[env-trinity] Monument fire arrives in J.C.

Wed Aug 18 07:24:53 PDT 2021

Monument fire arrives in J.C.

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Monument fire arrives in J.C.

Tony Reed The Trinity Journal

Over two weeks after it started near Big Flat, the east edge of the Monument fire reached into the residential a...
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Monument fire arrives in J.C.

Weaverville, Hayfork, Douglas City all under evacuation warnings

   - By Tony Reed The Trinity Journal

   - 51 min ago

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Monument fire arrives in J.C.

Tony Reed The Trinity Journal

Over two weeks after it started near Big Flat, the east edge of the Monument fire reached into the residential a...
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Over two weeks after it started near Big Flat, the east edge of the Monument fire reached into the residential area of Junction City Monday afternoon.

Crews were confronted with gusty, northwest winds that continued to transport firebrands ahead of the fire front which supported the increase to 119,280 acres as of Tuesday morning, the U.S. Forest Service reported. The fire remains at 10% contained.

At about 3 p.m. Monday, deputies, CHP and other law enforcement officers rushed to the area of Red Hill Road and Dutch Creek Road in Junction City when the fire took off, driven by wind. Deputies attempted to warn those remaining in the area but found that Red Hill Road was blocked by fire. Those west of the fire area were advised by Code Red to shelter in place or move to the Hocker Meadow area.

Deputies asked for an evacuation order for areas near Oregon Mountain west to Castle Rock and later, everything west of Oregon Mountain. At 4:25 p.m., deputies and Cal Fire law enforcement requested to be able to start evacuating the east side of Oregon Mountain as well.

Deputies were heard escorting elderly residents out of the area and the road closure was moved to the Weaverville side of Oregon Mountain.

USFS officials asked Trinity Public Utilities District to de-energize Junction City. Power was taken offline at 4:18 p.m., affecting 395 customers.

At about 6:30 p.m., the shelter in place order was lifted and the evacuation order status was restored.

Some residents could be seen leaving the area as the hillsides behind Junction City were alight with fire and sparks. The fire jumped the Trinity River at Dutch Creek Road and began to burn toward the Junction City Store. Fire engines and crews kept the fire from reaching it. Meanwhile, the hills south of Hocker Meadow and Dutch Creek roads were lit up with fire and embers. Firefighters endured chokingly thick smoke and wind-driven embers as they met the fire head on. The fire was not able to cross Highway 299 there.

By morning, the landscape looked a bit different, with patches of burned trees and vegetation and light columns of smoke rising in several spots around the Dutch Creek Road bridge over the Trinity River. Farther up the road, the remains of at least three structures and some outbuildings could be seen through the charred trees.

At the Chagdud Gonpa, all structures appeared to be intact Tuesday morning, but some which are located back in the trees could not be assessed.

Trinity PUD crews could be seen replacing power poles along Dutch Creek Road.

Tuesday morning report

Forest Assistant Fire Management Officer Alex McBath said Tuesday morning that the fire came into Junction City via Conner Creek and made a run though communities along Red Hill Road.

“We had a good contingent in there,” he said. “They went after that and picked up a lot of spot fires and saved a lot of structures in there and we were able to lock that off on some of the indirect line we already had in there.”

A 10-acre spot off Sky Ranch Road was surrounded by fire line and McBath said crews were prepared to hold it in place Tuesday. He said the fire continues to burn on the slope along Dutch Creek Tuesday and officials suspected it could make it to the road by afternoon.

Further west, “Everything’s looking really good in Burnt Ranch,” McBath said. “That’s held for four or five days now. They are in monitor and patrol so as they walk in here, it’s looking better and better every day.”

McBath said that at Helena, the fire is still holding west of the North Fork of the Trinity River. He added that the fire is getting closer to Hayfork Bally every day on the southeast perimeter and that crews were sent to work north of Hayfork Tuesday.

A red flag warning was in place Tuesday into Wednesday night, predicting more wind and low humidity.

