Single Publication

Start date: Aug 15, 2023

 Location: Six Rivers National Forest

Cause: Lightning

Acres: 75,775

Containment: 7%

Personnel: 3,035

Gasquet, Calif., August 30, 2023. Fire resources were prepared for increased fire activity due to the expected uptick in afternoon westerly winds. Although the winds did arrive with gusts up to 20 mph on the upper elevations, an increase in moisture helped limit overall fire activity. Firefighters spent the day using hose lays to secure containment lines north of Gasquet, near Pioneer Road, and along Highway 199 to the French Hill Road. These lines continue to hold and the threat of fire reaching Gasquet continues to decrease each day. Another focus has been to fall hazard trees and work hot areas along Highway 199 to expedite the opening of the critical road system. 

Firefighters also focused efforts in the area where the Kelly fire and Coon fire are close to connecting near the 405 road. Several days ago, the Coon fire made a small run adjacent to Gordon Creek and challenged this line. Holding the fire on the west side of the 405 road was challenging due to stronger westerly winds, but firefighters have been successful thus far. 

Winds have begun to shift to more of an offshore direction today and are expected to remain out of the northeast through tonight. This will bring a period of near critical fire weather conditions today through the evening hours, especially in the areas of the fire over 2,500’ elevation where the stronger winds are predicted. Firefighters will be on high alert today during these critical weather conditions in anticipation of increased fire activity. These adverse conditions will quickly moderate as conditions become more favorable by tomorrow morning. The potential for light rain increases by Thursday night, along with clouds and onshore flow as an upper-level Pacific Northwest trough enters the area and lingers into Saturday. 

Evacuations

All evacuation orders are issued by the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office. If you are in the Del Norte County, area please sign up for their Community Alert System to receive emergency notifications. Evacuation levels as of August 27, 8:00 a.m., as follows:

Level 3 “Go Now”: Patrick Creek, Little Jones Creek, Copper Creek Drainage, Coon Creek/ 16n19 17n07, Washington Flat, Pioneer Road, Panther Flat Campground Area, all communities between Slant Bridge Road north to the Oregon Border along Highway 199, French Hill Road.

Level 2 “Be Set”: Low Divide, High Divide, Rowdy Creek, Big Flat/Rock Creek

Level 1 “Be Ready”: Hiouchi from Slant Bridge to the east end of North Bank Road

Closures

South Fork Road is open to residents only. Resident must provide proof of residency.

Rowdy Creek Road remains closed at the top of Low Divide.

Howland Hill Road (Residents Only)

County road 316, Shelly Creek,

County Road 315 Holiday Mine

County Road 311 Old Gasquet Toll Road

County Road 305 Weimer Road

Forest Service Roads 16N19 and 17N07

U.S. Highway 199 is closed in Del Norte County from Slant Bridge Road to Oregon Mountain Road (PM 16 to 31) due to the fire activity. A hard closure is in place on U.S. 199 at the Agriculture Station near the Oregon border. For the latest road conditions please visit quickmap.dot.ca.gov

Effective Sunday, August 20, 2023, the Six Rivers National Forest has issued a forest-wide closure order. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/srnf/notices/?cid=FSEPRD1096395

The American Red Cross has a shelter at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds (421 US-101 N, Crescent City, CA 95531) for those displaced by evacuations. Red Cross disaster workers are partnering with local officials to help ensure evacuees receive necessities, including food, water, and shelter.

More Information

Smith River Complex Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/casrf-smith-river-complex

Facebook

Six River National Forest: https://www.facebook.com/SixRiversNF

Del Norte Office of Emergency Services: https://www.facebook.com/DelNorteOfficeOfEmergencyServices     

Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office: https://www.facebook.com/DelNorteCountySheriffDepartment

Smith River Complex North: https://www.facebook.com/smithrivercomplexnorth

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest: https://www.facebook.com/R6RRSNF/

Josephine County Emergency Management: https://www.facebook.com/josephinecountyEM

For an interactive evacuation map please visit: https://rvem.org/.