- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Glass fire held to no new growth; cooler temperatures help firefighters on August Complex
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The growth of the Glass fire has stopped while cooler conditions are helping firefighters on the massive August Complex to continue to increase containment.
Cal Fire said the Glass fire remained at 67,484 acres on Friday night, marking the first day of no growth on the incident since it began on Sept. 27 in Napa and Sonoma counties.
Containment also grew several percentage points to 78 percent, Cal Fire said.
Officials said activity on the fire line on Friday was limited to scattered heat signatures and isolated smoldering heavy fuels across the fire area.
With conditions improving, on Friday the evacuation warnings for two areas south of Middletown in Lake County were lifted and a portion of Highway 29 from Middletown to Tubbs Lane was reopened.
Resources continue to be reduced on the fire. On Friday evening, 1,437 personnel remained assigned to the fire, along with 162 engines, 20 water tenders, 10 helicopters, 23 hand crews, 11 dozers and two masticators, Cal Fire reported.
On Friday night, Cal Fire said 2,560 structures remained threatened by the fire.
Cal Fire said the damage inspection has been completed. The final assessment showed that 638 structures have been destroyed in Sonoma County, including 334 single-family homes, while 917 buildings have been destroyed in Napa County, with 308 of them being homes. In addition, 132 structures were damaged in Sonoma County and 150 in Napa County.
Cal Fire continues to anticipate the fire will be fully contained on Oct. 20.
New team takes over August Complex South Zone
On Friday, the Southwest Area Type 1 Incident Management Team No. 1 assumed command of the August Complex South Zone, one of four zones on the complex. The other zones are the Northwest, Northeast and West.
The complex was up to 1,023,629 acres and 67-percent containment on Friday night, Cal Fire said. Approximately 4,524 personnel are assigned.
The US Forest Service said that on Thursday, a helicopter dropped water to support dozers and ground crews as they continued to secure the perimeter and mop-up around a 300-acre slop-over northeast of Lake Pillsbury, over the M6 Road near Bloody Rock.
Cooler temperatures and increased humidity are helping reduce fire activity, officials said. Pockets of heat within the fire’s perimeter are expected to continue to smolder. Firefighters will continue to mop up, monitor and patrol along the firelines.
The Forest Service said firefighters are currently assessing suppression repair needs. Suppression repair is a series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities.
This work repairs the hand and dozer fire lines, roads, trails, staging areas, safety zones, and drop points used during fire suppression efforts.
For more information on the three phases of wildfire recovery visit this page.
Officials said the No. 1 priority remains firefighter and public safety. They asked that weekend travelers please be cautious while traveling on roads and highways as firefighters and equipment are working in the area.
The August Complex is expected to be fully contained Nov. 15, the Forest Service reported.
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