California Fire Smoke Dampend Fire Activity on Skyline Ridge Complex Today

Smoke from fires burning in northern California dampened fire activity on the Skyline Ridge Complex today. The complex is comprised of 24 fires burning on public and private lands east of Canyonville. The smoky conditions allowed firefighters to make progress corralling the blazes. The fires showed occasional activity, making short runs but overall growth was limited. An infrared flight last night mapped the complex at 981 acres. Containment is estimated at 0%. On the Poole Creek Fire, crews with heavy equipment began opening roads in preparation for a sustained suppression effort. In the Upper Cow Creek area, firefighters completed a containment line around the Ike Butte Fire and laid hoses to support mop-up operations. Crews had a successful day on the Galesville Fire, securing the fire line and installing hose lays. Firefighters were also engaged on O’Shea Creek, Packard Creek, Hill Creek and Sweat Creek Fires. The fire area remains under a Red Flag Warning due to low humidity and unstable conditions. The forecast calls for increasing humidity, which will also moderate fire behavior in finer fuels. Larger fuels, such as downed trees, will continue to burn, especially on ridge tops. Smoke accumulations in the lower drainages could pose driving hazards for firefighters and the public. Crews on night shift plan to take advantage of smoky conditions and higher humidity to engage several small fires directly. The focus will be on the O’Shea Creek, Beale Creek and Turkey Creek Fires with the aim to hold and improve the fire’s perimeter control lines. Via Incident Command