Raise your Friday afternoon glass to the firefighters. The Wilderness Fire up in the Marble Mountains, located near the site where two missing Eureka hikers were found earlier this week, is now contained. Details in the US Forest Service press release below: 

The Wilderness Fire, which started the afternoon of July 4, has now been contained by firefighters. The fire, burning in the Marble Mountain Wilderness on the Six Rivers National Forest, has burned approximately 46 acres—firefighters will get a more accurate acreage later today. Additional good news for firefighters is the light rain falling over the fire this morning.

Challenges for firefighters included very steep terrain, heavy fuels and standing dead trees. Management concerns in this area included the Wooley Creek drainage, the historic cabin, and other potential cultural resources.

Twenty-eight smokejumpers, four handcrews, two engines and three helicopters remain on the fire. Today, firefighters will continue mopping up. Mop up involves extinguishing or removing burning material near control lines, felling dead standing trees, and creating trenches to prevent logs and other material from rolling downhill after an area has burned. Mop up makes the fire area safer and reduces residual smoke.

“I’m really pleased with all the assistance we received on this fire—from the smokejumpers, to the fire crews from other forests, and even the caterer that came to us from Oregon,” said Forest Supervisor Merv George Jr. He added, “And, I’m especially thankful we were able to contain this fire quickly, for the rain, and that we did it safely with no injuries or accidents.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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