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The State of California’s massive firefighting agency, CalFire, wants to move its North Coast regional headquarters into the sleepy City of Rio Dell, which has long sought ways to boost economic development. Given the city’s struggles, you might expect its leaders to welcome such a big-time tenant with open arms, but city officials worry that the state’s plans could eliminate important opportunities for future development and tax revenues.

For decades, the city has looked at the 17.9-acre site – two adjoining parcels known locally as the “Todd Property” – as a “vital location” for future residential and commercial development in Rio Dell. The city has tried to buy the property from the Todd family at least three times over the last 40 years but, for one reason or another, negotiations never panned out. 

The state bought the property a year and a half ago with plans to relocate CalFire’s current North Coast headquarters in Fortuna, forcing the city to scrap its plans for the site. The city has asked if CalFire (and the state agency negotiating on its behalf, the California Department of General Services) would be willing to surplus a few acres at the south end of the site to help the city meet state-mandated housing requirements. But, so far, the state hasn’t budged.

“We believe that there is a win-win scenario for everybody here,” Rio Dell City Manager Kyle Knopp told the Outpost during a recent phone interview. “I think it’s a great thing that CalFire wants to relocate to Rio Dell, but it limits [the city’s] opportunities. This [property] is about 75 percent of our available, commercially developable land. … I think there’s plenty of room for everybody to get everything that they want.”

If you look at an aerial view of the site, as shown in the map above, it’s easy to see why it’s such a hot commodity. It’s the biggest slab of vacant land in Rio Dell; it’s centrally located – just south of Davis Street between the heart of town and the west side of Highway 101; and it’s almost completely vacant, aside from a modest home with a garage and barn.

The city made its first attempt to buy the property back in 1985. At that time, city leaders wanted to transform the site into “Rio Dell Village,” a mixed-use development with a motel and restaurant. However, then-property owner Leroy Todd decided to back out of the deal “over a change in the development plan he was not informed about,” according to an overview of the site’s history.

The city tried to buy the property again in 2011. By that time, Leroy Todd had died and left the property to his daughter, Linda Todd. The city held a few community meetings to introduce the concept of “Rio Dell Plaza,” a proposal to turn the site into a town center. Former Rio Dell City Manager Ron Henrickson had “several meetings” with Linda Todd to negotiate the terms of the purchase but, again, negotiations failed.

Over the course of the next decade, the city kept in touch with the property owner and reworked its plans for the site. In January 2021, the city secured $225,000 in Regional Early Action (REAP) funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for design and pre-permitting. The rendering included plans for high-density multi-family housing, medium-density senior housing, commercial highway-serving uses, a new city hall, a police station and a library. 

In May 2021, Linda Todd said she would be willing to accept a proposal for the site, and the city had it appraised a few months later. Around that time, there were rumors of other interested buyers – such as Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), a firm interested in turning the property into a solar panel field, as well as a large private contractor – none of whom were affiliated with CalFire. 

The city was aware that CalFire was looking for land to build a new regional headquarters but, as far as Knopp knew, the state wasn’t looking at any properties around Rio Dell. “The first mention of CalFire’s interest in the property to me was [in] March 2022,” Knopp said. “Shortly thereafter, we met with the local Del Norte Humboldt Unit Chief [Kurt McCray]. It was clear at that time the state was looking at various other sites, other sites that seemed to be preferred.”

But knowing that CalFire had at least some interest in the site, Knopp asked whether the agency would be willing to surplus a portion of it — five to seven acres of the site — to help the city generate additional tax revenue. 

With the previously planned commercial development, the city was expecting to rake in more than $100,000 per year in transient occupancy tax [TOT] and sales tax revenues, according to an overview from the city.  CalFire’s plans, on the other hand, would result in only about $32,000 per year in property taxes – zilch in either sales tax or TOT revenues.

“This is significant for a City that is designated a severely economically disadvantaged community,” the city’s analysis says.

In a follow-up email exchange between several CalFire officials, obtained through a Public Records Act (PRA) request submitted by the City of Rio Dell, McCray was sympathetic to the city’s position on the matter but said, “I believe our purchase of the entire property would not align with the City’s vision.”

“In my opinion, all of their points were presented to find a workable solution while keeping as much City control in the development of the entire Todd Property,” McCray wrote in the Mar. 31, 2022 email. “I don’t fault them for their interest in the Todd Property, but Chief [Derrick] Misner and I believe that acquiring five to seven acres of the Todd Property would not allow the needed space for current and future Unit needs. … At this time, I believe it would be beneficial for some or all of you to meet with the City of Rio Dell to better explain our needs and consideration of the Todd Property.”

