Yesterday on the Happy Camp Complex, fire activity increased significantly as the inversion over the area lifted in late morning. The increase in fire behavior challenged the firefighters and tested the fire lines around the complex. Fire behavior transitioned from smoldering surface fire to multiple trees torching and some short-range spotting. The change was a good indicator that the dead and downed fuels, the primary carrier fire, have now dried out.
Later in the day, dry thunderstorms brought wind and dry lightning as they moved across the area. The thunderstorms moved over the complex’s center and west of the Elliot Fire. Even with the increased wind, primary fire lines held, except the dozer line off the 24 Road north of the Swillup Fire. Fire fighters were forced to pull out of that area due to a reduction in visibility and falling trees.
Overnight humidity increased to 90-100% over the area and fire behavior decreased. A new lightning fire was discovered north of the Gold Fire. Resources from the Happy Camp Complex made an initial attack on the new fire and held it to just over an acre.
