Scott River. Firefighters are strengthening containment line and getting ready to begin suppression repair work in this area.

Firefighters will continue to focus on the small section of fire containment line northeast of Collins Creek, in order to strengthen the line enough to call that area contained.
Additionally, helicopters performed aerial fire suppression operations on a small area within the interior of the fire containment lines, which was putting off smoke. Crews also conducted ground suppression work to extinguish this hot spot. An unmanned aircraft flew several times over this area. While isolated areas of heat from heavier vegetation and burning stumps were located, none of these hot spots posed any threats to containment lines.

Suppression repair work will continue throughout all other areas of the fire. Officials from California Interagency Incident Management Team 2 patrolled Walker Road from Klamath River Road to the spike camp and saw no areas of concern. Crews are continuing to mitigate hazard trees along the roads within the fire area. However, conditions are not favorable enough to allow work along McKinney Creek Road. Crews will address this area when safety allows.

WEATHER:
Temperatures will continue to increase, with highs in the mid-90s in the valleys and reaching the high 70s to mid-80s on the ridgetops. West/northwest winds are expected to be between 15-18 miles-per-hour with gusts up to 20 mph in the valleys and 25 mph on the ridges.

LOCAL ASSISSTANCE CENTER:
A Local Assistance Center (LAC) will be opening at the College of the Siskiyous Rural Health Sciences Institute in Yreka to serve residents impacted by the McKinney Fire. The LAC is a one-stop-shop for recovery assistance. The address is 2001 Campus Drive Yreka, CA. The times of operation are Wednesday, August 17, 9 am to 7 pm and Thursday, August 18, 9 am to 7 pm.

EVACUATIONS:
Multiple evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect. For current updates on evacuations, visit https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff and https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountyOESAdditional evacuation information and a map can be found on the Zonehaven site at: https://community.zonehaven.com/A shelter has been established at Karuk Wellness Center at 1403 Kahtishraam, Yreka, CA, 96097. Traffic on Highway 96 is limited with piloted traffic between Beaver Creek to Kohl Creek through the fire area.

CURRENT FOREST ORDERS:
Fire restrictions are in effect on the Klamath National Forest. For more information, visithttps://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/
An emergency area is now in effect for the McKinney, Yeti, and Alex Fires. Please refer to the links below for specific details:Closure Info: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1047211.pdfClosure Map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1047212.pdfPacific Crest Trail Information: https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures

Location: Siskiyou County, CA  
 

Size: 60,392 acres  
 

Percent Contained: 90 % 
 

Cause: Under Investigation  
 

Vegetation: Timber (Litter and Understory), Tall Grass, and Brush  
 

Number of Personnel Assigned: 2,420 
 

Start Date: Friday July 29, 2022 at 2:15pm  

Mop-up continues throughout the perimeter of the fire with the intention to work inwards using a seek and destroy method for any hot spots. Using hose during mop-up operations is how those hot spots are reduced. A water shuttle system has been in place during the McKinney Fire by setting up snap tanks, or portable tanks. These tanks can hold anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 gallons of water, depending on the size. A water tender truck will shuttle to an authorized nearby body of water to fill up, take the water back to the tank, and then use a portable pump to get the water to the hot spots.  
 

Crews will continue to work along Highway 96 to mitigate hazards to themselves and the general public in order to get that area reopened without any driving restrictions as soon as possible. A pilot car is currently in place through the fire area, so drivers should be extra careful when approaching these checkpoints.  
 

The Smokey Fire and the George Fire continue to be patrolled by crews to ensure the fire remains within their containment lines. Both fires remain 100% contained. 
 
WEATHER: Today will remain consistent with the week so far, hot dry and sunny. Temperatures will be in the low 90s with a gradual warm up into Monday. Humidity expected to read 13-20% and winds will be from the east/ northeast with possible gusts up to 20 mph.