Vast of areas of Northstate forest have burst into flame in the last few days. Lightning strikes that occurred over the past week and a half have set the seeds of destruction.
In Modoc County a series of 75 lightning fires that totaled less than 10,000 acres Friday has grown to what is now an unknown number of fires totaling more than 40,000 acres. Crews have achieved 40% overall containment of all the Modoc Lightning Complex fires collectively. They’re burning mostly to the east of Clear Lake Reservoir.
Lightning strikes last Tuesday set off a series of fires about 7 miles southwest of Happy Camp known as the Clear Complex. Those five fires are burning a total of about 1900 acres of steep heavily forested terrain with just 10% containment.
Also in Siskiyou County, that same storm started seven fires in the Ukonom Mountain Area 20 miles north of Orleans dubbed the Orleans Complex, which total about 925 acres with no significant containment. They’re spreading into an area that’s increasingly steep and thick with timber.
A little south of that, the Marble Fire is fully contained after burning 319 acres of heavy timber.
The Island Fire 14 miles west of Etna is more than a month old and is burning 20 to 50 acres a day. The 1300 acre blaze is burning in an area with no recorded fire history and it’s surrounded on three sides by previously burned or scarcely vegetated areas. It’s mostly being allowed to run it’s course as it chews through 20 to 50 acres a day.
A blaze called the Sky Fire started Saturday off of Blue Sky Road east of Bella Vista. Forward progress was stopped by Saturday night and it’s now 100% contained at 17 acres.
The Hill Fire in Siskiyou County is burning in Pleasant Valley 3 miles west of Dorris. it’s 155 acres with 55% containment and forward progress has been stopped.
The Live Fire in Tehama County is near the community of Ridgeway west of Red Bluff off of Live Oak Road. It was fully contained Saturday night at 57 acres.