Sheep Fire – Morning Update

Acres:  27,411 Contained: 3%

Resources:  20 dozers, 72 engines, 7 hand crews, 8 helicopters, 16 water tenders, and 484 total personnel.

Current Situation: The fire moderated overnight and a light rain fell across the fire area, lowering humidities, and allowing crews to make good progress. Crews worked throughout the night constructing and strengthening dozer line on the east and west flanks of the fire. On the east flank, crews made good progress in their work on the line extending to Diamond Mountain Motorway to the escarpment and to the top of Diamond Mountain. Today, they will work to strengthen and secure this line. On the west flank, crews continued constructing line in the Cheney Creek drainage and into the old Willard Fire burn scar, west of Susanville. They were able to build a contingency line ahead of the fire and are now “going direct”; working on the fire’s edge. Cooler temperatures are expected again today, but thunderstorms in the forecast and unpredictable winds remain a concern. Dry fuels, steep terrain and strong winds continue to challenge firefighting efforts. Today, crews will continue to secure and strengthen both flanks of the fire while providing structure protection. To date, the Sheep Fire has destroyed 8 residences and damaged 1 residence.

Evacuations: Muliple Evacuation Orders and Warnings remain in effect. For the latest evacuation information, visit the Lassen County Sheriff’s Facebook page – facebook.com/LassenSheriff. Lassen Community College Dormitories remains an evacuation center for local residences. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds.

Road Closures: All of Gold Run Road is closed. Wingfield Road from Four Oaks Drive to Janesville. Richmond Road is closed from just past Circle Drive to Hospital Lane.

Visit CalTrans at quickmap.dot.ca.gov or call 1-800-427-7623 for the latest maps and information of road closures in your area.

Weather: Lingering moisture and instability will lead to a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon into early this evening. The greatest threat for showers and thunderstorms over the North Complex will be in the afternoon hours. It is most likely, however, that showers and thunderstorms will remain north and east of the area similar to Monday. It's still possible that winds could affect the area in the afternoon and building smoke columns are likely to lead to some erratic and gusty winds in the heat of the afternoon and evening.

Air Quality: Heaviest impacts will again be in areas closest to the fires. Lingering smoke may be dense at times in the valleys but thinning is expected, especially south of fires. As fires become more active later in the day, areas will see heavier impacts in the evening into overnight as smoke settles into valleys and local drainages. For a fire and smoke map, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/

COVID-19: California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the fire camp and the surrounding communities. These measures include daily temperature screenings, mandatory use of face coverings, social distancing, implementing more virtual work, and smaller fire camps. Community and firefighter safety are a top priority of both Team 1 and the National Forests.

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See Attached Smoke Outlook for 8-25-2020

UPDATED PRESS RELEASE 8/24/2020 930PM SHEEP (NORTH COMPLEX) FIRE CURRENT EVACUATION ORDERS AND WARNINGS#SheepFireThere have been no new evacuation orders or warnings for the Sheep fire today. NO ORDERS OR WARNINGS HAVE BEEN DOWNGRADED TODAYThe following Mandatory Evacuation Orders are still in effect for the following areas:• Gem Drive, Pearl Circle, and all roads accessed by those roads. • Susan Hills area from Gold Run Road to Bauer Road and including Bauer Road • Both sides of Gold Run Road and all roads accessed by Gold Run • Amesbury Drive beginning at Gold Run Road and encompassing all roads south including Jura Road, Juro Road, Hill Creek Road and Morningstar Road.• Old Archery Road, Old Scotts Logging Road, Childrens Road, and Oak Mountain Drive. • Everything west of Elysian Valley Road and Wingfield Road including all connecting roads• Wingfield Road west to Bass Hill Road and all connecting roads in between including Wingfield Road east all the way to Main Street Janesville • The south side of Richmond Road from Gold Run Road to Circle Drive.• Cheney Creek Road and all roads accessed by Cheney Creek RoadThe following Evacuation Warnings are still in effect for the following areas:• The Diane Drive Subdivision• Richmond Road from Hwy 395 to Circle Drive including Circle Drive and all roads accessed by Circle Drive• West of Richmond Road Beginning at Hospital Lane extending to Mill Street.• Highway 36 from Harris Drive west to Devil’s Corral and all road accessed by Highway 36. • County Road A-1 to Lake Forest Estates and all roads accessed by A-1 to that point. • Wingfield Road to Old Archery Road • The south side of Johnstonville Road from the Intersection at Hwy 36 and Hwy 395 North to Airport Road • Sunnyside Road from Hwy 395 to County Road A-3. • Everything West of Highway 395 from Richmond Road to Janesville Grade and all roads in between. Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville.• Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville. • Highway 395 North to Leavitt Lake including all subdivisions. • The north side of Richmond Road from Gold Run Road to Singletree Lane including Singletree Lane. Road Closures: • All of Gold Run Road is closed• Wingfield Road from Four Oaks Drive to Janesville• Richmond Road is closed from just past Circle Drive to Hospital Lane.

