HORSE CREEK COMMUNITY MEETING: A community meeting and fire operations update will be taking place Sunday, September 3rd, at 5:30 p.m. at Klamath River Elementary School, located at 30438 Walker Road, Horse Creek, CA 96050.
WEATHER: Firefighters experienced cooler temperatures and light rain on the Happy Camp Complex today. A flash flood watch issued by the National Weather Service is in effect until 11 p.m. tonight for the McKinney (2022) and Head fire burn areas.
WEST SIDE OVERVIEW (ACRES/CONTAINMENT): Elliot (11,723 acres, 51%), Ufish (4,849 acres, 9%) Hancock (1,653 acres, 0%)
Today, firefighters on the Elliot Fire scouted locations to build additional fire line on the west side of fire. The fire is holding at Dillon Creek and State Route 96. Crews on the Ufish will continue to improve fire lines for potential future strategic firing operations. Tonight, fire crews will patrol and mop up dozer and hand line to remove any heat discovered.
Clear skies allowed for an aerial reconnaissance flight over the Hancock Fire to assess fire growth and activity. Due to the steep and rugged terrain, smokejumpers will fly into Creek Camp to evaluate the area and values at risk. The Hancock Fire is located in the Marble Mountain Wilderness near Bear Skull Camp, northwest of Hancock Lake.
EAST SIDE OVERVIEW (ACRES/CONTAINMENT): Head (6,940 acres, 91%), Block (0.1 acres, 100%), Townsend (81 acres, 100%), Den (294 acres, 100%), Scott (1,886 acres, 89%), Lake (199, acres, 100%)
Crews on the Head Fire continued to secure fire line on the last remaining section of the fire. Suppression repair work will be ongoing. The Scott Fire had minimal fire activity today. As of this afternoon, CAL FIRE is no longer in unified command on the Happy Camp Complex. The CAL FIRE Siskiyou Unit provided support on the Scott Fire. The Lake Fire was declared 100 percent contained last night.
Incident Commander Dustan Mueller would like to thank CAL FIRE Incident Commander Greg Roath, and the CAL FIRE Siskiyou Unit, for their hard work and commitment while protecting the communities affected by the Happy Camp Complex.
The following animal shelter locations continue to be available in the event of additional evacuations:
Dog Shelter Rescue Ranch Yreka 2216 East Oberlin Road, Yreka, CA 96097 Contact: 530-842-0829
Cat Shelter SNIP of Siskiyou County Armory Building 1712 Fairgrounds Road, Yreka, CA 96097 Contact: 541-531-1086
Livestock Animal Shelter (Horses, pigs, sheep, goats, & birds) Siskiyou Golden Fair 1712 Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097 Contact: 530-340-1038
ROAD CONDITIONS: No road work will be performed on State Route 96 through Wednesday, September 6th, at 7 a.m., to allow for holiday travel. Please keep in mind that one-way traffic control will remain in place from 2.8 miles west of Dillon Road to 8.8 miles east of Dillion Road, as this remains in an active fire area for the Elliot Fire. Motorists can expect up to 30-minute delays in this area. County road closures will be listed on the Siskiyou County Public Works website: www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/publicworks/page/closures-and-delays
FOREST CLOSURES: Two closure orders have been implemented: Happy Camp Complex Emergency Fire Closure No. 05-05-23-06 and No. 05-05-23-08. Additionally,fire restrictions remain in place to help minimize the chances of human-caused wildland fires. These restrictions prohibit campfires outside of designated improved recreation areas and wilderness. View closure orders, fire restrictions, and maps at: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices
TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION (TFR): A TFR has been established over the fire area. Flight restrictions include the use of drones. The operation of drones under the TFR is prohibited.
PACIFIC CREST TRAIL: The Pacific Crest Trail is now open between the Shelly Fork Junction and Seiad.
Klamath National Forest reduces emergency closure orders
Yreka, Calif., September 2, 2023 – The Klamath National Forest is reducing the emergency closure order for the Oak Knoll and Scott River Ranger Districts. The decision to reevaluate the closure order was made after close coordination between California Incident Management Team-5, local cooperators, and the Klamath National Forest. The emergency closure order for the Happy Camp Ranger District remains unchanged.
The purpose of an emergency closure order is to provide for public safety in response to ongoing wildfire activity across the forest, including the Happy Camp Complex. A forest closure prohibits the public from entering portions of the forest in or near the vicinity of ongoing wildfire activity. The closure order also prohibits the use of roads, trails, and developed recreation sites within the closure area.
Oak Knoll and Scott River Ranger Districts Closure Area: This new closure order (05-05-23-08) replaces the now rescinded order 05-05-23-07. The closure order is generally northwest of Scott Valley and includes the Scott Bar Mountain Lookout area and Tom Martin Peak. The closure continues from Seiad Valley to Seiad Low Gap and then toward the Oak Knoll Work Center including White Cloud Mountain. From the Oak Knoll Work Center, the closure extends southwest and includes the McKinney Saddle area, Collins Baldy Lookout, and the community of Scott Bar and surrounding areas. Areas no longer affected by a closure order in the vicinity include Lake Mountain and the Pacific Crest Trail.
Happy Camp Ranger District Closure Location: This closure order remains in place and extends from Happy Camp south to the Marble Mountain Wilderness boundary at Norcross Recreation Area. The closure continues west along the edge of the Marble Mountain Wilderness to the Siskiyou Wilderness boundary. From there, the closure runs north along the Siskiyou Wilderness, down Clear Creek to Highway 96, and then north back to Happy Camp near Curley Jack Campground.
Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions remain in place to help minimize the chances of human-caused wildland fires. These restrictions prohibit campfires outside of designated improved recreation areas and wilderness. A full list of fire restrictions, designated improved recreation sites, and exemptions is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1132189.pdf
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