As of Monday morning, the Hill Fire burning south of Willow Creek has grown to 5,582 with 7% containment. Six Rivers National Forest breaks down the latest updates in the release below:

Yesterday, on the east side of the fire crews made significant progress with tactical firing operations along 6NO6 Forest Road to increase the depth of the fireline and eliminate pockets of fuel that could threaten its integrity. The operation continued southward from the 5NO1A Road, moving towards the south end of the fire in the Mosquito Creek drainage. Progress was made in the southwest area of the fire with handline and hose lines in place. Continuing north crews continued to secure the lines and mop up any hot spots. The spot fires in the northwest area did not show significant fire behavior or growth, and crews continue secure the perimeter. 

Today, firefighters will utilize appropriate tactical firing operations to strengthen control lines and patrol perimeter to identify and mitigate the potential for escape outside of established control lines on the east side of the fire. Heavy equipment and hand crews completed the fire line along the south end of the fire in the Mosquito Creek drainage out to 6NO6 Road. The west and north flanks of the fire continue to stay within their current footprint, and crews will be patrolling and extinguishing hotspots near the fires edge. There are still pockets of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter. As these pockets continue to burn and smolder, residents will continue to see smoke coming from the fire area. The structure defense group continues to collaborate with local fire departments to assess residences in the area and develop a structure defense plan. Crews are also looking beyond the current fire lines and developing contingency strategies in case the fire breaches containment lines. 

WEATHER: 

A strong short-lived heat wave will begin to quickly build today with highs cresting into the 90s and RH dropping back below 30 percent. The high pressure will bring a return to very poor RH recoveries at height elevations tonight alongside enhanced drainage winds. Heat will peak on Tuesday with very dry conditions and areas approaching 100. 

Click to enlarge

EVACUATIONS:

Evacuation order and warnings remain in effect. For current updates on evacuations, visit https://www.facebook.com/HumboldtSheriff and https://humboldtgov.org/2383/Current-Emergencies. 
Conditions are subject to change at any time, visit https://protect.genasys.com/search for a full zone description. Sign up for Humboldt Alert emergency notifications at https://humboldtgov.org/2014/Emergency-Notifications 

CLOSURES:

Forest Closure Order currently in effect for the area impacted by the Hill Fire. It is temporarily prohibited to be on any national forest system land, trail, or road within the closure area. To view the closure order and map of closure area visit the following link www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1191963.pdf.

Road closures are currently in place on Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Service Route 6N06, Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N01 and Friday Fridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N04. For updated road closure information, visit protect.genasys.com or humboldtsheriff.org/emergency.                                                                                                                                               
FIRE RESTRICTIONS: 

Forest fire restrictions also went into effect on July 12th. Campfires and stove fires are restricted to those developed areas listed in the forest order located at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1188610.pdf.

Smoking, welding, and operating an internal combustion engine also have restrictions in place.

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Press release from Providence Northern California:

The 2024 St. Joseph Hospital Foundation Gala marked a full year of fundraising for physician recruitment and retention in a pilot program launched by Providence Humboldt. The event, held at Blue Lake Casino’s Saphire Palace in June, featured an elegant masquerade ball theme and gathered over 200 guests in stylish attire.

Chief Philanthropy Officer Heather Setton expressed gratitude for donors’ support in expanding health care access in Humboldt, saying “The Destination Humboldt gala was an evening of celebration and recognition, not only of the newly recruited physicians and all care providers in the room, but also of the incredible level of technology made possible by the support of our generous community.”

Designed to support a local solution to the nationwide physician and nursing shortage, Providence’s Destination Humboldt program – funded by philanthropy contributions – aims to recruit and retain physicians in the community. Since its inception in April 2023, the program has attracted 13 new providers across primary, emergency and specialty care.

Through ongoing fundraising efforts with individual donors and event sponsorships by many local businesses and families, close to $2M has been raised to date. The program is working towards a total goal of $10M over the next four years. Its success has attracted the attention of other communities, and the “Destination” effort is being replicated at Providence hospital foundations in Napa and Sonoma Counties.