At the beginning of June 2022, the city submitted a $1.17 million offer – $200,000 over the appraised market value – to then-owner Linda Todd. The offer was rejected.

The state had the site appraised later that month and offered to buy the property for $1.82 million, which was accepted. The State Public Works Board approved the purchase request in March of 2023, and DGS closed the deal a month later.

After the property sale was approved, the city set up another meeting with CalFire and DGS to discuss its plans for the site. Once again, the city stressed the site’s economic significance and encouraged shared use of the parcel to help the city meet state-mandated housing requirements outlined in its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). Knopp said that the city also asked for some mock-ups of the proposed facility but never heard back. 

“We’ve been a little disappointed and confused by the lack of communication coming from the state. We’ve had to have [state] Senator Mike McGuire and his staff intervene to get any dialog or communication going with the decision-makers at these two state agencies,” Knopp said. The city also sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office seeking assistance. “[DGS and CalFire are] continuing to insist that Rio Dell will be involved at some point in the future, but they don’t really clarify when that will be. I think their position really is to keep the local community out of the design process which, to me, is a bit of a red flag.”

The city got ahold of a trove of documents and emails relating to the project through a PRA request, which allows the public to request information from California government agencies. In a follow-up request submitted earlier this year, the city finally got to see a few preliminary renderings of the project and what appears to be a more finalized version, as seen below. (Click here for a more detailed version of the rendering.)

The site plan includes a fire station, administrative office, emergency command center, service center, auto shop, fitness and training facilities, as well as ample parking and storage for CalFire equipment. The draft plan also includes two acres of solar panels and 1.5 acres of stormwater retention basin. Under the current plan, existing buildings on the property would be demolished and the entire 17.9 acres would be paved over.

“We want to see a smarter development that is efficient with land use, not a big asphalt parking lot,” Knopp said, noting that all of the buildings on the site appear to be single-story. “When you look at the design, you know, it’s using every single nook and cranny … and really spreading the design out laterally as much as possible. To me, that’s not a good starting point.”

The site design should be finalized by March 2026, according to the project description found in this staff report. Construction is slated to begin in August 2026 and wrap up by April 2028. The entire project is expected to cost $57.4 million.

The Outpost contacted a CalFire spokesperson and Humboldt-Del Norte Unit Chief Kurt McCray for additional comment on the project but our inquiry was directed to DGS. Asked for a more general statement on the matter, the spokesperson reiterated that the project is under the authority of the state but said, “The growth of CAL FIRE, both in operational capacity and personnel staffing levels, as well as future growth, is a driving factor in the need for this move.”

Reached via email, DGS spokesperson Fallon Okwuosa emphasized that CalFire is “in the very early stages” of the planning process and said the city will have an opportunity to provide a formal comment on the project when it goes through the environmental review process. 

“While the city has asked for information, we informed them that the state had not yet begun any environmental reviews and was only beginning to work with our selected architect on basic site concepts,” Okwuosa told the Outpost. “The city elected to file [PRA] requests to receive highly conceptual, mock test fits of CalFire’s program at the site despite the project being in its earliest stages of development, and CalFire still determining what their needs are at the facility.”

Asked if the state would be willing to surplus a few acres of the property to the city, she reiterated that the “determinations about the utilization of the site are some time away.” In other words: It’s too soon to tell.

“CalFire is working with DGS and the selected architect to evaluate the department’s current needs,” she continued. “The project has not been provided with the seismic studies, geotechnical, and other design criteria to determine the configuration of the essential services facilities or usable land available and restrictions for buildings within the property.”

Okwuosa also disputed the assertion that the state has been unwilling to collaborate with the City of Rio Dell.

“The state is committed to being communicative with the city throughout the project’s lifecycle,” she said. “CalFire will continue to communicate through appropriate channels with the city in a public and professional way as we work to formalize the design process and have adequately assessed the property.”

While it may be too soon to work out some of the details of the project, Knopp emphasized the importance of respecting the people who live in Rio Dell.

“I think that this is a story that is told over and over again,” he said. “There is a history of large, bureaucratic organizations – both public and private – coming into this community and really not paying attention to or respecting the local community. … We believe that there is a win-win scenario here for everybody, but our obligation is to look out for the community of Rio Dell and its future interests, and we will continue to do that at every turn.”

Mayor Debra Garnes told the Outpost that she’s optimistic that the city and state will be able to find “something that works for everybody.”