Sheep Fire – Evening Update

Acres:  27,411

Resources:  20 dozers, 72 engines, 7 hand crews, 8 helicopters, 16 water tenders, and 484 total personnel.

Current Situation: Crews worked throughout the day constructing and strengthening dozer line on the east and west flanks of the fire. On the east flank, crews worked to extend the fire line to Diamond Mountain Motorway. From this point they will continue to build fire line up to the escarpment to the top of Diamond Mountain. On the west flank, line was constructed in the Cheney Creek drainage and into the old Willard Fire burn scar, west of Susanville. Smoke cleared enough today for fixed wing aircraft to drop retardant at the upper end of the east flank near the motorway to support ground crew’s efforts. Cooler temperatures and higher relative humidities aided crews in their work, but thunderstorms in the forecast and unpredictable winds remain a concern. This evening, crews will continue to secure and strengthen both flanks of the fire while providing structure protection. Dry fuels, steep terrain and strong winds continue to challenge firefighting efforts.

Evacuations: The following areas have been downgraded to an Evacuation Warning only:

• The south side of Johnstonville Road from the Intersection at Hwy 36 and Hwy 395 North to Airport Road

• The Diane Drive Subdivision

• Richmond Road from Hwy 395 to Circle Drive including Circle Drive and all roads accessed by Circle Drive

• Wingfield Road to Old Archery Road but not including Old Archery Road

The following Mandatory Evacuation Orders are still in effect for the following areas: Gem Drive, Pearl Circle, and all roads accessed by those roads. Lassen Community College Dormitories remains an evacuation center for local residences. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds. For the latest evacuation information, visit the Lassen County Sheriff’s Facebook page – facebook.com/LassenSheriff

Road Closures: All of Gold Run Road is closed. Wingfield Road is closed from just beyond Four Oaks Drive to Janesville. Richmond Road is closed from just past Circle Drive to Hospital Lane.

Visit CalTrans at quickmap.dot.ca.gov for the latest maps with road closures in your area.

Weather: RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS THROUGH THIS EVENING. A threat of isolated dry thunderstorms remains possible in the foothills and mountains. Lightning from dry thunderstorms will have the potential to start new fires. Dry thunderstorms may also produce gusty wind.

Air Quality: Hazy smoke continued today and was most dense in the valleys. Light winds pushed smoke to the north/northeast and areas nearest the fires saw the greatest impacts, namely Susanville and Quincy. Those areas can expect to see unhealthy/very unhealthy conditions overall. Locations near Reno should have seen some relief today as scattered showers continued to pass through. Smoke was expected to thin/mix out around noon into the early evening. For a fire and smoke map, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/

COVID-19: California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the fire camp and the surrounding communities. These measures include daily temperature screenings, mandatory use of face coverings, social distancing, implementing more virtual work, and smaller fire camps. Community and firefighter safety are a top priority of both Team 1 and the National Forests.

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Sheep Fire – Morning Update

Acres:  25,574

Resources:  16 dozers, 44 engines, 2 hand crews, 4 helicopters, 9 water tenders, and 335 total personnel. Resources continue to arrive.