“Patients needing same day total knee replacement, state of the art radiation oncology, or minimally invasive robotic surgery—never before offered locally—no longer have to travel for this level of care,” continued Setton. “The gala celebrated these advances along with achievements of health care providers and recognized the impact of community generosity on patient care.”

Notable speakers at the event included event chair Stephanie Pierson, Chief Executive Michael Keleman, and Director of Surgical Services Jessi Burton. The audience was touched by the story of patient Luz Moreno, who received life-changing treatment at Providence St. Joseph, showcasing the positive outcomes facilitated by the program.

California’s nearly 500 delegates to the Democratic National Convention next month will play a key role in choosing a replacement nominee now that President Joe Biden has ended his reelection campaign.

As they processed the thunderbolt announcement today, many of them quickly fell in line with his wishes: End the drama and close ranks behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I feel this huge sense of relief, because it means the fighting is going to stop,” said Mike Thaller, chairperson of the California Democratic Party senior caucus, who was watching PBS’ “This Old House” when a friend called him with the news.

Following weeks of concerns about his cognitive health and public pressure to drop out, fueled by a disastrous televised debate performance in late June, Biden published a letter in which he acknowledged, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

Like millions of Americans, the Californians who are set to travel to Chicago in mid-August to select the Democratic Party’s nominee for president were in shock in the immediate aftermath of the revelation. But they told CalMatters that they are also excited about participating in a historic moment and hopeful that, after weeks of turmoil, Biden’s momentous decision — which included endorsing Harris as his replacement — could turn around Democratic prospects of stopping another term for former President Donald Trump.

“I don’t think it’s time to mess around,” said Brian Calderón Tabatabai, the mayor of West Covina who is also running for a state Assembly seat. “Right now is the time to show we as the Democratic Party have our things together, and this isn’t the chaos a lot of folks are making it seem.”

Sasha Renée Pérez, the mayor of Alhambra who is running for state Senate, said she hoped that Harris would help motivate voters who hadn’t been paying attention to the election before now, boosting fundraising and turnout in swing districts as Democrats also fight to regain control of the House in November.

“She comes from our home state. She’s a Black woman, an Indian woman. We’ve just never had anyone like her be our candidate,” Pérez said. “We have to get this show on the road and get her elected.”

Taking Biden’s signal, Democrats across the country — leaders of key caucuses in Congress, party activists, even former President Bill Clinton and 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton — quickly closed ranks behind Harris, dampening the prospects of an open convention in which delegates might choose from among a field of candidates after a flash primary.

Notably absent from those voices was California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has been widely mentioned as a potential future presidential prospect. Newsom released a statement praising Biden as an “extraordinary, history-making president,” but did not endorse Harris. His spokespeople did not respond to questions about how he would like to see the party select a replacement nominee, though he has in recent weeks said he would not run against her.

None of the delegates who spoke with CalMatters said they had alternative candidates in mind, pointing toward a more likely competition to be Harris’ vice presidential pick.

“I’ll be surprised if anyone else gets into it,” said Sal Rosselli, president emeritus of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, calling Harris the “obvious choice to replace him.”

Harris drew criticism from left-wing critics during the 2020 primaries over her record as a prosecutor and California’s attorney general. Progressive activists and criminal justice reformers have criticized her handling of police shootings and called her record on the death penalty mixed.

But it wasn’t enough to dissuade progressive delegate Calderón Tabatabai. He called Harris “highly, highly ready to take over” for Biden and praised both for pushing a progressive domestic policy agenda, including efforts to expand workers’ rights.

“Those are issues,” he said of Harris’ record on criminal justice. “Are those issues something that would get me to say, ‘No, I’d like to see someone different at this point?’ Not now. Not when I understand what Project 2025 is,” he said, referring to the conservative policy wish list for a second Trump term.

Igor Tregub, a city councilmember in Berkeley who supported the progressive U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential primaries, said he was won over by how much the Biden-Harris administration accomplished during the past four years.

“I have seen how hard she works every single day on so many issues that I as a Democrat care about,” Tregub said. “I am ready to work at 200% to support her and whoever she picks as her vice presidential candidate.”

