Image from U.S. Forest Service Shasta-Trinity National Forest Facebook page
The latest fire updates from U.S. Forest Service, nwcg.gov, and CalTrans.
CALTRANS UPDATE
CalTrans posted this image on their Facebook page this morning. Further updates below image.
NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC IS REDUCED TO 1 LANE FROM 24.2 MI NORTH OF REDDING TO 3.9 MI SOUTH OF CASTELLA /AT FLUME CREEK/ (SHASTA CO) – DUE TO EMERGENCY REPAIRS
SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC IS REDUCED TO 1 LANE FROM 3.9 MI SOUTH OF CASTELLA /AT FLUME CREEK/ TO 29 MI NORTH OF REDDING (SHASTA CO) – DUE TO EMERGENCY REPAIRS
HIRZ FIRE INFORMATION
Current Situation:
46,150 Acres
95% Contained
250 Personnel
Firefighting operations successfully held the Hirz Fire with no new growth and 95 percent containment. Crews will focus on operations to mop up and secure the remaining uncontrolled edge of the fire near South Fork. Additional crews will continue suppression repair efforts in affected areas.
DELTA FIRE INFORMATION
Total Personnel 2,380
Size 47,110 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained 5%
Estimated Containment Date Saturday September 22nd, 2018 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved
Timber (Litter and Understory)
Brush (2 feet)
Mixed conifer of varying ages and decadent brush with no recent fire history, and a heavy dead and down surface fuels component.
Significant Events
Active
Backing
Spotting
Torching
The fire burning grasses, brush, understory in mixed conifer. Stable atmosphere and smoke cover combined to maintain active fire behavior as the fire backed down slope then ran upslope with some torching observed. Fire spreads is to the north and Northwest, west of the I-5 corridor and to the northeast and southeast of I-5.
Projected Incident Activity
12 hour: Fire will still be active as the inversion builds back in and smoke shades the fire area. Temperatures and humidities stay the same as the previous days. Fire will continue to grow to the north , northwest and northeast.
24 hour: Fire behavior will be moderate until the inversion breaks, then become active. Expect to see torching, short range spotting and backing fire.
Weather Concerns
Observed: Smoke from the Delta fire over spread the Hirz fire and persisted over the area through the night. Fair to poor humidity recoveries were observed along the ridges with relative humidities in the 30-40 percent range, with 50-60 percent relative humidities in the lower drainages. Low temperatures are in the 50s. North-Northeast Ridgetop winds gusted to 15 mph with downslope and down valley winds noted elsewhere.
Forecasted: Smoke will continue to be widespread over the Delta and Hirz fires in produce reduced visibilities through the entire period. High temperatures will be 78-83 on the ridges and 94-99 in the lower drainages. Relative humidities will lower into the 10-18 percent range in the afternoon. North to Northeast Ridge top winds will shift to the south and southwest around midday and gust to 15 mph. Upslope and upvalley winds are expected over the remainder of the fire.