“We’re not trying to be antagonistic; we’re just trying to make a case for surplus using the land,” Garnes said “I’d like to reiterate the fact that we want them here and we understand it is their land. The idea that we can all win and we can all benefit – that’s really what we are pushing forward. … It’s our job as city staff to do what’s best for our community. If we can share that space, I think it’ll be very, very good for everybody.”

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For McKinleyville and its people, a community forest of their own has been a long-awaited but good-as-guaranteed idea for more than a decade, inching toward reality through years of paperwork, map drafts and public meetings. But now that McKinleyville finally owns 599 acres of forest bordering the east side of town, tangible progress has picked up – and relatively quickly, considering all it took to get to this point.

In the months since acquiring the forest in late January – via a land transfer from Trust for Public Lands, which used a $3.8 million grant to buy the property from Green Diamond Resource Co. – McKinleyville has been on it. A McKinleyville Community Forest advisory committee has formed, the first official trail is open and another is in progress. The McKinleyville Community Services District (MCSD) recently erected signs to mark an access point, located up Murray Road a couple miles past town. Visitors park in a pullout next to a locked gate, but MCSD is developing a parking lot there that is expected to open soon. 

The forest has been open to the public since the land transfer, but where, how and whether to use it is still a little confusing.

A map of the McKinleyville Community Forest (click to enlarge). McKinleyville Community Services District website.

The property is long and skinny – stretching from Murray Road to just north of North Bank Road – with town to the west and Green Diamond-owned land to the east. It’s primarily filled by second and third growth Sitka spruce, redwood and Douglas fir. Three-quarters of the trees are under 30 years old, and some areas were harvested as recently as 2017. The property overlaps the Widow White Creek and Mill Creek watersheds, and is home to at least seven species considered rare, threatened or of special concern. Nearly 11 miles of logging roads cut through the forest, and some of them lead into private land still owned by Green Diamond, though the boundaries aren’t always clear. 

For an unincorporated town with a full-time parks and recreation staff of three, whipping the thing into shape is a big undertaking; it’s the first community forest owned by a community services district in California. And between mapping out a trail network, building necessary infrastructure and just waitin’ for the trees to grow, the forest is easily more than a decade from realizing its full potential. 

Even so, eager community members have been calling up and popping by the McKinleyville parks and recreation office, asking: “Hey! When are you gonna put trash bins in? How about restrooms?” (One such McKinleyville-an was visiting the office for a status update when this reporter arrived for an interview with Parks and Recreation Director Kirsten Messmer, who stepped into her role at the beginning of July.)

“We’re at step one,” Messmer said during the interview. “So it’s really exciting. But it’s also like: Okay, we need to create this plan to guide where we want to go.” 

That plan will be shaped by the McKinleyville Community Forest Committee, which met for the first time in July. Its job is to recommend actions to the McKinleyville Community Services District Board of Directors, the unincorporated town’s elected government body that oversees water and sewer, street lighting and parks and recreation (other sectors are under the county’s jurisdiction). 

The committee is big – 14 members (at the moment) and three alternates – composed of forest and natural resource professionals and members of the public. Two non-voting seats are filled by MCSD board members, and a currently empty 15th seat will be filled by a representative from the Wiyot Tribe. A few subcommittees will form to focus on the forest’s bigger priorities – like funding and security – and those subcommittees will have seats for community members. 

“I feel really great about how many committee members we have,” Messmer said. “People are interested in being a part of the project and have a lot of knowledge and expertise that lends to this. So that’s really exciting.”

At its inaugural meeting, the committee discussed priorities for the forest. The to-do list is long, but step one is obvious, Messmer said at the meeting: developing a management plan and mapping out a trails plan. 

The management plan will be a blueprint for the forest. It will grow from a 116-page framework plan that was prepared for MCSD by the forestry consulting firm BBW & Associates back in 2021. The framework plan preliminarily explores long-term goals and management ideas for the forest.

Meanwhile, phase one of the forest’s first official trail is already complete. 

In April, MCSD established a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Mountain Bike Tribal Trail Alliance (MBTTA) – a non-profit of the Humboldt Skatepark Collective and a partner of Two Feathers Native American Family Services and the Warrior Institute – to identify and develop multi-use trails in the forest. Founded earlier this year by Shaun Fyfe, a mountain bike enthusiast and veteran, MBTTA introduces Native American youth to the sport. (MCSD also signed an MOU with the Redwood Coast Mountain Bike Association, but that organization hasn’t done any work in the McKinleyville Community Forest yet.)

