2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

[maverick]

Inyo NF:

The Inyo National Forest is pleased to announce that the forest order closing the Fern Lake and Beck Lake Trails due to the Lions Fire will be terminated on Thursday, August 30. The trails will be open for recreation on Thursday.
Lions Fire’s activity has been along the west flank and the north east portion of the fire remains quiet and contained. Therefore, these popular trails on the Inyo National Forest will re-open.
Hikers and backpackers are reminded that a Sierra National Forest forest order remains in place within the Lions Fire area. As such, any trails accessing the Sierra National Forest remain closed. These trails enter areas where there has been recent fire or where there is current active fire.
Additionally, hikers should expect to see smoke from the Lions Fire on these trails.

[Flamingo]

I cross-posted this in another thread: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=18825#p139800

Regarding the North Bubbs Creek Fire.... I called the SEKI wilderness office today, and they said the Bubbs Creek trail will be fully open to hikers either later today (ideally), or at least starting tomorrow. More details are in the thread link (above).

[maverick]

SEKI NP:

The travel advisory that was issued for the Rae Lake Loop / Bubbs Creek Trail has been lifted. The North Bubbs Creek Fire is now is 164 acres and 95% contained.

Firefighters used a confine and contain strategy through the practice of minimal impact suppression tactics (MIST) to limit the fire’s spread. This helped to preserve wilderness character by using natural barriers such as rock outcroppings, creeks, and even trails.

Even though the travel advisory is lifted, visitors should expect to see flames, smoke, and possibly firefighters in the area. Please exercise caution and do not stop in the fire area for your safety. Smoke may be visible or smelled from the Bubbs Creek Trail, Roads End, or other near-by upslope areas.

All permitted wilderness trips will be allowed to continue as long as the trail remains open. For wilderness permit questions, please call 559-565-3766.

The lightning caused North Bubbs Creek Fire was discovered on August 1, 2018 approximately three miles east of the Roads End Permit Station north of the Bubbs Creek Trail in the Cedar Grove Area of Kings Canyon National Park. Starting high on the cliffs, the fire slowly spread downslope in a backing fashion until it reached the Bubbs Creek Trail. The fire has about 3,200’ of vertical relief, making a number of higher areas inaccessible.

Additional information will be released if significant changes occur.

[maverick]

SNF:

[maverick]

USFS:

[Fairbanks142]

I just noticed on Inciweb ( https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5850 ) that the estimated containment date for the Lions Fire is now Sunday October 7th. I may have just not noticed this earlier, and it's not a change....but I thought they were projecting it to be contained in early September.

[maverick]

Mono Co Sheriff's Dept:

A new fire was reported on the Bridgeport Ranger District at 2:30 p.m. today. The #BootFire is located approximately 20 miles north of Bridgeport, California, four miles north of Sonora Junction off of U.S. Route 395. Route 395 is closed in both directions from Sonora Junction to the south end of Walker, California.
The Boot Fire is approximately 150 acres and is burning in timber and brush. The Cause of the fire is under investigation. There are currently five engines and two helicopters working on the fire. Two hand crews, an air tanker, and an air attack are in route.

For Fire information call 702-659-2586. For current road conditions check http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/wo.htm

[maverick]

This one went from 150 acres yesterday to 6,706 overnight.


Inciweb:

US 395 (Walker to Bridgeport) and CA State Route 108 remain closed, Evacuation orders remain in effect

Bridgeport, CA – The Boot Fire is burning in steep, rocky terrain approximately 9 miles southwest of Walker and 15 miles northwest of Bridgeport, California. The fire is currently 6,706 acres with 3% containment. There are currently 400 personnel on the fire. Thunderstorms are expected to decrease slightly today, however fire behavior continues to be extreme, with low humidity recovery and winds expected for the weekend.


Yesterday residents and campers were evacuated from recreation sites on Sonora Pass, including the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. A mandatory evacuation was put into effect by Mono County Sheriffs office utilizing the “Code Red” emergency notification system for Devil’s Gate Pass, Swauger Creek and Fales Hot Springs, four miles south of US Highway 395 and CA State Route 108 (Sonora Junction).


Today, fire crews will continue to improve containment lines using hand crews, dozers and aircraft to keep the fire west of Swauger Creek, South of Deep Creek, East of the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center and North of Devils Gate.


Evacuations: A mandatory evacuation remains in effect for residents and structures in the area of Fales Hot Springs, Devil’s Gate Pass and Swauger Creek, and for the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. Residents are encouraged to sign-up for Mono County Emergency Alert system “Code Red” by registering online at https://monosheriff.org/sheriff/page/co ... ert-system

Road Closures: 395 remains closed from Eastside Lane south of Walker, California to the north end of Bridgeport, California. Both towns of Bridgeport and Walker are accessible to travelers, with through traffic detoured into Smith Valley at Holbrook Junction, Nevada State Route 208 in Nevada, approximately 4 miles north of the California/Nevada state line, to assist travelers that are looking to detour around the closure. Sonora Pass (CA SR 108) is closed at the Mono Tuolumne county line to US 395. Please continue to follow Caltrans for updates http://www.dot.ca.gov/d9/index.html.

Recreation Sites Closed: Bootleg, Chris Flat, Sonora Bridge, and Leavitt Meadows Campground/Trailhead, and Leavitt Meadows Pack Station. The Pacific Crest Trail is closed between CA SR 108 at Sonora Pass and Highway 4 at Ebbetts Pass.

Get the latest fire updates on Twitter @HumboldtToiyabe or Facebook @HumboldtToiyabeNF (Use hashtag #BootFire), and inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6190/.

[maverick]

InciWeb:

Current Situation: The North Fire, located south of Emigrant Gap in the North Fork of North Fork American River canyon, was less active overnight. The northeast side of the fire in the Black Mountain area had some short-range spotting which crews were able to successfully contain and continue to build line. Containment lines on west and south, and most of the north side of the fire were quiet last night. Today’s weather is expected to be slightly drier than yesterday, with similar winds. Most of the fire activity this afternoon is predicted to be on the northeast corner. Crews will use a combination of direct and indirect tactics to contain the fire in that area.

Current threats in the northeast direction of the fire spread include the Union Pacific railroad system, a major utility corridor, the Interstate 80 corridor, Snowflower RV Resort, and structures at Lake Valley Reservoir.

Closures: Placer County Sheriff’s Office has closed the following roads and campgrounds: Yuba Gap Road at I-80; Emigrant Gap Road at I-80; Onion Valley Campground, North Fork Campground, Tunnel Mills Campground, Lodgepole Campground, Silvertip Day Use Area and Snowflower RV Resort.

Evacuations: Evacuations are in place for the following campgrounds only: Onion Valley CG, North Fork CG, Tunnel Mills CG, Lodgepole CG, Silvertip Day Use Area, and Snowflower RV Resort. There are currently no other evacuation in place.

Air Quality: Local air quality forecasts can be found at www.placerair.org and www.myair.gov Information on how smoke from wildfires can affect your health, as well as links to air quality information can be found at https://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=smoke.index .

[maverick]

USFS: