Containment on Fork Fire at standstill in rugged terrain. ‘Critical fire weather’ won’t help

Firefighters battling the Fork Fire, which has been burning for nearly a week in a remote area of the Eldorado National Forest, warn that “critical fire weather” could affect their efforts.

In a Sunday update, the U.S. Forest Service said that the fire — which started Sept. 8 along South Fork Road and Trail View in El Dorado County — had charred 1,752 acres, but progress on the relatively small wildfire has been slow. Through the weekend, containment on the fire hasn’t budged from 7%.

Although firefighters were hoping to make progress on containment given favorable weather conditions in the past few days, the Forest Service said that “steep topography and weakened snags present many potential challenges” to their operations.

The fire started Sept. 8 in the Rubicon River drainage and is burning about 15 miles northeast of Pollock Pines and 25 miles west of South Lake Tahoe. Fire officials previously said that the Rubicon canyon makes for poor firefighting conditions.

A windy front heading from the southwest that is expected to affect Northern California on Sunday and Monday may continue to stifle suppression efforts, officials said.

“The incident meteorologist predicts southwest winds may increase over the ridges, potentially aligning in the Rubicon River drainage today and tomorrow,” Forest Service officials said. “Combined with lower humidity, these conditions could lead to critical fire weather. If the smoke begins to lift out of the area, this is a strong indication of changing weather conditions.”

As the smoke clears, sunlight has the potential to warm up grass and other fuels, leading to more aggressive fire behavior.

Firefighters spent Saturday strengthening lines near Gerle Creek and Airport Flat in an attempt to halt spread to those areas.

A total of 237 personnel are working the Fork Fire, in addition to two helicopter crews. Crews are hoping to use the helicopters to douse active spots on the fire’s northeastern edge in order to prepare for the changing winds.

The Eldorado National Forest, along with all other national forests in California, is closed due to the hazardous fire conditions.

Willow Fire

The Willow Fire, north of Sacramento in Yuba County, was 1,311 acres and is 75% contained Sunday after burning since Sept. 9. Progress has been steady as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

“Although several areas in the northern edge of Yuba County remain under mandatory evacuation, it seems like things are moving in a better direction,” the Yuba County Office of Emergency Services said Saturday evening.

On Sunday morning, some evacuation orders were lifted. Residents of Brownsville were allowed to return home, though several roads in the area remained closed and communities northeast of Brownsville up to the county line were still under evacuation orders.

“For residents able to return home, please continue to be vigilant in monitoring fire activity nearby and remain prepared to evacuate again if necessary,” the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office said.

The Willow Fire, north of Smartsville near the intersection of Neptune Lane and Willow Glen Road, has destroyed 41 structures and damaged 10 more. A total of 218 fire personnel have been sent out to the blaze, according to Cal Fire.

This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 2:14 PM.