FireThe North Complex Fire is now 273,335 acres and 36%contained. The fire remained active in a few places yesterday, but crews continue to make progress. Moderate fire behavior is expected today.

Current Situation

South Zone:
Last night containment lines held due reduced fire behavior with cooler temperatures and lighter winds. Crews did have a very small slopover on the south side of the Little Grass Valley Dam, however, they were able to contain it. Firefighters will continue focusing on reinforcing fire lines from Minerva Bar south to the Pacific Crest Trail.

Along Mooreville Ridge, crews plan to continue mop up and improve containment lines while also reinforcing bulldozer lines along LaPorte Road. Along the northeast portion of the fire containment lines are holding well. Firefighters plan to continue patrolling, backhauling equipment and initiating road repairs.

North Zone:
Fire behavior continued to moderate at Red Mountain, and firefighters were successful in tying in their lines together using a small firing operation as planned. Spotting behavior is still expected to occur today in a receptively dry fuel bed in the 1999 Bucks Fire scar. Firefighters are continually monitoring the area, both on the ground and by unmanned aerial systems (drones). Crews will also be constructing and strengthening lines and prepping road systems west to Oro-Quincy Road. Firefighters will continue constructing bulldozer line by anchoring along the Oro-Quincy Road west into the Camp Fire burn scar. West Zone: See CAL FIRE Team 4 updates at: www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/north-complex-fire/

Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities in both the North and South Zones. Firing operations in either zone will be dependent on weather conditions.

Current Situation

North Zone:
The fire was most active today on Red Mountain where winds cast spot fires approximately one half-mile ahead of the slopover that formed overnight. Firefighters focused their efforts to contain them here and in Willow Creek area where additional spotting occurred, and plan to continue picking them up throughout the night. Crews also constructed bulldozer line on both the east and west sides of this slopover to box it in at Oro-Quincy Road.

Moving west, firefighters were successful in containing other previous small spot fires and slopovers, while holding the fire along constructed bulldozer lines.

To the northeast side of the fire, containment lines are holding well. Firefighters plan to continue patrolling, while also backhauling equipment and initiating road repairs.

#NorthComplex Smoke Outlook for September 15th, 2020

Fire

The North Complex is now 269,218 acres and 39% contained. The fire was active in a few places yesterday, but crews continue to make progress. Conditions remain favorable for active fire behavior today.

Smoke

Moderate winds yesterday led to improvements in air quality in some areas, but brought additional smoke from several fires to other areas. With SW winds, smoke from the North Complex will continue to be transported towards areas between Chester and Milford, including Susanville, Janesville, Greenville, and Westwood. The Reno, Carson City, and Tahoe areas will continue to see smoke from the Creek, SQF, and Slink Fires. Smoke will settle into valleys tonight, including the Central Valley in the Oroville and Chico areas, and then slowly dissipate the following mornings. Smoke will continue to come over the Sierra from the Central Valley, causing widespread impacts. Similar conditions are expected tomorrow.

Current Situation

North Zone:
Fire activity was active last night as winds surfaced resulting in a slopover that moved north through Granite Basin, on the south side of Oro Quincy Highway. Today this area will be the top priority of firefighters.

Other areas of the fire remained within the current footprint with no major movement from Willow Creek west to Big Bend. Firefighters will continue to work on containing spot fires from yesterday. Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities.

South Zone:
Last night crews held the fire within containment lines and conducted significant mop up. Most fire activity was located in Onion Valley and by Wilson-Gomez Mine due to the winds. Today, if weather conditions allow, crews will continue firing east to Chimney Rock, which will eventually tie into a small section of LaPorte Road (several miles north of the town of La Porte). Crews plan to hold and mop up along Mooreville Ridge from Sly Creek Reservoir up to Little Grass Valley, while also constructing and reinforcing bulldozer lines. West Zone: Please see CAL FIRE Team 4 updates at: www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/north-complex-fire/

Video operational updates and live broadcasts can be viewed on Plumas National Forest’s Facebook page.

Evacuations and Road Closures

Mandatory evacuation orders and advisories are in place for Butte, Plumas, and Yuba Counties. Please check your respective county’s websites and Facebook pages for the latest on evacuations and road closures.

