California Wildfires: End in sight for Klamathon, County fires
An inferno that burned from California into Oregon over the last week is expected to be fully under control by Sunday as firefighters established containment lines overnight, officials said.
The Klamathon Fire, which started July 5 in Siskiyou County, was 70 percent contained Thursday at 36,500 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
Throughout the week, as many as 2,299 responders have worked to establish containment lines with one major challenge: gaining access to the north side of the fire.
Overnight, crews successfully established containment lines north of the blaze and minimal fire activity was expected throughout the day Thursday as the fire remained inside the perimeter, Cal Fire said.
Recommended Video:
Cal Fire has resources spread out from the Oregon state line to the Mexico border. Significant resources are also being utilized in Siskiyou County’s Klamathon Fire, where DC-10 aircraft stationed at McClellan Park attacked the fire Friday. One person has died and two firefighters suffered mild to moderate burns in the fire yesterday. They’re being treated for their injuries. As the wildfires burn across the state, Cal Fire relies on local departments’ strike teams for aid.
Media: KCRA
All mandatory evacuations were lifted for California and Oregon residents, though residents of Jackson County were advised to remain on alert.
A total of 82 structures were destroyed in the blaze, 12 were damaged and 315 continue to be threatened.
The fire has killed one unidentified Siskiyou County resident and injured three firefighters. A body was found early Friday in the community of Hornbrook, and authorities have yet to disclose the person’s gender.
Authorities said a resident living southwest of the Klamath River allegedly lit a small fire June 30 on a friend’s property, which then spread to a tree, jumped the river and spread into nearby hills.
RELATED STORIES
The Klamathon Fire has been one of nearly a dozen wildfires ravaging the state during an usually early fire season.
The County Fire, the largest active wildfire in the state, has burned 90,288 acres in Yolo and Napa counties, but it was expected to be fully contained by Thursday. As of Wednesday night, the blaze was 89 percent contained.
The conflagration was caused by an improperly installed electric fence, state officials said Wednesday.
The owner of the property in the rural Yolo County community of Guinda was cited for illegally starting the County Fire, which began June 30. Cal Fire officials did not release the property owner’s name or elaborate on what went wrong with the fence.
Twenty structures were destroyed in the fire and three were damaged. No injuries were reported.
end quote from:
Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
end
en
No comments:
Post a Comment