Most delegates who spoke with CalMatters emphasized how the party should avoid the drama and contention of an open convention, especially in light of Biden’s endorsement.

“Democrats need to focus on what we’re bringing to the table for working families and Americans, and [the convention] not being a circular firing squad,” said political strategist Bill Wong. “I don’t care who the nominee is at this point, as long as we have a plan to hold the White House in November.”

In addition, there would be particularly challenging optics of passing on Harris, a mixed-race Black and Indian American woman, who was selected as Biden’s vice president partly as an acknowledgement of the crucial role Black women voters play in the Democratic coalition.

“Obviously we want to respect and support the people who helped get us here in 2020, and that’s Black women. We shouldn’t forget them,” said Dan Kalmick, a city councilmember in Huntington Beach.

Some delegates were more optimistic about the state of the race with Harris’ apparently easy path toward the nomination, citing her forceful statements supporting reproductive rights as a way to win women voters in swing states and the fact that she’s significantly younger than former President Donald Trump.

“Republicans have spent months telling voters the Democrats had an old guy running, and that boomerang just hit them,” longtime Democratic strategist Bob Mulholland said. “Harris should challenge the old man Trump to a 100-meter race to settle this.”

No delegates that CalMatters spoke to disagreed with Biden’s decision and several praised him for eventually deciding to do what he believes is best for the country and not just himself.

“I know this decision cements his legacy,” Tregub said. “History will judge him kindly for his long and meaningful history of in so many ways advancing not just the best of what the Democratic agenda has to offer, but the best of America.”

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

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Shortly after today’s historic announcement from President Joe Biden that he will not accept the Democratic nomination and will instead endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, North Coast Senator and California Senate Leader Mike McGuire issued the following statement:

McGuire | Source

President Biden has led our nation with incredible skill, heart, and determination. His presidency has implemented generational change.

Through his leadership, America’s economy is back from the abyss, he’s created a record number of jobs for working families, he’s reinvested in rural America, doubled the stock market, stood strong for reproductive rights and, because of his steady hand, America is back as a beacon of hope for the rest of the world.

His leadership has been nothing short of tremendous, especially coming out of a global pandemic. California is deeply grateful for his tireless dedication to this nation we all love to call home.

I’ve been told to lighten up with these weekly rants. I hear and obey:

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Fortune favors the lucky.

— Chinese fortune cookie

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She taught us the joy of shame, and the shame of joy.

— Epitaph for Maude Flanders on The Simpsons

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On life’s highway, don’t forget to stop and eat the roses.

— Gary Larsen, Far Side cartoon, robed guru cow talking to student cow

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To a dog, every day is Saturday.

— Herb Caen 

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Paint the mandala and control your stress.

Mandala: N.Manytchkine, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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My pappy told me never to bet my bladder against a brewery or get into an argument with people who buy ink by the barrel.

— Lane Kirkland

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Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for the love of it, then you do it for a few friends, and finally you do it for the money.

— Molière

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For you to be a successful writer, sacrifices must be made. It’s better that they are made by others. Failing that, you’ll have to make them yourself.

— Rita Mae Brown

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Almost any misfortune is better than a worse one.

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Codependent: Someone who, when hit by a bus, sees someone else’s life flash by.

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There are more things in heaven and earth than almost anyplace else.

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Time heals all non-fatal wounds.

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“Hey Siri, why don’t my relationships work out?” “This is Alexa.”

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Fun fact: Women spend more time wondering what men are thinking than men spend actually thinking.

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UK, Canada, South America, Europe, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, Africa: Metric system

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USA: “Asteroid the size of 18 walruses to pass Earth on Sunday”

— NASA, May 20, 2023

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Amazing how close that asteroid came to hitting the visitor center.

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I’m going to work on being less condescending. (Condescending means to talk down to people.)

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The physicists Werner Heisenberg and Paul Dirac were opposites, Heisenberg being very social and Dirac introverted. The two were on a trip to Japan for a conference, and Heisenberg used to dance with the young girls on the ship before dinners while Dirac watched.

