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Firefighters battling the north part of the August Complex in Trinity County faced extreme fire weather Sunday due to gusting winds and high temperatures.
As fire conditions worsened, the Trinity County Sheriff's Office issued new evacuation orders on Sunday afternoon. The orders cover southern Trinity County from Kekawaka Creek Road to the Mendocino County border and the area of Island Mountain.
The evacuation point is at the Hayfork fairgrounds.
Other evacuation warnings and orders covered areas north of Round Valley in Mendocino and Humboldt counties.
Trinity County Environmental Health said Tuesday the blaze already had destroyed 152 structures in Three Forks, Hoaglin and Kettenpom.
Meanwhile, wind blowing from the northeast both helped and hindered crews, depending on which side of the fire they were on.
The wind pushed the fire back onto itself on the northeastern flank and limited the spread toward Forest Glen, Post Mountain/Trinity Pines, Wildwood and communities north of the Highway 36 corridor, U.S. Forest Service officials said.
However, the wind threatened to push flames toward Ruth and Ruth Lake where there's containment lines on the west and southwest sides of the fire.
"Winds are forecast at 15 to 20 mph, with gusts to 30, potentially accelerating down the slope of South Fork Mountain directly toward these communities," fire officials said Sunday.
Peak winds were expected between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday. A second peak was expected after midnight.
"Please heed evacuation orders; residents are encourage to stay out of the area for at least the next 48 hours. The fire weather is extreme for this area," officials said.
RELATED: How firefighters are saving homes from August Complex mega fire burning in California
A Red Flag Warning remained in effect through Monday, adding to the fighfighters' challenge.
Highway 36 was still closed from its junction with Highway 3 on the east to South Fork Mountain Road at South Fork Mountaini Summit on the west.
Other road closures, evacuation orders and warnings were in effect Sunday for Trinity County.
Evacuation orders
- Ruth and Ruth Lake
- Forest Glen
- Post Mountain/Trinity Pines
- Three Forks
Evacuation warnings
- Mad River
- Hettenshaw Valley
- The north area of Ruth Lake from Journey’s End to Highway 36
- Zenia and Kettenpom
Here's a rundown of fires burning around the North State:
August Complex
- Location: Tehama, Mendocino, Humboldt, Lake, Glenn, Trinity counties
- Size: 873,079 acres (all zones as of Sunday; West Zone at 95,168 acres and 35% contained)
- Containment: 43%
- Notes: 1 death (volunteer firefighter Diana Jones, 63, died in the fire Aug. 31); 11 injuries; largest fire in California history, third largest fire in U.S. history; 86 structures destroyed; merged fires include Elkhorn, Hopkins, Willow, Doe and Vinegar. As of Saturday, the fire had burned 582,013 acres acres in the Mendocino National Forest, 102,943 acres in the Six Rivers National Forest and 91,764 acres in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
- Incident management page: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6983/
- Cost: $58.2 million (as of Sunday)
- Expected containment: Nov. 15, 2020
North Complex
- Location: Plumas and Butte counties, northeast of Oroville to southwest of Quincy
- Size: 305,188 acres
- Containment: 78%
- The West Zone in Butte County was at 84,595 acres and 82% contained Sunday. Crews continue to mop up hot spots in the fire's interior to stop embers from crossing the fire liine.
- Notes: Fifteen people have died and 2,342 structures have been destroyed.
- Incident management page: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/north-complex-fire/
- Cost: $121 million (as of Sunday)
Slater/Devil Fires
- Location: Siskiyou, Del Norte, Josephine (Oregon) counties
- Size: 162,512 acres (154,102 Slater; 8,410 Devil as of Thursday)
- Containment: 32% for Slater, 18% for Devil
- Notes: Two fatalities and three injuries. A total of 440 structures have been lost, including 197 residences, one commercial, five mixed and 237 other. Firefighters are widening control lines to protect surrounding communities. Crews on the Devil Fire have made good progress on its southeast side and are continuing to build line along the southwest side.
- Cost: $24 million ($23.6 million Slater, $390,000 Devil) (as of Sunday)
- Incident management page: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7173/
Fox Fire
- Location: Siskiyou County, southwest of Callahan
- Size: 2,188 acres
- Containment: 89%
- Notes: Containment lines were holding as the fire continues to smolder and creep. Fire activity and smoke production were expected to increase Sunday due to a warming trend with gusty winds and low relative humidity. Evacuation warnings have been lifted for residents of Callahan and the south fork of Scott River.
- Cost: $1.8 million (as of Sunday)
- Incident management page: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7203/
Red Salmon Complex
- Location: Trinity, Siskiyou and Humboldt counties, 14 miles northeast of Willow Creek mainly in the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area, on the Klamath, Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity national forests
- Size: 111,063 (as of Sunday)
- Containment: 31%
- Notes: A Red Flag Warning was in effect Sunday due to hot, dry and breezy weather. Warming and drying expected through the week. Expect more smoke as the fire burns in interior islands and backs down slopes. The fire perimeter increased Saturday night as flames spread to the northeast toward Knownothing Creek and southwest toward Horse Linto Creek. Additional crews have been repositioned along the fire's south and southest flanks to protect the Hoopa Valley Reservation, Willow Creek, Hawkins Bar and nearby communities. Forks of Salmon is under an evacuation warning.
- Cost: $70.2 million (as of Sunday)
- Expected containment: Oct. 15, 2020
- Incident management page: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6891/
Mike Chapman is a reporter and photographer for the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Follow him on Twitter @mikechapman_RS. Subscribe today!
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The Link LonkSeptember 28, 2020 at 03:54AM
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Winds test firefighters in Trinity County; fresh evacuations ordered - Record Searchlight
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