Current Situation: The fire burned actively yesterday afternoon and into the evening making several downhill runs, including a significant run on the east side in the Wingfield Road area. Crews were able to keep it from encroaching into the Diane Drive area and stop it on Highway 395. Overnight detection of spotting east of Hwy 395 and south of Lake Leavitt were caught and will be monitored. On the northwest side of the fire, crews were able to keep the fire out of Gold Run, Hidden Hills, Susan Hills, and the Susanville City Limits. There were no reported structure losses from yesterday. Today, crews will continue to establish and reinforce existing fire line. The dry fuels, low humidities, and steep terrain and strong winds continue to challenge firefighting efforts.

Evacuations: Several MANDATORY Evacuation orders and ADVISORIES were issued last night. Emergency responders made door to door notifications where evacuations were taking place. Some of the notices were downgraded in level. Lassen Community College Dormitories remains an evacuation center for local residences. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds. For the latest evacuation information, visit the Lassen County Sheriff’s Facebook page – facebook.com/LassenSheriff

Road Closures: Highway 395 is open without restrictions. All of Gold Run Road is closed. Wingfield Road is closed from just beyond Four Oaks Drive to Janesville. Richmond Road is closed from just past Circle Drive to Hospital Lane.

Visit CalTrans at quickmap.dot.ca.gov for the latest maps with road closures in your area.

Weather: There is a Red Flag Warning for Gusty Outflow Winds & Dry Lightning In Effect Until Tuesday Morning. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected this morning. In addition to concern for new fire starts, gusty winds and brief light to moderate rainfall will be possible. There's likely to be a break in the weather late morning into the early afternoon before more showers and thunderstorms develop along and near the Sierra Crest. Afternoon to evening thunderstorms east of the North Complex, could cause winds to push into the area.

Air Quality: Smoke impacts to communities are expected to improve somewhat today due to the incoming thunderstorms. However, an increase in fire activity later this afternoon may increase smoke coming into the area. Areas of better air quality are expected above the foothill communities. For a fire and smoke map, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/

COVID-19: California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the fire camp and the surrounding communities. These measures include daily temperature screenings, mandatory use of face coverings, social distancing, implementing more virtual work, and smaller fire camps. Community and firefighter safety are a top priority of both Team 1 and the National Forests.

See Attached Smoke Outlook for 8-24-2020

#SheepFire EVACUATION UPDATE INFORMATION 10PM Effective 10:00 pm Sunday, August 23rd, 2020, the Evacuation Warning for Highway 395 North to Leavitt Lake including all subdivisions has been lifted. The following areas have been downgraded to an Evacuation Warning only:• The south side of Johnstonville Road from the Intersection at Hwy 36 and Hwy 395 North to Airport Road • The Diane Drive Subdivision• Richmond Road from Hwy 395 to Circle Drive including Circle Drive and all roads accessed by Circle Drive• Wingfield Road to Old Archery Road but not including Old Archery RoadThe following are instructions for residents returning to their home:1. Residents should be aware that changing conditions in fire activity may cause this area to escalate back to a mandatory evacuation order at any time. If you have evacuated large animals and vehicles, please keep them out of the area.2. Residents who choose to return to their homes will only be allowed to access their residence from Richmond Road East (by Susanville Ford). Residents who try to pass through the traffic control point at Richmond Road and Hospital Lane will be turned around.3. You will be asked to show proof of residence at the traffic control point located at Richmond Road and Deforest Drive.4. Please use caution, reduce your speed, drive with your headlights on and yield to emergency personnel.The following Mandatory Evacuation Orders are still in effect for the following areas:Gem Drive, Pearl Circle, and all roads accessed by those roads. • Susan Hills area from Gold Run Road to Bauer Road and including Bauer Road. • Both sides of Gold Run Road and all roads accessed by Gold Run. • Amesbury Drive beginning at Gold Run Road and encompassing all roads south including Jura Road, Juro Road, Hill Creek Road and Morningstar Road. • Everything south of Richmond Road to Highway 395 and all roads in between • Everything west of Elysian Valley Road and Wingfield Road including all connecting roads.• Wingfield Road west to Bass Hill Road and all connecting roads in between including Wingfield Road east all the way to Main Street Janesville are now under Mandatory Evacuation Order.• Old Archery Road, Old Scotts Logging Road, Childrens Road, and Oak Mountain Drive. The south side of Richmond Road from Gold Run Road to Circle Drive.• Cable Line Road and all roads accessed by Cable Line An Evacuation Warning has been issued for the following areas:• West of Richmond Road Beginning at Hospital Lane extending to Mill Street.• Highway 36 from Harris Drive west to Devil’s Corral and all road accessed by Highway 36. • County Road A-1 to Lake Forest Estates and all roads accessed by A-1 to that point. • Sunnyside Road from Hwy 395 to County Road A-3. • Everything West of Highway 395 from Richmond Road to Janesville Grade and all roads in between. Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville.• Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville. • The north side of Richmond Road from Gold Run Road to Singletree Lane including Singletree Lane. Road Closures: • All of Gold Run Road is closed• Wingfield Road is closed from just beyond Four Oaks Drive to Janesville• Richmond Road is closed from just past Circle Drive to Hospital Lane. • Highway 395 is open without restrictions