[UPDATE, 3 p.m.: After this post was published, RCMBA Board Member Sean Tetrault emailed the Outpost to say the organization “was part of the process of laying out the conceptual trail plans that the MCSD used with Green Diamond” during the permitting process. “I and other volunteers spent hours working on maps and in conversations trying to help facilitate this great community addition,” he said. Regarding the community forest and its network of trails, Tetrault added, “It’s a great addition to the community and we are all excited to see MCSD make it a success.”]

MBTTA working on the jump track. Photo courtesy of Shaun Fyfe.

“The first thing you gotta do is go walking through the woods where there never was anything – which is really fun – but it’s a lot of labor and a lot of exploring before you find anything that’s even usable,” Fyfe said in an interview with the Outpost.

Although the forest contains unofficial trails created by former trespassers on foot or bike, many of the routes are ecologically damaging or unsafe to use, Messmer said. While some existing trails might be restored, MBTTA is currently identifying completely new routes, allowing MCSD to direct trail development exactly as it sees fit.

MBTTA completed phase one of the forest’s first MCSD-approved trail last month. Starting at the marked Murray Road access point, it’s a mile-long route called Scroll Keeper that runs alongside the road. The trail is open and ready to use by hikers, bikers and equestrians, but MBTTA plans to improve mountain bike features along the trail in the near future. (The trail isn’t marked yet; find it to the right after crossing the gate at the Murray Road access point.)

“[It’s] kind of like the backbone of the network,” Fyfe said. “Everything that we’re going to be building is going to come off of that trail.”

Now MBTTA is working on jump lines exclusively for mountain biking, and has identified five other potential multi-use trail routes. If approved, these trails would total around six to eight miles, stretching throughout the forest and creating a foundational network from which future trails may sprout. Fyfe plans to present the five new routes to the committee at a future meeting.

Trails may be the most popular feature of a community forest, but McKinleyville is looking at a long list of other needs, too. 

Security is perhaps the stickiest of challenges facing MCSD as it aims to develop the forest, which has been the site of illegal activities of varying severity since long before the land transfer. Historically, people have dumped loads of garbage or abandoned entire cars, built unauthorized trails, driven off-highway vehicles, and used the property for shooting practice. 

The fool who got stuck last week. Submitted.

Just last week, someone managed to lodge their car inside the jump track MBTTA is currently building, severely damaging the trail, Fyfe said. The disruption was a big hit to the community, he added, given the thousands of dollars’ worth of labor and equipment people have donated to help develop the track.

Overall, though, Fyfe thinks that people have started to respect the property more now that it’s a community forest. 

“Since we got the MOU, it’s been kind of known that we’re developing this. So we’ve noticed a really positive change, and that’s been really great,” Fyfe said. “We’ve made incredible progress.”

Enforcing MCSD’s rules and regulations – no weapons, no overnight camping, no fires – is beyond the scope of MCSD staff, Messmer said. MCSD will clean up trash and “patrol” the forest for potential issues, but enforcing most of them will be up to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. 

In addition to trails and security, the committee scratched the surface of other priorities for the forest, like budget, restoration, equipment needs and entrance point development. The committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Azalea Hall Hewitt Room, located at 1620 Pickett Road, McKinleyville, but folks can also participate on Zoom. Messmer said those who want to stay in the loop can also call the parks and recreation office at (707) 839-9003 to sign up for a community forest email blast list. 

“Yes: it’s awesome. It’s gonna be really cool to see what all we develop out there and how it all comes together, and how the community keeps coming together to make things happen,” Messmer said. 

“But we definitely need to make a plan with intention and with the help of our very specialized committee members, reach out to the public, see what’s important to them, and then utilize that plan as we move forward.” 

“I am taking everything one day at a time,” she said, again noting the long road ahead. “We’ll get there.”

In the meantime: There is a lovely panoramic view of town and the ocean from a logging road on the property’s northern border, just steps from the Murray Road access point. It’s worth checking out.

PREVIOUSLY

• ARCATA HOMICIDE: 36-Year-Old Fortuna Man Shot and Killed; APD Seeking Suspect
• Arcata Police Name 24-Year-Old McK Man as Suspect in July 2 Valley West Homicide
• Arcata Police Arrest Suspect in July 2 Homicide, With Help from Humboldt and Mendo County SWAT Teams

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Press release from the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office:

Mattox

On December 7, 2023, a Humboldt County jury found 25-year-old Gregory N. Mattox guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter of 36-year-old Joshua Gephart, as well as being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Providing False Information to Law Enforcement with the Intent to Evade Justice. 

Today, the Honorable Judge Cockrum sentenced Mattox to serve 21 years and 8 months in prison for his crimes.

