Pilot/Bridgeville Area Fires Update: The main fire, which is being called 3-1, is said to have potential for 100 acres and is the largest of the complex and has been made the priority for the limited resources. A new fire, which is being called 3-7 is reported to be burning just north of 3-2. Six of the seven fires in this group are in the federal responsibility area (FRA), so the Cal Fire Fortuna ECC is having to make resource orders through North Coast dispatch. This is leading to some delays as the federal resources are spread thin and it is possible that no additional resources will be available for the incident tonight.

*Clarification, there are several large air tankers still on the Blue Creek Incident

Blue Creek Incident Update: The FIRIS plane, Intel 12, mapped the main fire at 16 acres when they flew the fire around 11:00. It is located off Cedar Camp Road northwest of Orleans. Several large air tankers working out of Medford were making retardant drops in the area throughout early afternoon. Those aircraft have now moved to the Pine Ridge/4-4 Fire. Firefighters are relaying concerns about a building cell over the county and potential for significant downdrafts.

Pine Ridge/4-4 Fire: Fire resources are on scene of another lightning start in the Redwood Creek area near the Devils Creek sub-drainage. This is located approximately midway between Trinidad and Hoopa. The air tankers that were working on the Pilot Incident are now working this fire with Air Attack 140.

Pilot Incident Update on Conditions: The fires in the Bridgeville area are numbered as follows and are mapping at the following sizes. Fire 3-1: 5-7 acres This is reported to be the largest fire of the complex with the most significant rate of spread. Most of the resources are assigned to this fire. Fire 3-2: 0.5 acres, Fire 3-3: 0.25 acres, Fire 3-4: 0.25 acres and adjacent to 3-3, Fire 3-5: Single tree on fire with some spread to grass, Fire 3-6: Unknown acreage at this time, but reportedly a smaller fire

Blue Creek Incident Update on Conditions: Intel 12 just completed mapping flights of the area, which is northwest of Orleans and north of Johnsons. I believe two type 1 helicopters are at scene. Tanker 210, a Boeing 737 air tanker belonging to the Australian NSW Rural Fire Service and currently working out of Sacramento, is arriving overhead. This is a Six Rivers Forest Service incident.

Pilot incident Update on Conditions: Cal Fire Tankers 94, 95 and 96 are still dropping retardant on the Pilot Incident fires (north of Bridgeville) and reloading at Rohnerville. It sounds like this will be a complex of about 6 separate lightning starts. Ground resources have made access. At least one helicopter is also working this fire and two more are responding from Redding. Air Attack 120 is responding to relieve Air Attack 240. This and the Blue Creek Incident are the two largest fires in the county at the moment.

An Air Attack out of Redding is over the Blue Creek Incident (the fire northwest of Orleans, North of Johnsons). The air attack appears to be surveying the fires near Hoopa/Willow Creek as well. A large type 1 helicopter out of Rohnerville is responding towards the area. Another new start is being reported directly west of Hoopa in the Pine Ridge Rd. area at N 41 04.24’, W 123 48.21’. This will be called the “Pine Ridge Incident”. Intel 12, an infrared mapping plane out of Sacramento, is responding to the North Coast region.

Cal Fire has contained a smaller fire that was dispatched earlier this morning near Holter Ridge off Bald Hills Road. A Cal Fire Engine in the area is now reporting a new smoke column in the Lost Man Creek area (I believe also on the Bald Hills side). They are requesting another engine and a handcrew.

Air Attack 240 is over the Pilot Incident and Tanker 96, 95 and 94 have made drops. Tanker 94 and 95 flew over from Redding and are going to load and return from Rohnerville in Fortuna

Additional New Starts: Lone Pine Fire: This will be the fire in Willow Creek that was reported here (below) at 01:10 this morning. N 41.004577, W 123.628895 2 Mile Fire: This is east of Hoopa off Big Hill Rd. near N 40.087167, W 123.669000

Orleans Fire Update on Conditions: This fire is northwest of Orleans and North of Johnsons at the Humboldt, Del Norte Border. I believe this is being called the “Blue Creek Incident”. It is possibly also a complex of multiple lightning starts. Another fire is being reported above Pecwan in the same general area. Unknown if they are the same. LCAs are being set up at strategic locations throughout the region as part of the lightning plan that was activated to triage and dispatch resources as new fires are reported. (This is not an exhaustive list of fires. I am just posting the fires that seem most immediately significant. There have been many reports of fires across the county since last night. The Fortuna ECC sounds extremely busy.)

Pilot Incident (North of Bridgeville) Update on Conditions: Copter 902 is on scene. The originally dispatched fire is 1/2 acre with the Helitack crew working. Per Copter 902, the following are other starts in the immediate area: N 40 39.72’, W 123 39.65: Potential for 3-4 acres, likely to burn together with the 1st fire. N 40 39.88’, 123 40.04’: 1/2 acre of backing fire in timber, moderate potential N 40 40.32’, W 123 32.48’: Potential for 3-5 acres, largest of the fires.

Lightning Fires: Multiple new start wildland fires have been reported across the North Coast and Six River’s National Forest. The Cal Fire Fortuna ECC is activating lightning plans and moving resources throughout the county. Currently, it appears that a fire has started Northwest of Orleans at the Humboldt/Del Norte Border. The fire is visible on the ALERTCalifornia “Red Mtn Del Norte 1” and “Deer Horn 1” cameras which have been tracking it since around 02:00 this morning. The intersection of these cameras where the lines intersect on the ALERTCalifornia map gives the location. This fire has been putting up a large and growing smoke column. Another fire is now being dispatched north of Bridgeville and east of Kneeland off South Fork Mountain Rd. near Little Pilot Rock. This fire is also being tracked on ALERTCalifornia and is best seen in the “Bald Jesse 1” camera and can be located by the method described above. This is being called the “Pilot Fire” and a full wildland response with aircraft is being requested.

Willow Creek Possible Vegetation Fire: This was originally reported as an orange glow across the river from Highway 96 in the area of mile marker 4. Willow Creek Fire made contact with the caller on Highway 96 and confirmed that a glow is visible across the river. It sounds like access will be from Horse Linto Road. Willow Creek Fire and Forest Service have additional resources enroute. Numerous lightning strikes have occurred in the region. It is unknown if this is related.