NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters are still actively working the firelines of the August Complex while also making repairs necessary across the vast territory that it has scorched over the past two months.
The US Forest Service said the lightning-caused complex, burning since Aug. 17, was up to 1,032,264 acres and 86 percent containment on Sunday night.
It’s burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests.
As containment has risen on the complex, firefighter numbers have been rolled back. By Sunday night, officials said 2,508 personnel remained assigned to all four zones.
The Forest Service said firefighters have completed the remaining line in the Eel River Canyon while helicopters were used to drop water on isolated areas of heat near the river.
Suppression repair activities, including constructing waterbars, removing dozer berms, spreading slash piles outside of dozer line where possible, using woody material that is 2 inches or less in diameter to cover line, and covering 50 percent of bare soil area with woody material are ongoing along the western side of the South Zone, officials said.
On Saturday, the Forest Service said firefighters completed one mile of handline and one and a half miles of dozer line repair in the southwest portion of the fire.
A closure order remains in effect for the fire area on the Mendocino National Forest.
Private properties accessed via a Forest System road may require a permit from the USDA Forest Service. Contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316 for more information.
Hunting and recreation are prohibited within the August Complex South Zone Fire Area Closure area. Safety hazards in the area include unstable trees that may fall, loose rocks and boulders, burning stumps and deep ash pits.
August Complex acreage and containment continue to edge up
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On