Incident Start Date: 8/17/2020                 Size: 318,930 acres      Containment: 94%  

Engines: 33     Handcrews: 15     Dozers: 40    Helicopters: 4    Water Tenders: 47   Total Personnel: 989

Fatalities: 15   Structures Damaged/Destroyed: 2,455

Current Conditions: Last night California Interagency Incident Management Team 11 (CIIMT-11) took over management of this incident from Team 4. The new team has been watching the incident closely, was briefed in all areas of the incident, and is rested and prepared to work toward the goal of complete containment and suppression repair. This is the 5th deployment this summer for CIIMT-11.

Yesterday crews made progress on identification and extinguishment of hotspots, continued fire suppression repair, and patrols of the containment area to ensure that the wind event did not cause flare ups. Today, crews are focused on all of these objectives and continued suppression repair. Key areas of concern are watershed, repair to damaged roads and culverts, and removal of weeds and brush piles. The Red Flag warning from earlier this week has been extended until 8am today, but has not posed any problems for fire containment.

All customers affected by Public Safety Power Shutoffs imposed by PG&E have had power restored. For more information on PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs, please see the website linked below.

Information on PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff can be found at: https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/addresslookup/

Forest closures are still in effect and hazardous conditions remain in the burn area. We please ask that the public stay out of forest closure areas and off of Forest Service roads, as interference with fire suppression could delay or impede firefighting efforts. Law enforcement will be patrolling the area. Please use caution as fire personnel continue working in the area. Drive carefully and watch for fire equipment. Watch your speed and also be aware of logging trucks around La Porte Road.

Operational briefings will be reduced to every other day and will be posted to the Plumas National Forest Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/USFSPlumas Team Planning meetings (daily at 6 p.m.) and will be available to watch via Zoom https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1602646317).

Evacuations and Road Closures

Please check local County Sheriff’s websites and Facebook pages for the latest updates and information. You can also sign up with your county for reverse 911 notifications by registering with the CODE RED system.

Smoke Outlook: fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra or www.airnow.gov/
Plumas National Forest closures: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices

California Interagency Incident Management Team 11 is implementing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in both the fire area and surrounding communities.

 Special Statement   Red Flag Warning for gusty winds and low relative humidity
through 6:00 PM Friday evening.
  
Fire  
The fire is holding at 318,930 ac, and is 94% contained.
Yesterday the fire area experienced sustained winds in the 20-
30 mile per hour range with gusts to 40. Flare-ups were
minimal. The Incident Meteorologist expects one more day of
critical fire weather conditions as a ridge of high pressure over
the Pacific Northwest brings gusty northeast winds and low
relative humidity to the North Complex through Friday
morning. The Fire Behavior Analyst predicts that isolated
interior surface fire can be expected today. Surface fire in
pockets of unburned fuel will be possible, and occasional
torching in pockets of heavy fuel may occur. Fine fuel is dry
and abundant. Needle and leaf cast will continue to
accumulate, and will support moderate fire during the warmest
and windiest part of the day.
 
Smoke  
Air quality was Good across the Outlook Area yesterday.
Northeast winds will push whatever smoke is generated
toward Oroville, possibly Challenge. Expect some haziness
from drift smoke to be visible throughout the day. Overall, air
quality should remain Good unless there is a substantial
increase in fire activity. Smoke will likely settle into low lying
areas overnight. Moderate air quality may result in those
areas.
 
Health and Safety  
Air quality changes throughout the day. Use common sense. If
you smell smoke, you're breathing smoke. Take precautions as
described below, especially if you are sensitive.

Incident Start Date: 8/17/2020                 Size: 318,930 acres      Containment: 94%  

Engines: 41     Handcrews: 26     Dozers: 38    Helicopters: 4    Water Tenders: 49 
Total Personnel: 1,208

Fatalities: 15   Structures Damaged/Destroyed: 2,455

Current Conditions: Fire crews continued yesterday with operational objectives of finding smoke and hotspots and extinguishing them. Infrared imaging and crew patrols are indicating hotspots are located well within the burn area and have not been a threat throughout the current wind event. Crews continue to focus on suppression repair building water bars, removing dozer line berms, and chipping brush piles. Crews are also reclaiming fire hose and other supplies so they can be rehabilitated, stored in caches and used on future incidents.