One time, Dirac asked, “Heisenberg, why do you dance?” “When there were nice girls I like dancing with them,” he replied.

Dirac fell into deep thought and after about fifteen minutes, asked, “Heisenberg, how do you know beforehand that the girls are nice?”

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“His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.”

— Mae West of her screen villain Ace Lamont in Belle of the Nineties, 1934

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Note: This post was updated at 1:30 p.m. to include an updated list of evacuation orders and warnings.

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As of Saturday morning, the Hill Fire burning 11 miles south of Willow Creek is now listed at 5,248 acres with two percent containment. 

Fire activity has moderated in recent days, with “short runs aligned with slope and majority of fire flanking and backing downslope into drainages,” according to the latest report from Incident Command. “Moderated conditions allowed for continued tactical firing operations in Division A to have success.” There are 1,512 personnel, 49 crews, 99 engines,18 pieces of heavy equipment, and 4 helicopters assigned to the fire.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) issued a new Evacuation Order for some communities surrounding the Hill Fire, as seen in the map below. Residents in zones HUM-E077-A, HUM-E077-B, HUM-E077-C and HUM-E076-A are urged to evacuate immediately.

“Residents who are already evacuated from these zones are not permitted to return to their residences,” according to HCSO. “Any residents remaining in these zones should evacuate immediately.”

An Evacuation Warning has been issued for the following areas:

• HUM-E076-B
• HUM-E077-B
• HUM-E100-A
• HUM-E114-D
• HUM-E063-A
• HUM-E063-B
• HUM-E052-A
• HUM-E062

Residents should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice if conditions deteriorate. Find your evacuation zone at this link.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) has established an evacuation center at Trinity Valley Elementary School (730 State Route 96) in Willow Creek. Evacuees can access water and additional information about the Hill Fire. The evacuation center will be open until 6 p.m. today. Residents can also call 530-414-9056 for more information.

The following additional information comes from the Hill Fire Incident Command Team:

CURRENT SITUATION:

Last night activity continued in a southwest area of the fire and crews are currently working on holding lines in the area.

Yesterday afternoon, the fire showed an increase in activity along its south and southeast boundaries in the Mosquito Creek drainage driven by northwesterly winds. Air resources were able to utilize water to help slow the fire growth. Crews continue to construct and improve holding and control lines in this area; however, ground based heavy equipment use was limited due to ongoing fire activity.

Today on the south side of the fire, crews will be building a dozer line towards Mosquito Creek and go direct where possible. On the east side crews will continue doing road improvement on 6N06 road to Ammon Ridge to utilize as a holding line.

The fire continues to be influenced by terrain and increasing winds in the southern area of the fire. On the west the fire will continue to creep and in the interior islands and heavy accumulation of fuels will retain heat and smolder.

Click to enlarge.

WEATHER:

Today the area will come under the influence of an approaching upper-level disturbance. This will help slightly increase relative humidity. Winds will remain mostly modest out of the northwest with the strongest winds at low elevations in the late evening. Slightly increased mixing heights will aid in some smoke mixing, though high stability will inhibit any significant smoke transport out of sheltered areas. The disturbance moving overhead tonight will bring simultaneous much strong marine influence, especially to low elevations, but also a small (10%) chance of dry thunderstorms.

EVACUATIONS:

Evacuation order and warnings remain in effect. For current updates on evacuations, visit https://www.facebook.com/HumboldtSheriff and https://humboldtgov.org/2383/Current-Emergencies.

Conditions are subject to change at any time, visit https://protect.genasys.com/search for a full zone description. Sign up for Humboldt Alert emergency notifications at https://humboldtgov.org/2014/Emergency-Notifications

CLOSURES:

Forest Closure Order currently in effect for the area impacted by the Hill Fire. It is temporarily prohibited to be on any national forest system land, trail, or road within the closure area. To view the closure order and map of closure area visit the following link www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1191963.pdf.