You’ve got mail

The Junction City Store and attached Post Office have been closed since the Aug. 7 evacuation order. Junction City residents who have been unable to get their mail may now pick it up at the Weaverville Post Office with an ID. Residents who have evacuated out of the area may fill out and return a temporary forwarding address.

We have water

On social media, some locals were attempting to start a food and water drive to help, based on a report that said firefighters were told to ration their supplies.

Jim Mackinen, PIO for team 5, clarified that a memo did come from Washington instructing firefighters arriving at new incidents to make sure they could be self-sufficient for 72 hours.

“That’s no different than what we usually do,” Mackinen said. “We’re being well taken care of. Our people have MREs (meals ready to eat) and water.” He said crews don’t need bottled water and also have ways to filter streams and other potable water sources.

Back to school

Because of the multiple fires in Trinity County, many school districts have decided to postpone opening day. For the latest list, as of Tuesday morning, see story on page 3.

Evacuation orders

Oregon Summit west to Junction City is now under an evacuation order. This includes La Grange Road, Castle Road and Slattery Gulch Road. Evacuation Orders remain in effect for Sky Ranch Road in Junction City, Red Hill, Canyon Creek, Coopers Bar, Big Bar, Del Loma, Big Flat, Helena, Cedar Flat, Burnt Ranch and Barker Mountain and the areas northwest of Hayfork Summit.

Evacuation warnings

Issued Tuesday morning for the communities of Weaverville, Douglas City and Hayfork.

The Weaverville areas includes Oregon Street, Sydney Gulch Road, Leslie Lane, McCoy Lane, Wendy Lane, North Miner Street, Barbara Avenue, Red Hill Road, Easter Avenue, Kelso Avenue, Court Street, Washington Street, Levee Road, Lance Gulch Road, Browns Ranch Road, Pioneer Lane, Martin Road, Glenn Road, Masonic Lane, Mountain View Street, Timber Ridge Road, Industrial Park Way, Little Browns Creek Road, East Weaver Creek Road, Brooks Lane and any other roads, lanes, avenues, or ways in the Weaverville area.

The Douglas City area includes Steiner Flat Road, B Bar K Road, Jordan Road, Tucker Hill Road, and Riverview Road.

The Hayfork includes all of Hayfork proper, Highway 3 south from Barker Mountain to Hayfork proper, and the north side of Hyampom Road from Hayfork proper to Nine Mile bridge.

Area residents and visitors in the above-listed areas if elderly, have medical issues, have small children, or have livestock and pets, need to be prepared to leave the area in case of increased fire activity.

While leaving the area use caution as emergency vehicles assisting with evacuations, structure protection, and fire suppression efforts will be on the roadways.

For detailed evacuation information, visit the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Evacuation Centers:  American Red Cross Shelters

Shasta College, 1555 Old Oregon Trail, Building 1900, Redding;

Trinity Valley Elementary School, 730 Highway 96, Willow Creek.

Animal Evacuation: Trinity County Animal Shelter, 563 Mountain View St., Weaverville (623-1370);

Hoopa Rodeo Grounds, 1775 Pine Creek Road, Hoopa, contact Allie Hostler at 707-492-2851.

Property Damage Assessment: Damage assessment teams have confirmed 32 structures have been destroyed. For questions or information regarding the status of your property, call Trinity County Office of Emergency Services at 623-1116.

Road closures

Highway 299 is closed from 1.7 miles east of Hawkins Bar at Ammom Road to 0.4 of a mile west of McCoy Lane.

Monitor Caltrans’s District 2 website (https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-2) for more information.

Forest closures

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has issued Forest Order No. 14-21-21 Monument Fire Closure through Oct. 31. Information on the forest order can be found on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest website, www.fs.usda.gov/stnf/.

Stay up to date

For more information visit:

InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7750/

Twitter:@ShastaTrinityNF

Facebook: @ShastaTrinityNF

Email: 2021.monument at firenet.gov    

Fire Information Line: 628-0039 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily)

Resources

911 personnel

12 hand crews

77 engines

6 helicopters

13 dozers

6 water tenders

6 masticators

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