Tuesday Overnight Report on the Chips Fire
According to the Chips Fire information center, good progress was made on the fire Monday.
Lines along the southeast from Belden up to Caribou are holding with the exception of a small section near the Red Hill area where crews had some difficulty.
Work will continue in this area overnight and into Tuesday. Burnout operations completed Sunday night to the northeast of the fire progressed to one quarter mile from the head of the main fire, meeting the objectives of the operation by reducing the unburned fuels between the head of the fire and neighboring communities.
Crews continued mop up near the burnout operation in Yellow Creek. Very little aircraft was used due poor visibility from increased smoke in the area. Much of the smoke was from neighboring fires, particularly the Pass Fire in Mendocino County.
Decreased fire behavior was experienced due to the smoke which prevented the fire from heating up during the afternoon when fire is usually most active.
What crews did last night: Overnight crews completed burnout operations and secured, strengthened, and mopped-up control lines in the area southwest of Canyon Dam.
Engines will patrol the communities of Prattville, Canyon Dam and Big Meadows to watch for fallout from burning material.
Evacuations and Closures: Highways 89 and 147 have been reopened to all traffic. The mandatory evacuation order issued by the Plumas County Sherriff’s office is still in place for Canyon Dam and Big Meadows. For more information, please see: http://www.countyofplumas.com/CivicAlerts.aspx AID=536
Smoke: Smoke will continue to pose health concerns for the public. Residents are encouraged to visit the “Protect Yourself from Smoke” website for smoke protection information at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Wildfires/. Local air quality conditions and forecasts are available at http://airnow.gov/index.cfm action=airnow.main.
Community Meetings: A community meeting will be held in Clear Creek Community Park at 6:00 p.m. tonight.
Chips Fire, Plumas County