Road closures are currently in place on Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Service Route 6N06, Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N01 and Friday Fridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N04. For updated road closure information, visit protect.genasys.com or humboldtsheriff.org/emergency.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS:

Forest fire restrictions also went into effect on July 12th . Campfires and stove fires are restricted to those developed areas listed in the forest order located at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1188610.pdf.

Smoking, welding, and operating an internal combustion engine also have restrictions in place.

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Horse racing has been labeled the “King of Sports” because of its great appeal as a spectator event. Hot air ballooning, however, was very nearly as popular near the turn of the century and had several interesting advantages as well.

Volunteers were often asked to assist with laying out the balloonist’s gear at the launch site, helping to erect a guy-line to hold the balloon in an upright position, gathering firewood, and the like.

Especially exciting were the events of launch day. The fire had to be built just so, and the limp bag manipulated to capture as much hot air as possible. Soon the restraining ropes began to take on a life of their own and the assembled crowd began to buzz with anticipation.

The aeronauts were young men of daring, often with an exaggerated swagger in their walk. No matter how nervous they might feel inside, it was important to show no fear as the moment of ascent approached. In the final seconds everything was checked and rechecked. Was the wind too strong? Were those nearby buildings and trees too close? Enough ballast? Too much? Now!

If they were successful, the rewards were great — instant fame and a chance to see faraway places. After a few years on the circuit the balloonists could sport the title “professor” and enter the celebrity limelight. Many, however, had dreadful scars or bad limps attesting to aborted flights and hard landings.

Ballooning came to Humboldt County in the 1870s and continued as a popular spectator event, especially around the 4th of July, into the early part of this century. The Arcata Plaza was a favorite site, as was Eureka’s Sequoia Park. In Ferndale the most popular place for balloon launches was the playground of the Ferndale Elementary School.

When the balloonist positioned himself in the sling below the giant bag he never knew exactly what would happen. The balloon could rise straight up, or a sudden wind could send it swiftly towards disaster. The following account, from the local “Daily Standard,” July 6, 1897, clearly attests to the dangers of the balloonist’s profession:

A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT:

Yesterday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock several hundred people witnessed a very distressing accident. Prof. Weston and his helpers had announced that on account of the wind an ascension would be made from a sheltered point on Twelfth street between the alder trees. The people had gathered there to witness the ascension, and as announced the balloon men were on hand and proceeded with their work.

Finally the balloon was inftated, and the order was given to let go. Up it shot with Prof. Weston on the trapeze and also with one of the helpers caught in the ropes. The helper was H. Tapscott, whose duty it was to lie on his back in the balloon and watch the flame which generates the hot air. He thought he was clear of the ropes, but he had evidently been lying on one. He rose about twenty-five feet when he disentangled himself and fell violently to the ground, striking his head. He sustained a concussion of the brain and a compound fracture of the right thigh.

The balloon had not gone up far enough to clear the trees when the extra weight of the helper changed its course and it threw the aeronaut against the trees, and he too suffered a frightful fall, sustaining concussion of the brain, a compound fracture of the right thigh and several broken ribs. The sight was horrifying and weakened the strongest men in the assemblage.

Several physicians who were nearby rushed to the assistance of the unfortunate men who were removed to the Humboldt General Hospital where everything possible was done to alleviate their sufferings, but the general verdict of the physicians was that neither would survive. The verdict was all too true, for at ten minutes to five this morning Mr. Tapscott died, and at five o’clock, just ten minutes later, the aeronaut passed away.

Full particulars of the past of these men have not been learned as yet, but it is claimed that Weston was bom on March 2, 1871, in Olney, Oregon, and has been in the aeronaut business for several years with considerable success. It is said that he has a mother and sister in San Francisco. His unfortunate companion was about thirty years of age and was a resident of Aberdeen, Washington.

Since the above was put in type it is learned that Weston’s real name is George Weston Daggett. Among his effects were found a number of photographs of ascensions he has made in other places. It is the general belief that had the helper not become entangled in the ropes yesterday the ascension would have been very successful. The balloon was not sufficiently strong to carry both men up above the trees, but with only the weight of one man to lift, the trees would have been cleared and all would have been well.