American River Complex Fire Update 07/11/08
Incident: American River Complex Wildfire
Released: 7/11/2008
Tahoe National Forest
American River Complex
Fire Update
Friday, July 11, 2008, 10:00 a.m.
For further Information visit:
www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe or http://www.inciweb.org/
Info Center (530) 367-6223, 6224, or 6226
Hours of Operation: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
By the Numbers
Complex
18,019 acres; 20% contained;
894 personnel: 18 crews; 8
helicopters; 52 engines; 9
dozers; 24 water tenders
Estimated Containment Date:
August 1, 2008
Fires
Government Springs/
Westville Fire
17,467 acres; 10% contained
Peavine - 552; 100 % contained
Placer County, CA - Firefighters made good progress Thursday holding and building new line on the north, west, and south flanks of the merged Government Springs/Westville fires. As anticipated, a smoke inversion limited fire activity and also curtailed air operations for much of the day. The fire became active in Tadpole Creek, east of Beacroft Trail, within the fire perimeter on the southeast flank, when the inversion lifted about 2 PM. On the west side, hotshot crews built hand-line from Sawtooth Ridge down into the rugged American River Canyon near Humbug Bar.
The fire burned toward Big Valley Canyon to the northeast and New York Canyon to the east.
Though smoky conditions limited the use of aircraft Thursday, helicopters dropped water and 18,000 gallons of retardant to help cool the fire and assist firefighters on the ground with hot spots.
A helicopter reconnaissance flight showed that the fire has burned around the Mumford Bar cabin, but the cabin is intact.
Overnight, the fire was quiet except for an approximately 12-acre slop-over near the American Hill road on the south side. Firefighters on the night shift contained the slop-over.
Today, on the northwest side, the fire is expected to make runs up to the dozer line on Sawtooth Ridge. On the southeast flank of the blaze, southwesterly afternoon winds will likely move the fire east with intense ground fire, torching of individual trees, and possible sustained crown runs to ridges in the west fork of New York Canyon. Smoke from the fire will continue to affect I-80 corridor communities from Auburn to Sacramento and east to Truckee, California and Reno, Nevada.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect for northern California, including the fire area, and will continue until Friday morning. Large fire growth is possible, although weather predictions call for a slow cooling trend by the weekend.
Several road, trail and area closures remain in effect. Please see http://www.inciweb.org/ or http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/fire/index.shtml for the complete listing of closures.