Weather and Air Quality

An approaching low pressure system will bring southwest winds with gusts up to 18-25 mph through tomorrow. There will be little temperature or humidity change. Smoke outlook: fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra or www.airnow.gov/

Forest Closure

Due to unprecedented and historic fire conditions throughout the state, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region has extended the closure of eighteen National Forests in California, including the Plumas National Forest. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd804760.pdf

Meetings are being broadcast daily through Zoom: 
Cooperators Meeting daily at 10 a.m. https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1602646317  
Planning Meeting daily at 7 p.m. https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1600484186

Current Situation

North Zone: Red Flag conditions tested containment lines today, however they held within the current perimeter. Resources in the most active areas of the fire made great progress today building containment lines from Lookout Rock down to Big Bend.

Despite red flag conditions, favorable winds allowed for a small firing operation earlier today at Four Trees to ensure the fire’s edge was kept in check, guiding it up to Oroville Quincy Highway. One 40-acre spot fire was caught on the north side of the highway by Frog Rock, but firefighters are confident they will contain it tonight.

Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities.

Fire
The North Complex Fire is now 264,374 acres and 38%contained. Fire activity remained moderate yesterday and crews continue to make progress. With increasing SW winds, conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior today.

Current Situation

Firefighters made great progress last night and were able to increase containment to 38% despite the overall acreage increasing approximately 2,900 acres.

North Zone:
Firefighters were able to conduct night firing operations near Four Trees, and will continue to prep contingency lines off of roads in the area and on Red Mountain. Priority for firefighting resources remains the areas south of Bucks Lake where firefighters will work to secure all the progress made by night firing operations. Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities.

South Zone:
Containment lines remained secure, while some interior islands of fuel burned in the steep terrain of the McCarthy’s Bar area. Firefighters were successful in working the fire’s edge along Mooreville Ridge to Sly Creek Reservoir. West Zone: Please see CAL FIRE Team 4 updates at: www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/north-complex-fire/

Video operational updates and live broadcasts can be viewed on Plumas National Forest’s Facebook page.

Evacuations and Road Closures

Mandatory evacuation orders and advisories are in place for Butte, Plumas, and Yuba Counties. Please check your respective county’s Facebook page for the latest on evacuations and road closures.

Weather and Air Quality

A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. due to a combination of gusty southwest winds up to 35 mph with humidity in the teens. Significant smoke will remain in the region, but may decrease throughout the afternoon. Smoke outlook: fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra or www.airnow.gov/

Forest Closures

Due to unprecedented and historic fire conditions throughout the state, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region has closed all eighteen National Forests in California, including the Plumas National Forest. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd801413.pdf

Meetings are being broadcast daily through Zoom:
Cooperators Meeting daily at 10 a.m. https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1602646317
Planning Meeting daily at 7 p.m. https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1600484186

Current Situation

North Zone:
Mop up continues around the northeastern perimeter of the fire, and lines continue to hold well. Thanks to cooperative winds, firefighters were able to continue protecting the Lookout Rock and Ontop Mine areas. Moving west, fire activity is more active and in rugged terrain. Crews were able to engage directly with the fire’s edge and mop up other areas, working toward their goal of tying into the 2018 Camp Fire scar.

Some spotting behavior did occur, however firefighters were quick to catch them. Night crews plan to revisit areas that were already fired to make sure they are complete and secure. Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities, taking extra care in getting through the incoming wind event.

Special Statement 
The Washoe County Health District has issued a Stage 1 Air Pollution Alert for Washoe County due to smoke from Wildfires. 
www.washoecounty.us/outreach/2020/09.2020-09-11-air-pollution-alert.php

Fire
The North Complex Fire is now 258,496 Acres and 22% Contained. For the third consecutive day, heavy smoke above the fire moderated fire activity yesterday and crews continued to make progress. With increasing SW winds, conditions are favorable for active fire behavior today. 

Smoke 
Light winds again yesterday led to continued persistent smoke impacts across the region with many locations seeing periods of Hazardous air quality. Quincy has seen continuous Hazardous air quality since the afternoon of 9/10. Expect similar conditions today, with some temporary improvement likely this afternoon with increasing winds. Smoke will settle into valleys tonight and then slowly dissipate the following morning and afternoon. Smoke will continue to come over the Sierra from the Central Valley, causing widespread impacts. Tahoe City, Truckee, and Carson City will continue to be impacted by smoke from the Fork and/or Slink Fires.