UPDATED| Thursday 9/25/14 4:55 p.m.
The end is in sight for firefighters on the Happy Camp Complex of fires burning in Siskiyou County. Containment reached 94% by this morning (Sept. 25).
Rain falling on the fire zone is helping. But a flash flood watch that accompanied the rain prompted fire managers to pull firefighters off fire suppression efforts Wednesday and early Thursday.
The concern was that the rain could cause flooding and landslides in and around wildfire burn scars. There were also concerns that debris could fall onto and block roadways, especially Highway 96 and Scott River Road. A detailed view of the threatened area is available here.
The Happy Camp Complex, burning since mid-August on the Klamath National Forest, has burned almost 133,000 acres, and is now 94% contained. The estimated firefighting cost to date is north of $86 Million.
Fire managers plan another community meeting to let area residents know about the firefighting progress; the meeting is scheduled for 6 PM Friday (Sept. 26) at Fort Jones City Hall.
An update on other fires burning in Northern California including a map of large wildfires in the state is available here.
View a video slideshow of Happy Camp Complex firefighting efforts here.
- Location: Happy Camp Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest
- Start: Monday, August 11, 2014 due to lightning strikes
- Size: 132,733 acres burned; 94% contained
- Structure Damage: 8 damaged or destroyed, including 2 homes
- Mandatory Evacuation: All mandatory evacuations and advisories have been lifted.
- Road Closures: All roads, including Scott River Road, are now open.
- Air Quality: Due to unhealthy air quality, a Clean Air Respite Center is available at the Karuk Tribe's Senior Nutrition Center in Happy Camp.
- Forest & Trail Closures: Find out about forest closures here. Numerous portions of the Pacific Crest Trail also remain closed due to fires burning in Northern California and Southern Oregon. More information here.
- Hunting Information: Deer hunting season, which began September 20th, will be affected in some areas by forest closure. The California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife has compiled a list of forest closures and additional information that may affect hunters here.