During the morning hours of July 2, 2023, Mattox shot and killed Gephart after the two briefly interacted outside the front gate of a business on Boyd Road in Arcata.  Mattox fled the scene on a bicycle.

Detective Victoria Johnson of the Arcata Police Department led the criminal investigation into Gephart’s death, with the assistance of many others, including APD Evidence Technician Taron Brown, and local businesses who provided video surveillance, which proved critical to identifying Mattox as the shooter.  

Deputy District Attorney Candace Myers, with the assistance of District Attorney Investigator Greg Hill and Victim Witness Advocate Michala Pelren, prosecuted Mattox.  Local defense attorney Paul Gallegos represented the defendant.  

District Attorney Stacey Eads stated: “I am grateful to the members of the jury for their service, and truly hope the aggravated prison sentence imposed by Judge Cockrum today provides at least some degree of closure for Mr. Gephart’s loved ones.” 

Press release from the County of Humboldt:

The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) recently held its eighth annual Rural County Photo Contest and Humboldt County took top honors.

RCRC’s photo contest encourages participants to submit photos that capture the essence of life in rural California, highlighting the stunning landscapes, activities, communities, history and charm of RCRC’s member counties. Both amateur and professional photographers from all over California are invited to submit entries, capturing the splendor of the state’s rural counties.

“The image she captured highlights the natural beauty and charm of our county.”
— Supervisor Rex Bohn.

An impressive 186 entries were submitted this year. The winning entry, submitted by Lisa Wilhelmi-Perkins, features a stunning photo of Clam Beach County Park at sunset, with yellow lupine in full bloom.

Ms. Wilhelmi-Perkins, a McKinleyville, California resident, turned her hobby of photography into a serious pursuit after retiring from 14 years of public service in Humboldt County. Influenced by local photographers and the beauty of the north Humboldt County region, Lisa’s work has been featured in publications like the Times-Standard and often captures the natural landscape, from redwood forests to ocean shores, as well as cherished life moments with friends and family.

“Congratulations to Ms. Wilhelmi-Perkins for helping Humboldt County take the top spot in the RCRC Rural County Photo Contest for a second time in its eight-year history,” said Humboldt County’s Chair of the Board/First District Supervisor and RCRC Board Delegate Rex Bohn. “The image she captured highlights the natural beauty and charm of our county, depicting a spectacular sunset over a classic Humboldt County landscape.”

The RCRC Board of Directors chose the winning photograph at their recent Board meeting with the county of origin revealed after the Board’s decision.

The RCRC Rural County Photo Contest was established to promote tourism and local economic development by showcasing the beauty of RCRC’s member counties. The winning image will be prominently displayed during RCRC’s 2024 Annual Meeting in Sonoma County in September and may be featured in various RCRC marketing materials or work products, along with other photo submissions, throughout the following year.

The winning image can also be found on the County of Humboldt’s Facebook and Instagram pages @HumCoGov.

Stay Connected

Community members are encouraged to stay connected and engaged with the County of Humboldt on social media. Any community member or visitor who wants to showcase the unparalleled beauty of Humboldt County’s parks, trails and landscapes should tag @HumCoGov on Facebook or Instagram for a chance to be featured.

About Rural County Representatives of California

The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is a forty-member county service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties. RCRC is dedicated to representing the collective unique interests of its membership, providing legislative and regulatory representation at the State and Federal levels, and providing responsible services for its members to enhance and protect the quality of life in rural California counties. To learn more about RCRC, visit rcrcnet.org and follow @RuralCounties on X, Facebook and Instagram.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

Murl. Photo from the Rotary Club of Eureka’s website.

By request of the Mayor and order of the City Manager, all flags at City facilities will be flown at half-staff beginning today through Friday, August 9, 2024 in honor of Murl Harpham, Chief of Police. Chief Harpham passed away earlier today, July 31, 2024 at 91 years of age.

Murl Harpham served the City of Eureka as a Police Officer, Sergeant, Captain and finally as Chief of Police for over 56 Years. At the time of his retirement in 2014, Chief Harpham had served EPD, his original hiring agency, longer than any other officer in the State of California.

EPD Chief Brian Stephens has authorized mourning bands to be worn by department members until sunset on the day of Chief Harpham’s service.

Chief Murl Harpham’s legacy of hard work, dedication to the community, and loyalty within the Eureka Police Department will be missed along with his service above self-attitude.

The Mayor, Council, Eureka Police Department, and City of Eureka staff extends our deepest condolences to Harpham family.