Sheep Fire – Evening Update

Acres:  23,423

Resources:  16 dozers, 44 engines, 2 hand crews, 4 helicopters, 9 water tenders, and 335 total personnel.

Current Situation: The Sheep Fire made an aggressive push with a vertical pyrocumulus cloud to the northeast today coming off the Diamond Ridge escarpment. A finger of the fire advanced towards Highway 395 where crews redeployed resources along Wingfield Road, west of Bass Hill, to protect structures. Multiple engines, hand crews, and water tenders also conducted structure protection in the Diane Drive area. Air tankers were again restricted from entering the area due to smoke, but multiple helicopters were used to try to limit the advance of the fire. Currently, there are no known structure loses. Several evacuation advisories were issued including portions of the City of Susanville.

Tonight, crews will continue to defend structures along 395 south of Susanville in the Wingfield Road area and push the fire back when provided an opportunity with cooperative cooling temperatures and light winds.

New Closures/Evacuation Orders and Advisories

• Sunnyside Road from Hwy 395 to County Road A-3 is now under Evacuation Warning.

• The City of Susanville is issuing an Evacuation Warning for all residences West of Richmond Road Beginning at Hospital Lane extending to Mill Street.

• Highway 395 is closed at the intersection of Hwy 36 by Susanville Ford. The alternate route is County Road A-3 to Hwy 395 North.

• The south side of Johnstonville Road from the Intersection at Hwy 36 and Hwy 395 North to Airport Road is under Mandatory Evacuation Order.

• Highway 36 from Harris Drive west to Devil’s Corral and all road accessed by Highway 36 are under Evacuation Warning.

• County Road A-1 to Lake Forest Estates and all roads accessed by A-1 to that point are under Evacuation Warning

• Highway 395 North to Leavitt Lake including all subdivisions is now under Evacuation Warning.

• Gem Drive, Pearl Circle, and all roads accessed by those roads are under Mandatory Evacuation Order

• Wingfield Road west to Bass Hill Road and all connecting roads in between including Wingfield Road east all the way to Main Street Janesville are now under Mandatory Evacuation Order.

• South of Richmond Road and west of Diamond Crest and all connecting roads are under Mandatory Evacuation Order

• Everything west of Elysian Valley Road and Wingfield Road including all connecting roads are now under Mandatory Evacuation Order.

• Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville is under Evacuation Warning.

• Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville is under Evacuation Warning.

• Everything South of Richmond Road to Highway 395 and all roads in between are under Mandatory Evacuation Order.

• Everything West of Highway 395 from Richmond Road to Janesville Grade and all roads in between are under Evacuation Warning.

• Residents needing assistance evacuating are asked to call the dispatch center at (530) 257-6121. If you need shelter, go to the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds. Go to the Fair office on Russell Drive first before 5pm. After 5 pm, call the Emergency Shelter Line at (530) 250-9088.

• The Lassen County Fairgrounds Parking Lot is OPEN for temporary parking.

