Oct. 26 North Complex Fire: Holding at 96 percent contained; withstood winds
The Red Flag warning is still in effect through Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 1 p.m., but overnight the fire remained within its containment lines. Today’s winds are not expected to cause any additional challenges to those lines and are expected to gradually subside over the course of the day. Fuels in the fire area will be very dry and firefighters advise residents to use caution and avoid activities that may cause the production of sparks in an effort to prevent a new fire start.
Suppression repair continues as firefighters work to restore damage the forest sustained and firefighters continue to monitor for smokes and flare-ups that have been reported within the interior perimeter of the burn. USFS Resource Advisors (READs) are working with firefighters to ensure that sensitive habitats, cultural resources and potential hazards are handled with care during suppression repair. The focus of today’s suppression repair work will be in the southeastern boarder of the fire line.
Only a portion of the Plumas National Forest is closed due to the fire. Four fifths of the Forest is open for recreation. In the areas of Forest closures, Forest Service roads and campgrounds are closed. Burned trees, smoldering stump holes, heavy equipment being moved around the fire area are some of the immediate public safety issues in the closed burn area. Longer term hazards include landslides and flash flooding caused by erosion or suppression activities not yet repaired in the closure area can lead to serious injury or death without warning. Law enforcement will be patrolling the area. Please use caution as fire personnel continue working in the area. Drive carefully and watch for fire equipment. Watch your speed and also be aware of the logging trucks around La Porte Road.
Plumas National Forest Closure:
There is a Plumas National Forest closure in effect for the fire perimeter and surrounding areas; please check https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices
The North Complex Fire grew from the Claremont and Bear fires that were ignited by lightning strikes Aug. 17 and eventually merged.