California’s fifth largest wildfire is encroaching on some of the last strongholds for imperiled salmon, with potentially devastating consequences for a species already on the brink.

The explosive Park Fire has spread into the Mill and Deer Creek watersheds in Tehama County, which are two of the three remaining creeks where wild, independent populations of spring-run Chinook, a threatened species, still spawn in the Central Valley.

If the Park Fire climbs to higher altitudes, federal and state officials said it could strike the final deathblow to the region’s spring-run salmon, which are already at risk of extinction.

“It’s really concerning. It’s really sad. Spring-run Chinook populations have taken such a hit over the past few years, and they’re just at a critically low point,” said Howard Brown, senior policy advisor with the Central Valley office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s West Coast fisheries region. “The emotional toll of seeing a fire like this hit such an important place, with (critically at-risk) populations that are suffering so bad, it just feels like the cards are stacked up deeply.”

Experts are anxiously awaiting the wildfire’s next move, hoping that it doesn’t spread farther into higher elevations. That’s where adult salmon are waiting in cool pools for water temperatures to drop and flows to rise so they can spawn, and where year-old juveniles are gaining strength before migrating to the ocean.

“We’re kind of at the mercy of the weather and wind to see if these fires creep along doing beneficial to less-severe things, or if we see a big run that really cooks the watershed,” said Matt Johnson, a senior environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Northern Region Anadromous Fisheries Program.

“The species is at real risk of extirpation or blinking out. We hope that doesn’t happen,” he said.

Flames are not the primary, immediate threat. The spring-fed streams are moving so fast that ash in the water will quickly wash away, according to wildlife officials. Instead, firefighting efforts could pose a direct threat to the waterways, including the use of fire retardant, which is toxic to fish, though experts say it’s a necessary tradeoff.

“The important thing right now is to just try to stop it on the head, so it doesn’t burn up these really precious watersheds,” Brown said. “The next few days will be pretty telling.”

The most severe damage could come later this year — if heavy rains wash ash, chemicals and sediment from the burn scar into the creeks. Too much sediment can smother the eggs and baby fish, or spark a microbial bloom that sucks oxygen from the water. Larger debris flows also could scour the waterways and fill in holding pools.

“It’s like liquid cement coming down the river channel,” said Steve Lindley, director of fisheries ecology at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center lab. “It just scours the river down to the bedrock, and everything in it is crushed and ground up.”

Two years ago, flash floods sent debris from Siskiyou County’s McKinney Fire into the Klamath River, where the Karuk Tribe reported a devastating fish kill.

Protected by the nation’s Endangered Species Act since 1999, Central Valley spring-run Chinook have already experienced catastrophic declines, reaching record lows last year with only 16 adults returning to spawn in Deer Creek and 34 to Mill Creek. These populations, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife warned earlier this year, “are now at high risk of extinction.”

“To see really big, hot fires like this move into what used to be their strongholds — it’s really a tough thing to witness,” Brown said. “Right now, it feels like the frontlines of climate change.”

Salmon ‘are really struggling’

Spring-run Chinook salmon were once the cornerstone of California’s commercial fishery, with more than half a million fish caught in 1883 alone.

But California’s big dam era in the 20th century also sparked a massive decline of spring-run Chinook, one of the four runs of salmon named for the season when they return to freshwater to spawn. The dams cut off critical upstream spawning habitat, shifted the timing of flows and degraded downstream waterways.

Now nearly all of the Central Valley’s spring-run populations are gone. The remaining ones are largely confined to the northern Sacramento Valley, where Mill and Deer Creeks provide some of the last, high quality, high-elevation habitat for the species, as well as for threatened Central Valley steelhead.

Both are tributaries to the Sacramento River. Born in Lassen Volcanic National Park, Mill Creek flows through forests and meadows before dropping through a steep rock canyon into the Sacramento Valley, where it meets the Sacramento River. Deer Creek emerges near the summit of Butt Mountain, flowing 60 miles before it reaches the valley floor and stretches another 11 miles to join the Sacramento River near Vina.

“Deer and Mill Creeks have always represented this exceptional habitat piece for salmon,” said Johnson. “Unfortunately, despite that great habitat, the fish populations are really struggling.”

Last year, counts of returning adults were so low, scientists described it as a cohort collapse — meaning there were too few to successfully produce a new generation. The catastrophic declines prompted state and federal wildlife agencies to begin a conservation hatchery program at UC Davis.