Road Closures: The Richmond Road closure from Gold Run Road to just east of Gem Drive. Forest Service road 29N03 near Roxie Peconom is closed at Hwy 36. Biz Johnson Trail remains closed through October 31.

Visit CalTrans at quickmap.dot.ca.gov for the latest maps with road closures in your area.

Weather: There remains a RED FLAG WARNING FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. Lightning from dry thunderstorms will have the potential to start new fires.

Air Quality: For a fire and smoke map, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/

COVID-19: California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the fire camp and the surrounding communities. These measures include daily temperature screenings, mandatory use of face coverings, social distancing, implementing more virtual work, and smaller fire camps. Community and firefighter safety are a top priority of both Team 1 and the National Forests.

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#SheepFire EVACUATION INFORMATION UPDATE 8:30PM

 Effective 8:30 pm Sunday, August 23rd, 2020, the following area has been downgraded to an Evacuation Warning only:• The south side of Johnstonville Road from the Intersection at Hwy 36 and Hwy 395 North to Airport Road.
The following are instructions for residents returning to their home:1. Residents should be aware that changing conditions in fire activity may cause this area to escalate back to a mandatory evacuation order at any time. If you have evacuated large animals and vehicles, please keep them out of the area.2. Residents who choose to return to their homes will only be allowed to access their residence from Richmond Road East. Residents who try to pass through the traffic control point at Richmond Road and Gem Drive will be turned around.3. The traffic control point located at Richmond Road and Deforest Drive will be moved to just west of Richmond Road and Circle Drive.4. You will be asked to show proof of residence at the traffic control point located at Richmond Road and Deforest Drive.5. Please use caution, reduce your speed, drive with your headlights on and yield to emergency personnel.The following Mandatory Evacuation Orders are still in effect for the following areas:• Gem Drive, Pearl Circle, and all roads accessed by those roads. • Susan Hills area from Gold Run Road to Bauer Road and including Bauer Road. • Cheney Creek Road and all roads accessed by Cheney Creek Road.• Both sides of Gold Run Road and all roads accessed by Gold Run. • Amesbury Drive beginning at Gold Run Road and encompassing all roads south including Jura Road, Juro Road, Hill Creek Road and Morningstar Road. • Everything south of Richmond Road to Highway 395 and all roads in between • Everything west of Elysian Valley Road and Wingfield Road including all connecting roads.• Wingfield Road west to Bass Hill Road and all connecting roads in between including Wingfield Road east all the way to Main Street Janesville are now under Mandatory Evacuation Order.• The south side of Johnstonville Road from the Intersection at Hwy 36 and Hwy 395 North to Airport Road• Cable Line Road and all roads accessed by Cable Line
An Evacuation Warning has been issued for the following areas:• West of Richmond Road Beginning at Hospital Lane extending to Mill Street.• Highway 36 from Harris Drive west to Devil’s Corral and all road accessed by Highway 36. • County Road A-1 to Lake Forest Estates and all roads accessed by A-1 to that point. • Sunnyside Road from Hwy 395 to County Road A-3. • Everything West of Highway 395 from Richmond Road to Janesville Grade and all roads in between. Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville.• Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville. • Highway 395 North to Leavitt Lake including all subdivisions. • The north side of Richmond Road from Gold Run Road to Singletree Lane including Singletree Lane.
Road Closures: • All of Gold Run Road is closed• Richmond Road is closed from Hwy 395 to Hospital Lane. • Wingfield Road• Highway 395 is closed at the intersection of Hwy 36 by Susanville Ford. The alternate route is County Road A-3 to Hwy 395 North.
People need to leave immediately. Please use caution, drive with your headlights on and yield to emergency personnel. Residents needing assistance evacuating are asked to call the dispatch center at (530)257-6121. If you need shelter, go to the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds. Go to the Fair office on Russell Drive first before 5pm. After 5pm, call the Emergency Shelter Line at (530)250-9088. Liability, feed, and care of large animals is the sole responsibility of the animal’s owner. Deputies will be going door to door to make notification.Follow Lassen County Sheriff's Office for Evacuation Updates.#LassenCounty #NorthComplex #LassenNF #PlumasNF #PlumasCounty