USDA Forest Service: Plumas NF -Chips Fire Update 080112 Am
Incident: Chips Wildfire
Released: 8/1/2012
Fire Update -August 1, 2012 10:00 am
Chips Fire Information
Fire Information Phone: (530)283-7890 / 283-7744
InciWeb: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3052/
Location:
The fire is located approximately 2 miles northwest and upslope of Belden, CA and Highway 70 (Feather River Canyon, Plumas County, CA).
· Lat: 40.011 /Long: 121.277
· Township 25 North, Range 6 East, Section 14
Start Date:
July 29, 2012; 1:57 A.M.
Cause:
Human caused
Current Size:
1,000 + acres
Containment:
10%; expected containment August 10
Vegetation/
Terrain:
Heavy snag component with brush over story -
extremely steep, rocky & generally inaccessible
Resources:
About 340 personnel including, 14 hand crews ("Hotshots"), 6 helicopters, and 6 engines
Fire Behavior: The fire is established in the lower reaches of Indian Creek (Feather River Canyon) drainage and has made significant moves to the northeast. The fire is burning north of Highway 70; motorists need to anticipate firefighting personnel and apparatus on the road in the vicinity of the fire. The road is open currently open but travelers should check highway conditions regularly (800-427-ROAD / http://www.dot.ca.gov/.
Smoke is heavy due to the dense brush and heavy down/dead woody material burning. Overnight smoke settled and impacted many areas including those to the east (Rush Creek) and southeast of the fire including Meadow Valley. Some evening smoke impacted the Greenville area but cleared by morning. Because of the prevailing weather pattern during the day, smoke will will continue to travel in a north/northeast direction to Butt Lake and Lake Almanor basins. As the day progresses, the smoke will rise and form a very visible column.
Structures: Structure protection continues for four residences in Maggies Trailer Park in Beldon.
Closures: Caribou Campgrounds are closed and Caribou Road from Highway 70 to the Butt Lake Dam is expected to be closed today. Ben Lomond, Indian Springs and Pacific Crest trails are closed from Highway 70 to the Plumas/Lassen National Forest border. The fire area may be bypassed by hiking Highway 70/89 or catching a bus with Plumas Transit to Chester, CA (weekdays only).
A Type 2 Incident Management team is on site transitioning and will assume command of the fire tomorrow morning. Fire Information will be distributed by the team; contact information may change.
Firefighting challenges continue to be low humidity, diurnal (up slope in morning and down slope in afternoon) winds, burning debris "rolling out," snags and heavy fuel loading and steep inaccessible terrain. The fire was discovered Sunday, July 29, up the Chips Creek drainage along the Pacific Crest Trail in the Feather River Canyon.