“The emotional toll of seeing a fire like this hit such an important place, with… populations that are suffering so bad, it just feels like the cards are stacked up deeply.”
— Howard Brown, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries

The program was in response to the “threat that this species could blink out because nothing would return in subsequent years. So the captive brood population is like a little insurance plan or bank account of genetic material,” Johnson said.

With so few returning adults, a hit to the next generation from the Park Fire could be catastrophic. Johnson said after the Dixie Fire in 2021, he saw the first rains of the season turn Mill Creek black with runoff.

“The adults returning this year are from that Dixie Fire cohort and we’re looking at preliminary very low returns,” Johnson said. Though he doesn’t have the evidence yet to back it up, the fire “could be a contributing factor.”

State wildlife officials in February warned water regulators that the fish have been in steep decline since 2015 — in part because agricultural water diversions from the lower rivers frequently drain the creeks. They urged the State Water Resources Control Board to set minimum levels of water that must flow through the creeks to protect fish.

“Historical water diversion and water use practices have long been out of balance with ecological needs on these critical watersheds,” Tina Bartlett, regional manager of the northern region, wrote to the water board. In recent years, the problem has been amplified by climate change and frequent droughts.

Water board staff are reviewing the recommendations, according to spokesperson Ailene Voisin.

Eggs and young fish could be smothered

Because of the fire, state wildlife officials cannot survey the number of adult salmon that returned this year, Johnson said. But preliminary estimates for this year remain very low — prompting alarm from scientists.

“We had a really bad year last year. We had a really bad year this year,” said Andrew Rypel, director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. “Say we wipe out this cohort. Salmon are on a three-year lifecycle. That’s starting to look like the anatomy of an extinction.”

The wildfire is not an imminent threat to adults that are in the creeks right now, Johnson said. The creeks have abundant cool water, and as of Monday the fire was not affecting flow or temperatures.

“What this fire represents, if it were to consume the habitat in the upper watersheds, is a degradation of that habitat. It’s just another hit to the species that’s already struggling,” Johnson said.

“We had a really bad year last year. We had a really bad year this year. Say we wipe out this cohort. Salmon are on a three-year lifecycle. That’s starting to look like the anatomy of an extinction.”
— Andrew Rypel, the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis

In these fire prone landscapes, low-intensity fires can be beneficial. Some sediment in the water can help hide juveniles from predators. Downed trees in the stream can create fish habitat.

But Johnson and others are concerned about the heat and intensity of the fire. If the first rain events send mud and ash flooding into the creeks, the eggs or juveniles could be smothered by the sediment, or suffocate if oxygen levels plummet. Chemicals could degrade the water quality.

Brown said that these hot fires could reshape this wild, remote landscape. Recent studies show that the one-two punch of climate change and severe fires can change which plants return to a fire-scoured region. Denuded slopes are primed for erosion, and the loss of tree cover could allow these vital, cool stretches of river to warm in the summer.

“At this point, my greatest concern is the fire moving any further up Mill and Deer Creek. A hot fire blowup could have devastating ecological consequences for the watershed health of these streams,” he said. “The watersheds and the salmon are irreplaceable resources in the state of California and they are almost gone. This hurts.”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Of all the insidious threats faced by wildland firefighters — extreme heat, desiccated forests, unpredictable fire behavior and a nearly year-round fire season — what might be the most fearsome?

Humans.

People do dangerous things, things that start wildfires. Pushing a burning car into a gully. Mowing the lawn on a hot summer day. Miswiring a hot tub. Driving cars with flat tires. Burning toilet paper rather than packing it out of a campsite. Setting off smoke bombs at gender reveal parties.

In hot, dry conditions already primed for fire, people’s actions can quickly escalate from a harmless mistake — such as hammering a metal stake into the parched ground — to igniting a blaze that kills a firefighter.

People — whether purposeful, reckless or simply careless — are responsible for about 95% of California’s wildfires. Last year alone, people caused more than 7,000 wildfires in California; nationally, it was more than 50,000.

“Humans are incredibly predictable,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuna. “They drag chains and they leave campfires to burn or they have a flat tire but think they can juuust make it to the next exit.

“It’s people not using appropriate judgment,” he added, “They are not looking at what they are doing and whether or not it’s going to start a fire. I believe in the ability of humans to recognize what is not in their best interest, but people constantly prove me wrong.”

Add to the list the Park Fire, a fierce fire raging across 600 square miles in four Sacramento Valley counties that is already the fifth largest in California history. Butte County authorities arrested a 42-year-old Chico man suspected of pushing a burning vehicle into a ravine.

Human action, tragically, also may have caused the 57,300-acre Borel Fire in Kern County, which began last week on the side of Highway 178, possibly sparked when a vehicle crashed, killing the driver.

