Updated (9/8 2:54pm)
Hamburg, Ca. — The Happy Camp complex fire in Siskiyou County is inching towards 100,000 acres. Fire officials say the fire has now consumed 96,869 acres, while the fire is growing, containment levels are raising, the complex is now 30% contained.
Updated (9/5 2:45pm)
Hamburg, Ca. — 2,991firefighters are working the Happy Camp Complex fire which is now close to 83,000 acres, which has now cost an estimated 47.4 million dollars.
The fire is 19% contained and could continue to grow. A red flag warning is in effect through 11pm Friday for residents living nearby; the winds are expected between 10-20 miles per hour with gusts up to 30.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has downgraded evacuations from mandatory to advisory in the following locations:
Highway 96 from Klamath River Bridge one-half mile west of Grider Road and Walker Creek Road to Seiad Creek Road.
The advisory also includes the four-mile section of China Grade Road from Elk Creek Road, Highway 96 is back open but subject to closure pending fire conditions.
Hamburg, Ca — Fire crews battling the Happy Camp Complex fire are anticipating a long night as they’re working furiously to get ahead of the weather.
When fire crews were briefed in the morning it was clear, work had to begin early before high winds and dry conditions added to an already dangerous blaze.
So with a team of a thousands and the support of locals, the battle against the Happy Camp Complex continues.
Watching the smoke from his front porch, Mark Lundquist describes the scene Tuesday night, the flames so intense, you could feel the heat a mile away.
“It was just like, boosh, and they’d blow and they’d shoot flames like 200 feet in air or more,” said Lundquist.
The Hamburg, California resident says he’s seen the mandatory evacuation notice, but he has faith in the firefighters and he’s made the choice to stay.
“If there was flames shooting through the woods there, yeah, I’d think about leaving but, this isn’t bad,” said Lundquist.
With the fire at 72,000 acres and expected to grow due to high winds and extremely dry conditions, protecting the 80 residents of this small community of Hamburg is the firefighters first objective.
“We’ve been doing structure protection, setting up hose pumps, all that, just to keep the homes protected and so far we’ve done great,” said firefighter Robert Everett.
At just 15% containment, the firefighters are facing an uphill battle.
“We’re at a red flag warning where the fire conditions are ripe for extreme fire growth,” said Joshua Veal.
Lundquist is holding out hope for a break in the weather as the fire continues to burn.
The U.S. Forest Service says the Happy Camp Complex has cost an estimated 41 million dollars but no structures or homes have burned.
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