A wildfire near the northeast California community of Likely has now blackened about 8,500 acres of rangeland and, according to a report from BLM Public Affairs Officer Jeff Fontana, is now 30 percent contained. Officials estimate full containment by Sunday, Sept. 9th.
The Likely Fire is burning east of U. S. Highway 395 primarily in the Bureau of Land Management Tule Mountain Wilderness Study Area. It has forced evacuations at West Valley Reservoir camping areas, and is threatening 18 homes, two commercial properties and five outbuildings. No structures have been damaged or destroyed.
The fire is burning near an underground natural gas pipeline and near the Modoc National Forest boundary. There has been no damage to the pipeline and no access limitations to the Blue Lake Campground or Warner Mountain Wilderness in the national forest.
Officials at the Susanville Interagency Fire Center said about 250 personnel are fighting the fire. They have used helicopters and air tankers to check the spread of the fire and are working today to build fire lines and conduct burning operations to remove fuel between the main fire and the firelines.
The blaze broke out Wednesday, Sept. 5th, when a fire in a motorhome on Highway 395 spread onto the highway shoulder and into the brush and juniper trees.
Current information on this fire is available at www.inciweb.org. Click the link for Likely Fire. The website is updated regularly.
