Moonlight Fire Update 9/10/07 2100 Hrs.
Incident: Moonlight Wildland Fire
Released: 9/11/2007
Firefighters are making good progress on establishing and reinforcing line around the fire. Fire growth was kept to a minimum of 600 acres during daytime operations. The predicted cold front and weather for higher winds did not materialize as expected, which helped control efforts. Acreage is now 63,141 acres with 28% containment.
On the south side, crews continued to establish and reinforce handline and dozer line. Very aggressive air attack including a DC-10 was used on the east side and along Wildcat Ridge, to hold the fire and support ground resource efforts to complete dozer line. A significant amount of direct line was build on the fire today.
Tonight, the low humidity and critical low fuel moisture levels will cause the fire to remain very active. With active fire behavior during the nighttime hours, air resources are planned during the morning to slow the advancing fire. The predicted weather for tomorrow will be the same weather pattern as today but with lighter winds to the north and northeast, which will push the smoke toward Genesee, Taylorsville, and Quincy.
Extreme fire behavior is predicted to continue. Historic low fuel moisture levels combined with steep terrain, heavy fuels, and erratic winds continue to challenge firefighting efforts. Structure protection will continue in the Diamond Mountain, North Arm, Indian Valley, Franks and Wilcox Valley areas. There are no new reports of structures lost.
There will be a fire information meeting in Taylorsville on Tuesday, September 11, at 7 pm at the Taylorsville Grange.
The mandatory evacuation order continues for the North Arm of Indian Valley and for small isolated parcels to the east, including Taylor Lake, Franks Valley, and the Antelope Lake area. A voluntary evacuation order remains in place for the residents of Taylorsville, Genesee Valley and North Valley Road to Pecks Valley road.
A Forest Closure Order in in place to ensure safety in the vicinity of the fire. All major highways remain open, however most Forest Roads in the area of the fire are closed to access. A road closure has been added, 27N46 north of Antelope Lake. Additional road closures include 28N03 (known as the Antelope Lake Road) on the east end at the intersection with 28N01 (Janesville Grade), and the 29N43 road from Genesee to Antelope Lake is closed at the Flournoy Bridge.
Please check http://www.inciweb.org/ for the latest updates.
