Bagley Fire Update 8 AM August 31, 2012
Incident: Bagley Wildfire
Released: 8/31/2012
Today's Update:
Firefighters remain vigilant in their efforts to suppress the fire using a variety of direct and indirect tactics. Air tankers were used yesterday including several large aircraft (DC-10 and Air National Guard) to drop retardant and hold the fire along the south flank. Good visibility also allowed helicopter use for approximately 6 hours. Crews worked through the night to hold the fire within the containment line.
Crews responded to a new spotfire near Forest Road 11 along the northeast flank. Burnout operations were used to keep the fire from reaching the road, and to remove unburned fuels between the main fire and containment line on the northeast flank.
Firefighters will conduct burnout operations if conditions are favorable. Crews are constructing additional contingency lines west of McCloud Reservoir to provide additional protection to resources northwest of the fire. Increasing winds this afternoon could lead to more active fire behavior. Crews will be ready to respond aggressively to any new spot fires.
Visitors are encouraged to use caution when travelling on Forest Road 11 to and from McCloud Reservoir due to heavy fire traffic, particularly over the holiday weekend. Please avoid these peak travel times when planning your trip to the reservoir.
Fire Behavior and Smoke:
Winds are expected to remain light this morning. The forecast calls for increasing winds from the southwest throughout the afternoon with gusts up to 20 mph along ridgetops. The winds will push smoke northeast of the fire area into communities including McCloud.
Public Safety:
Smoke will continue to pose health concerns. Local air quality conditions and forecasts are available at http://airnow.gov/index.cfm action=airnow.main. For smoke conditions in McCloud, visit the Forest Service real time smoke monitor site at http://tinyurl.com/92xqbzn. Residents are encouraged to visit the "Protect Yourself from Smoke" website for smoke protection information at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Wildfires/.
In the interest of firefighter and public safety, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest has issued emergency closure areas. These closures will remain in place until the area is safe for the public. Please see the Forest Orders and closure maps on InciWeb (address above).
Community Meeting:
A community meeting is planned for tonight at 6 PM at McCloud Elemetery School, located at 332 Hamilton Way, McCloud, CA. Incident Management Team members from the Unified Command will be available to provide an update on firefighting efforts and answer questions.