The fire area experienced sustained winds in the 20-30 mile per hour range with gusts into the 40 mile per hour range yesterday. Flare ups were minimal and the fire containment line held against the test that the wind posed. Additional fire suppression crews and resources continue to patrol along the Highway 70 Corridor. The Red Flag warning is forecasted until today at 6:00pm and wind is expected to ease tomorrow afternoon through the weekend.

PG&E expects Public Safety Power Shutoffs to end with power being restored to affected customers by this evening. For more information on PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs, please see the website linked below.

Information on PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff can be found at: https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/addresslookup/

Forest closures are still in effect and hazardous conditions remain in the burn area. We still ask that the public stay out of forest closure areas, as interference with fire suppression could delay or impede firefighting efforts. Law enforcement will be patrolling the area. Please use caution as fire personnel are still working in the area. Drive carefully and watch for fire equipment. Watch your speed and also be aware of logging trucks around La Porte Road.

Operational briefings will be reduced to every other day and will be posted to the Plumas National Forest Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/USFSPlumas Team Planning meetings (daily at 6 p.m.) and will be available to watch via Zoom (https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1602646317).

Evacuations and Road Closures

Please check local County Sheriff’s websites and Facebook pages for the latest updates and information. You can also sign up with your county for reverse 911 notifications by registering with the CODE RED system.

Smoke Outlook: fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra or www.airnow.gov/
Plumas National Forest closures: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices

California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 is implementing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in both the fire area and surrounding communities.

Special Statement  Red Flag Warning for gusty winds and low relative humidity
through 11 am PDT Friday morning.
 
Fire 
The fire is holding at 318,930 ac, and is 94% contained. The
predicted winds didn’t materialize yesterday, but the Incident
Meteorologist expects they will have arrived by last evening or
early this morning. Fire activity was low yesterday. The Fire
Behavior Analyst reports that fire has been reduced to isolated
pockets. With gusty winds and low relative humidity surface
fire in pockets of unburned fuel will be possible. Needle cast
will increase the surface fuel load, increasing the potential for
hold over heat to ignite surface fire in previously cold areas.
Smoke and surface fire will return over the coming days as
fuels continue to dry.
 
Smoke 
Yesterday, air quality for all communities within the Outlook
Area registered Good, with the exception of Oroville, which
bounced between Good and Moderate all day. Yesterday
afternoon the monitor in Quincy began giving erroneous
readings in the Unhealthy and Very Unhealthy categories.
Considering air quality in surrounding communities, it is
believed Quincy was also Good. Readings this morning indicate
air quality across the Outlook Area is Good. Today northeast
winds associated with the Red Flag conditions will again push
any smoke generated down canyon, most likely toward
Oroville, particularly as the Incident Meteorologist predicts
winds will be locally stronger along the North Fork of the
Feather River.
 
Health and Safety 
Air quality changes throughout the day. Use common sense. If
you smell smoke, you're breathing smoke. Take precautions as
described below, especially if you are sensitive.

Incident Start Date: 8/17/2020                 Size: 318,930 acres      Containment: 94%  

Engines: 46     Handcrews: 27     Dozers: 39    Helicopters: 4    Water Tenders: 52   Total Personnel: 1,239

Fatalities: 15   Structures Damaged/Destroyed: 2,459

Current Conditions: Yesterday fire crews continued the plan of patrol and mop up, attacking hot spots and smoke as they find it. The plan today will remain unchanged. Infrared imaging has consistently shown that hot spots are well within the containment area. Suppression repair is still a major objective with two groups assigned to this task. Additional specialty equipment is on order and arriving today for suppression repair tasks such as chipping brush piles, removing dozer line berms, water bars and mitigation of other hazards.

The Red Flag warning remains in effect today through Friday morning. Wind yesterday was less than was expected allowing crews to make additional progress. Incident management is still holding resources that would normally be demobilized to strengthen the line along Highway 70 until the wind event passes.

PG&E has declared a Public Safety Power Shutoff in the area of the fire. For more information, please visit their website linked below.

