BREAKING
NEWS
Fire
Update
as of June 27
Burning
Permits Suspended in Lassen, Modoc, Almanor Basin<>
Fire
Restrictions in Place for Lassen National Forest
<>
Fire fighters are continuing
to work
toward containing wildfires burning across a wide swath of northeast California. The
local blazes are among more than 1,000 fires
burning across California.
<> Because
of the high fire danger and strain on fire fighting resources, CAL FIRE
has
announced suspension of all burning permits in Lassen and Modoc Counties and the Lake Almanor Basin.
<>
Additionally,
the Lassen National Forest announced that fire
restrictions are now
in effect. Firewood cutting permits have
been suspended, campfires are allowed only in designated campgrounds
and
recreation sites, and vehicles are restricted to roads and trails.
Smoking is
allowed only in enclosed vehicles.
<>·
Peterson Complex:
The
complex contains the Popcorn and Peterson
fires which have merged. The fire about
six miles south of the
McArthur-Fall River Mills area is 7,480 acres and 45 percent contained. The evacuation advisory for the Little Valley
has been lifted. There are about 350
firefighters and support personnel assigned.
<>With the July Fourth holiday
coming up,
fire officials are also stressing fireworks safety.
Possession and use of fireworks, including
the types sold at fireworks stands, are illegal in national forests,
national
parks and BLM-managed public lands.
<>Cities and
counties throughout the SIFC jurisdiction have various regulations
regarding
fireworks. Residents and visitors should check with their locality
before
purchasing or using the devices.
Fire
Update
As of June 25, 2008 at 12:00
a.m.
Fall River
Mills…
Lassen National Forest and other agencies are
continuing
efforts to suppress the Peterson Fire, located about 6 miles south of
the town
of Fall River Mills,
CA. A federal incident management team,
with Mark Ruggiero as Incident Commander, will be transitioning with
the local
firefighters today to assume command of this fire.
They will also manage the adjacent Popcorn
Fire under unified command with the local Lassen-Management Unit of
CALFIRE.
For the past
several days, these fires grew quickly and exhibited some extreme fire
behavior
due to moderate winds, drought conditions, and heavy fuels in the
fires’
paths. Starting the night of June 24, 2008
decreased winds and increased air moisture allowed firefighters to
successfully
use burn-out techniques to improve and hold firelines.
The Peterson
Fire is now approximately 3,000 acres in size of which 1,500 acres are
on the Lassen National Forest, with the remaining acreage
comprised of
BLM, State, and private lands.
The Peterson
Fire has moved southwest and east into a recently created defensive
fuel
profile zone (DFPZ). These zones have
been created by the Forest Service for this very purpose, to improve
the
ability to control fast moving fires. DFPZs
are created by a combination of reducing fuel loadings and cutting back
brush
and low growing ladder fuels that carry fires into tree crowns.
As a result of
reaching the DFPZ, the fire has dropped to the ground with low flame
heights
that can be safely and directly assaulted by fire crews.
This has also allowed firefighters to focus
their limited resources on other problem areas of the fire.
No structures
have been burned, and no evacuations are in place at this time,
although there
continues to be a precautionary and voluntary evacuation for the
community of
Little Valley.
Be sure to
report any fires without firefighters present, as the thick smoke is
hampering
detection efforts.
The Ventura
Fire, near the junction of Highway 299 and the Cassel Road, has burned
an estimated 1,000 acres and forced the closure of
Highway 299 for a time Monday and Tuesday evenings.
The fire is now burning along the east side
of Lake Britton, has burned
the field between Hat Creek and the Pit River and crossed
Highway 299 east of the Cassel area. It is burning in the Lassen National
Forest and private
land. Evancuations along Sandpit Road have been
lifted, however residents in both the Cassel and Sandpit Road are still on
alert.
May 23, 2008
Four killed in single engine plane crash
FALL RIVER MILLS - Details
are sketchy Friday, but what is known is that a single engine Bonanza
was inbound approaching the southwest runway of Tonkin Field at
approximately 10:24 a.m. A Sheriff's Department spokesman says they
received a call from a witness who said it appeared a small plane was
having difficulty and crashed north-east of Fort Crook avenue in Fall
River Mills. That person says they saw it go down, followed by a large
plume of black smoke.
A witness said it appeared that the plane had its flaps down, the pilot
made a sharp turn, too low, crashed and burned.
All four people aboard were killed. A spokesman for the Sheriff's
Department says it appears that there were two males and two females
found. Their bodies were found in the cockpit wreckage.
Both the Sheriff's and Coroner's office says they will not have any
information to release until late Saturday after the FAA team arrives,
does their investigation at the scene and releases the bodies.
Currently, the spokeswoman for the Coroner says they do not have any
positive identifications.
A person close to the investigation says they apparently were not
local, but were coming in to play golf - born out by burned golf clubs
found in the wreckage.
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