Saturday 10:00p.m.
The Walker Fire’s progression slowed earlier today as a result of cloud cover and reduced fuel to the north as it entered the previously burned Antelope Fire area.
The fire spread to the north up Wheeler’s Peak drainage and east around the Antelope Fire scar reaching a mile and a half of south of Murdock Crossing. No new evacuations have been ordered and no structures have been lost.
The fire is burning on the Plumas National Forest approximately 11 miles east of Taylorsville.
The fire is 5% contained and while the current total is 24,040 acres officials say that an updated acreage will be obtained during an overnight mapping flight.
Aerial and ground resources working together made good progress on the Walker Fire today, taking advantage of the reduced fire activity.
When smoke and wind conditions permitted, VLAT’s (Very Large Air Tankers) capable of dropping up to 10,000 gallons of retardant, slowed the fire’s spread to the northeast and on the western flank in the Wheeler Peak drainage.
Aircraft support gave crews working in conjunction with dozers time to construct fireline along the southern edge of the fire which crews and dozers will continue advancing around the fire this evening. Two Super Scooper aircraft dropped water and controlled two spot fires out in front of the main fire to the east.
Resources continued patrolling and secured the fireline along the southwest edge of the fire, removing the threat to structures. Tonight, crews will continue securing the 25N42 road while other night shift resources look for opportunities to construct containment line along the fire’s edge where possible as well as areas further out from the fire with the highest probability of successfully containing the fire.
Evacuation Orders- Plumas County Sheriff’s Office and Plumas County Office of Emergency Services have ordered mandatory evacuations of Antelope Lake to the Plumas county line.
Mandatory evacuations for the Genesee Valley road corridor, the Ward Creek area, and the Flournoy Bridge area are still in place, (issued through CodeRED).
Residents who need accommodations should proceed to the Quincy area and contact the Sheriff’s Office.
There are no evacuations in Lassen County at this time.
Road Closures- Janesville Grade is now closed. Genesee Valley road is closed at the Flournoy Bridge. Antelope Lake road is also closed from the Flournoy Bridge to Antelope Dam. At the Flournoy Bridge turnoff, the 111 Beckwourth-Genesee road is closed through the fire area.
It is recommended that any public in an area potentially affected by the fire, continue to monitor fire information, have an evacuation plan, and sign up for the CodeRED emergency messaging system at: https://public.coderedweb.com/cne/en-US/BFB7CC4C6C0A
Breezy conditions along the ridgetop are expected as a weak weather system passes through this evening. Forecasted cloud cover and cooler temperatures are expected to raise the relative humidity tonight which will contribute to a decrease in fire activity.