Information on PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff can be found at: https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/addresslookup/

Forest closures are still in effect and hazardous conditions remain in the burn area. We still ask that the public stay out of forest closure areas, as interference with fire suppression could delay or impede firefighting efforts. Law enforcement will be patrolling the area. Please use caution as fire personnel are still working in the area. Drive carefully and watch for fire equipment. Watch your speed and also be aware of logging trucks around La Porte Road.

Operational briefings will be reduced to every other day and will be posted to the Plumas National Forest Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/USFSPlumas Team Planning meetings (daily at 6 p.m.) and will be available to watch via Zoom (https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1602646317).

Evacuations and Road Closures

Please check local County Sheriff’s websites and Facebook pages for the latest updates and information. You can also sign up with your county for reverse 911 notifications by registering with the CODE RED system.

Smoke Outlook: fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra or www.airnow.gov/
Plumas National Forest closures: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices

California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 is implementing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in both the fire area and surrounding communities.

Special Statement A Red Flag Warning has been issued for Wednesday through Friday.

Fire

The fire is holding at 318,930 ac, and is 94% contained. The
fire was fairly quiet again yesterday, however, hot spots near
the control line are still of concern. The Incident Meteorologist
expects the day to be mostly sunny and warmer. Winds will be
out of the northeast, and will increase this afternoon. The Fire
Behavior Analyst cautions that recent needle and leaf cast
lying near hot spots will provide fuel that will increase
potential for surface fire to move across the landscape,
particularly given predicted red flag weather conditions.

Smoke

Air quality was Good in Quincy yesterday. Oroville and Portola
started the day with Moderate air quality, which improved to
good by late morning/early afternoon. Challenge struggled to
stay in Good, bouncing between Good and Moderate all day.
Air quality was Good in all other communities within the
Outlook Area. Air quality this morning in these communities is
Good. Today, northeast winds will push any smoke that is
generated to the southwest. Unless fire activity increases over
what has been seen the last two days, air quality should be
similar to what was observed yesterday. However, if fire
activity picks up substantially over what has been observed,
air quality can be expected to degrade in downwind
communities. If necessary, an updated Daily Smoke Outlook
will be issued to address any substantial changes in air quality.

Health and Safety 
 
Air quality changes throughout the day. Use common sense. If
you smell smoke, you're breathing smoke. Take precautions as
described below, especially if you are sensitive.

Incident Start Date: 8/17/2020 Size: 318,930 acres Containment: 94% Engines: 50 Handcrews: 27 Dozers: 44 Helicopters: 4 Water Tenders: 54 Total Personnel: 1,253 Fatalities: 15 Structures Damaged/Destroyed: 2,455

Current Conditions: Fire crews made good progress today toward containment of the fire. Infrared imaging shows the few remaining hotspots which are located well inside the burn area. Suppression repair remains a key focus with two groups assigned to this objective. Addressing water bars, chipping brush piles, and removing berms from dozer lines will help protect the area during the coming winter season.

A Red Flag Warning has been issued beginning this afternoon, peaking overnight Wednesday into Thursday. While fire incident leadership are confident in the progress and containment made on the fire, crews and equipment that would usually be demobilized at this time are being retained to maintain a state of operational readiness.

PG&E has declared a Public Safety Power Shutoff in the area of the fire. For more information, please visit their website linked below. Information on PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff can be found at: https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/addresslookup/

Forest closures are still in effect and hazardous conditions remain in the burn area. We still ask that the public stay out of forest closure areas, as interference with fire suppression could delay or impede firefighting efforts. Law enforcement will be patrolling the area. Please use caution as fire personnel are still working in the area. Drive carefully and watch for fire equipment. Watch your speed and also be aware of logging trucks around La Porte Road.

Operational briefing’s will be reduced to every other day and will be posted to the Plumas National Forest Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/USFSPlumas Team Planning meetings (daily at 6 p.m.) and will be available to watch via Zoom (https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1602646317).

