United States Department of Agriculture press release:

Current Situation: A red flag warning has been issued today and tomorrow for the fire area. The Red Salmon Complex 5,977 acres and 12% contained. Both fires are burning in the Trinity Alps Wilderness on the Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity National Forests. Crews are utilizing minimum impact suppression techniques in the wilderness as well as control lines from past fires as contingency lines.

Smoke from the Red Salmon Complex seen from space. | NWS

Red Fire: Fire activity increased yesterday afternoon crossing Red Cap Creek on the west flank. The fire is 5,218 acres and 5% contained. Yesterday, crews made significant progress along the fire’s northern edge through strategic firing operations putting fire on the ground from just east of Black Mountain heading west along Lubbs Trail and Forest Road 10N01 to the Salmon Summit Trailhead. From there they worked to connect the firing operations with the Salmon Fire to just south of Salmon Mountain. These firing operations are backing down from containment lines to the main fire to prevent fire from spreading across it. Today, crews will strengthen indirect contingency lines on the west flank of the fires. 

Salmon Fire: This fire is 759 acres and 29% contained. Yesterday, firefighters finished both direct and indirect containment lines around the fire. Today, crews will strengthen those containment lines and conduct mop-up operations around the fire. The fire is staying within its current footprint as any activity comes from unburned pockets of fuel within containment lines. 

Weather: A red flag warning has been issued over the fire area starting today through Monday for increased temperatures and low relative humidity. The atmosphere is unstable enough today where intense heat could break the weak mid-level inversion and produce a convection column.

Air quality: Widespread smokey conditions are possible today as large fire, growth may occur. In the morning and early afternoon expect drainage bottoms, especially along the Highway 96 corridor between Willow Creek and Somes Bar, to experience increased smoke impacts. An air resource advisor is providing daily smoke forecasts and air quality information. Refer to fires.airfire.org/outlooks/NWCalifornia. 

Closures: The Red-Salmon Fire Complex Forest Closure takes effect on August 8, 2020. All National Forest System roads within the Red-Salmon Fire Complex Closure Area are closed as well as: Forest Road Nos. 07N53 (Grizzly Camp), 07N15 (Fawn Ridge), 10N05 (Upper Leary Creek), 10N01 (Trinity Summit), and 07N10 (Lone Pine Ridge). All National Forest System trails within the Red-Salmon Fire Complex Closure Area are closed as well as: Forest Trail Nos. 6E04 (Orleans Mt Trail), 5438 (Nordheimer), 12W08 (East Fork New River), and 12W02 (Salmon Summit). Big Rock River Access.  

COVID-19: COVID-19 precautions are a priority at all incident camps with daily temperature screenings of personnel and implementing measures such as wearing face coverings and social distancing to prevent coronavirus spread. Community and firefighter safety are a top priority of both the incident management team and the National Forests.