In a summer of severe fires, with dangerous lightning storms possible in coming weeks, authorities wish people would stop doing stupid stuff. Nature doesn’t need any help starting fires.

That would include the man accused of driving his truck for more than four miles, minus a front tire, in Sonoma County last week. The metal scraping on the road sparked the Flora Fire, a small blaze east of Healdsburg. The fire was contained last Sunday and a suspect is in custody. Cal Fire lists the cause as “vehicle.”

“I believe in the ability of humans to recognize what is not in their best interest, but people constantly prove me wrong.”
— David Acuna, Cal Fire Battalion Chief

A similar maneuver started the 2018 Carr Fire near Redding. The fire, which killed three people fighting the fire and five civilians and burned nearly 230,000 acres, was ignited by a spark caused by someone driving a trailer with a flat tire.

Another major human cause is related to institutions — the power utilities — rather than reckless individuals. “Since 2015, power lines have caused six of the state’s 20 most destructive wildfires,” according to a 2022 report from the State Auditor’s office. California’s most-deadly fire, the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people, was started by arcing transmission lines whipped by high winds.

Natural causes still play a significant role, especially lightning, which could become even a bigger threat with climate change.

Intentional arson is rare in wildfires

Arsonists purposefully setting fires is not common, accounting for about 10% of California fires, depending on the year. Last year 111 people were arrested for arson-caused fires in the state.

Thousands of human-caused fires fall into the unofficial category of people being knuckleheads: Folks doing something they think is safe or, absent any thinking, something they come to regret.

A few examples:

• A smoke bomb at a gender-reveal party sparked the deadly 2020 El Dorado Fire in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, which killed a firefighter and cost $42 million to suppress.
• A person using a lawnmower in Mariposa County caused the French Fire on July 4.
• Starting a fire to signal for help, a hunter inadvertently started the 2003 Cedar Fire near San Diego, which burned 280,278 acres, destroyed 2,820 buildings and killed 15 people.
• Faulty wiring on a hot tub in 2015 ignited a fire that burned for longer than a month in Lake County.
• Weapons fired in backcountry started the 2017 Detwiler Fire, destroying 134 structures and threatening Yosemite National Park. The same cause in the same area sparked the Telegraph Fire nine years earlier.
• A homeowner attempting to install a shade cloth on his property used a hammer to drive a metal stake in the ground. The sparks set off the Ranch Fire, which killed a firefighter and burned more than 410,000 acres in Colusa, Glenn, Lake and Mendocino counties in 2018.

Throw into the mix: escaped Mylar balloons sparking utility lines, unattended campfires, weedwackers, cigarette butts tossed out of car windows, trains, backyard fireworks. It’s a wonder that the state doesn’t burn down every year.

Dispatching crews to human-caused fires takes resources away from the fires that nature creates, said Adrienne Freeman, a spokesperson with the U.S. Forest Service.

“The answer is to use common sense,” she said. “It’s important not to place blame, but if you have a flat tire and you are 500 feet from the gas station, you may want to push (the car instead.) Think about it in the bigger picture.”

Freeman said a particular numbskull decision she’s seen is, evidently, common: backcountry campers setting fire to used toilet paper so they don’t have to pack it out.

Vehicles, lawn equipment are leading causes of wildfires

“The unsung reason is parking on dry grass. It’s common,” she said. “People pull up to a river access and see all these cars parked on the same strip you are parked on. What do you do? You park there.”

California firefighters respond to countless brush fires every summer that were started from a hot tailpipe making contact with high and dry grasses next to a road. The flammability of grasses is so well known that even those in the fire service are on guard not to spark fires when they use or move equipment.

“You can actually start fires while fighting fires,” Freeman said, noting that heavy-duty fire engines and other fire vehicles can kick up rocks and cause sparks. “You are moving your dozers to respond to a fire, you have to be very careful.”

“The unsung reason is parking on dry grass. It’s common.”
— Adrienne Freeman, the U.S. Forest Service

Dave Winnacker, fire chief of the Moraga-Orinda Fire District east of Berkeley, said human-caused fires commonly involve using equipment outdoors unsafely and vehicle accidents. His department operates a rigorous fire awareness program but sometimes education and warnings are not enough. In June, the fire district instituted a near-total outdoor fire ban.

Many California counties suggest mowing grass early in the day or late afternoon, but it’s not mandatory.

“We rely on our education and spreading the word. At the end of the day, some people are going to get it and some are not,” said Andy VanSciver, public information officer for the Ventura County Fire Department.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.