American River Complex July 21, 2008 Update
Incident: American River Complex Wildland Fire
Released: 7/21/2008
For further Information visit: www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe or http://www.inciweb.org/
or call (530) 367-6223, 6224, or 6226
By the Numbers
Complex
20, 541; 85% contained;
701 personnel: 14 crews; 7
helicopters; 28 engines; 5
dozers; 28 water tenders
Estimated Containment Date:
August 1, 2008
Fires
Government Springs/
Westville Fire
19,990 acres; 85% contained
Peavine - 551; 100 % contained
Placer County, CA - With containment of the Government Springs/Westville Fire reaching 85 percent, firefighters spent much of Sunday pulling equipment off the firelines. Several crews will be demobilized, much of the mop-up has been accomplished, and firelines are being rehabilitated to meet Tahoe National Forest standards.Two hundred California National Guard troops will mop-up hot spots and remove hoses on Monday on the southern side of the fire to complete a three-day training stint, and will then be available for deployment elsewhere.
Fire officials continue to monitor the situation at the bottom of Big Valley Canyon, while preparing for the remote possibility that the fire may climb the rugged rock walls of the ravine and spread up the canyon. While steep cliffs have made it impossible for firefighters to dig out hot spots, helicopters have been dropping bucket-loads of water, and contingency lines have been completed up-canyon.
Two hotshot crews hiked through the burned area into the North Fork of the American River yesterday, and will be working 4 miles downstream from Royal Gorge for two to three days to extinguish hot spots on the northeast portion of the fireline. Skidders, chippers, excavators and dozers are being used to rehabilitate firelines in order to minimize erosion.
Fire restrictions remain in place on the Tahoe National Forest. Information on fire restrictions is available at www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe.
Several road, trail and area closures remain in effect. Please see http://www.inciweb.org/ or www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/fire/index.shtml for the complete listing of closures.
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