Here is your Saturday morning report on conditions from the Rush Fire burning north of Wendel.
According this morning’s report firefighters made steady progress overnight at the Rush fire, building fireline and mopping up in the active northeast part of the fire in Nevada, about 25 miles northeast and east of Ravendale.
Crews will continue working on today to quell hot spots and build fireline. Also today, suppression repair work will focus on the southwest flank of the fire.
The weather forecast calls for increasing winds over the next few days, with a fire-weather warning predicted for Sunday. The winds have the potential of fanning any remaining embers and hot spots. Wind can also form dust devils that could carry hot material over containment lines into extremely dry unburned vegetation.
The Rush fire was quiet on Friday, mainly smoldering with short bursts of active flames when thicker pockets of vegetation ignited in the northeast flank of the fire.
Crews in the northeast completed burnouts to secure the fireline from Garden Lake to Burnt Lake. About 100 firefighters in five crews were flown to several areas in the northeast, including Antelope Springs, to build fireline.
These crews will camp out as they go, remaining out several days.
Area and Road Closures in Effect: Public lands bounded by Highway 395 on the west, the Sand Pass road and Nevada 447 on the east, the Wendel Road on the south, and Juniper Ridge road to Buckhorn road on the north are closed. The Buffalo Meadows road in Washoe Co., Nev., is also closed. The Ramhorn Springs and Dodge Reservoir campgrounds remain closed.
- Started: August 12, 2012 at 6:42 pm
- Expected Containment: 8/28/2012
- Cause: Lightning
- Committed Resources: 827 people
- Fuels: Fire is burning in sagebrush, juniper, and grass
- Structures Threatened: 39 (20 residences; 1 commercial; 18 outbuildings)
- Estimated Size: est. 320,793 acres (275,650 acres in California and 45,143 acres in Nevada)
- Structures Damaged or Destroyed: 1 (barn)
- Containment: 65%
- Injuries: 2
A note for our readers who are LMUD customers – Due to the unstable nature of PG&E’s Caribou transmission line LMUD will be operating off of Honey Lake Power for the duration of the Plumas County Chips Fire. LMUD is asking that all customers conserve energy by unplugging or turning off all non-essential household equipment and appliances.
Rush Fire, Lassen County
