Chips Fire Update August 31 8:00 PM
Incident: Chips Wildfire
Released: 8/31/2012
Chips Fire Update
August 29 8:00 A.M.
Location: Plumas and Lassen National Forests
Date started: July 29, 2012 Cause: Under investigation
Size: 75,217 acres Containment: 100%
Personnel: 1,053 (Crews: 4 Type 1, 17 Type 2; Helicopters: 2 Type 1, 2 Type 2, 1 Type 3; Engines: 51; Dozers: 11; Water Tenders: 38)
Management: California Interagency Incident Management Team 4
Fire Status: The Chips Fire has reached 100% containment. This means that fire lines have been constructed either by hand or by the use of bulldozers all the way around the fire's perimeter, and hot spots up to three hundred feet inside the perimeter have been extinguished.
Please be aware that smoke will continue to be visible within the fire area for some time, due to pockets of previously unburned vegetation igniting. These interior areas of burning pose no threat to the fire line, nor to containment of the fire, and continue to help reduce built up fuels on the ground.
Throughout tonight and again tomorrow, crews will continue to patrol inside and outside the fire area, and will continue to extinguish hot spots that are detected. Also, crews will continue to monitor the area surrounding Seneca in order to ensure that any spot fires in that area do not pose a threat to private property and structures.
In addition to mopping up, actions to ensure hot spots are extinguished into the fire's interior, crews will also be focusing on continued fire suppression repair. Fire suppression repair consists of chipping and spreading brush and saplings which were cut and piles along roadsides; rehabilitation of bulldozer lines by putting in water bars to reduce erosion; and removal of hazard trees within the burn area that have the potential to hit roads, trails or infrastructure.
Evacuations and Closures: All evacuations, with the exception of Seneca, have been lifted by the Plumas County Sheriff's Department. Please be aware that Seneca remains under a mandatory evacuation until further notice.
All National Forest Campgrounds and Day Use Areas on the west shore of Lake Almanor have been re-opened by the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. However, both the Plumas and Lassen National Forests continue to maintain area Closures within and surrounding the Chips fire area. This includes the following area of the Pacific Crest Trail: The PCT is officially closed from Three Lakes (in the Bucks Lake Wilderness) on the Plumas National Forest northbound to the Cold Spring trailhead at the Humbug Road (Plumas County Road 307) on the Lassen National Forest. Additionally, using the Caribou Road (Forest Route 27N26) is prohibited, as the area is also officially closed.
Hikers and equestrians are advised to avoid travel on the portion of the PCT from Bucks Summit, north to Hwy 36. In order to re-route themselves most expeditiously, at Bucks Summit, northbound trail users may travel on Plumas County Road 414 east to Quincy, pick up Highway 70/89 to Chester and then Highway 36 west to resume the trail. Southbound travelers may reverse the process.
Hikers may also use Plumas County Transit between Quincy and Chester, available weekdays only. The transit schedule can be found at http://www.plumastransit.com/qcy to chester 23.html
Additional Fire Information: At 6:00 a.m. Saturday, September 1, NorCal Incident Management Team 2 will assume command of the Chips Fire. Information and fire updates may still be found at: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3052/ or call (530) 283-3593 and (530) 283-3288 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.