Evacuations and Road Closures Please check local County Sheriff’s websites and Facebook pages for the latest updates and information. You can also sign up with your county for reverse 911 notifications by registering with the CODE RED system. Smoke Outlook: fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra or www.airnow.gov/
 
Plumas National Forest closures: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices California Interagency Incident Management 

VISITING CREWS FROM THE BRITISH COLUMBIA WILDFIRE SERVICE
Written By:  Dan Bastion, North Complex PIO2   

Fire

The fire is holding at 318,930 ac, and is 94% contained. This
morning Infrared data shows isolated hot spots around the
perimeter of the fire, very few if any in the interior. The Fire
Behavior Analyst expects increased activity as the drying and
warming trend continues. There is a Fire Weather Watch issued
for Wednesday through Friday. Thursday is supposed to be the
day with the best probability for increased fire activity. Today,
weather brings continued NE winds early, switching to
west/southwest in the afternoon, with slightly warmer
temperatures, and lower humidity, which should support
increased fire behavior.

Smoke
 
Air quality in all communities within the Outlook Area
registered Good for the better part of the day yesterday.
Oroville and Quincy popped into Moderate briefly in the early
afternoon, but recovered quickly. Oroville, Quincy, and Portola
are currently registering Moderate. Should fire activity
increase smoke is expected to be carried to the southwest
before noon, after which smoke will be carried to the east until
late afternoon when the wind switches again and takes smoke
back to the southwest. Oroville and Challenge may be
impacted early, Quincy and Portola during the better part of
the day. Depending on how much smoke is generated,
Oroville, Quincy, Challenge and Portola may see smoke
impacts overnight as smoke drifts down canyon and into low
lying areas. Otherwise, air quality should be a repeat of
yesterday, Good with intermittent forays into Moderate.
 
Health and Safety
 
Air quality changes throughout the day. Use common sense. If
you smell smoke, you're breathing smoke. Take precautions as
described below, especially you are sensitive.

Incident Start Date: 8/17/2020                 Size: 318,930 acres      Containment: 94%  

Engines: 57     Handcrews: 28     Dozers: 40    Helicopters: 4    Water Tenders: 52   Total Personnel: 1,133

Fatalities: 15   Structures Damaged/Destroyed: 2,455

Current Conditions: Fire crews continue to work toward increased containment of the North Complex fire, with most efforts focused on the northwest division. Crews are conducting mop up and monitoring the penstocks at Bucks Creek Powerhouse and the fire line along Highway 70, including McGee Ridge area. Two hot spots were identified by air operations today and extinguished using helicopters assigned to the incident.

Weather has been favorable recently, allowing crews to make progress on containment. This is especially important ahead of a wind event expected to come in Wednesday evening and last through Friday morning. While this weather pattern is expected to be far less in strength than the one experienced in early September, crews are developing contingencies to ensure containment continues to grow. Fire behavior remains largely unchanged and the spot fires appreciated are not uncommon for this stage of a fire fight.

Air Quality should be good to moderate through the middle of the week and winds will be mild and terrain driven until the projected wind event on Wednesday.

Forest closures remain in effect and hazardous conditions still exist. The public is asked to stay out of forest closure areas, as interference with fire suppression could delay or impede firefighting efforts.  Law enforcement will be patrolling the area. As residents return home following the lifting of evacuation orders, please use caution as fire personnel are still working in the area. Drive carefully and watch for fire equipment. Watch your speed and also be aware of logging trucks around La Porte Road

Operational briefing’s will be reduced to every other day and the video posted to the Plumas National Forest Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/USFSPlumas Team Planning meetings (daily at 6 p.m.) and will be available to watch via Zoom (https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1602646317).

Evacuations and Road Closures

Butte County Sheriff’s Office has lifted all evacuation orders, warnings and road closures though Highway 70 north of Pulga is under traffic control only using one lane. Highway 70 is open for traffic in both directions. Plumas County Sheriff’s Office has evacuation orders and warnings issued covering the Highway 70 corridor and surrounding area. Please check their websites and Facebook pages for the latest updates. You can also sign up with your county for reverse 911 notifications by registering with the CODE RED system.

Smoke Outlook: fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra or www.airnow.gov/
Plumas National Forest closures: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices

California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 is implementing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in both the fire area and surrounding communities.