Updated (8/29 2pm)The Happy Camp Complex Fire continues to grow and there is no sign of letting up.
Fire activity increased dramatically yesterday afternoon and grew to more than 44,500 acres.
That is the equivalent to a little less than the size of Grants Pass, Medford, Ashland, Klamath Falls and Yreka combined.
The two major fires in the complex combined into one during yesterdays growth.
The fire remains at 20% contained. Meanwhile, all evacuation orders in the area remain in place (listed below).
Siskiyou County, Cali., –It’s been nearly 2 and a half weeks since the Happy Camp Complex fire burning in Siskiyou County started.
It has scorched more than 32,000 acres, consisting of 2 major fires.
The largest is the Frying Pan Fire,but it is the smaller Faulkstein Fire that is causing problems.
“The inversion lifted and the sun was able to hit the fuels, and dry fuels out even further and so the fire made a run to the east.”
In a matter of hours, Wednesday, the fire nearly doubled in size.
“This area is very steep of course and rugged, lots of rocks, the vegetation is very thick, access is limited, it’s logistically difficult to get firefighters into the area near the fire.”
One of the biggest concerns fire crews have is the potential for snags, or trees that have burned and can easily fall over.
At the base camp Thursday, fire officials showed off a truck that had been smashed by a tree.
“Thankfully no people were in them at the time. but that’s just a hazard we have to mitigate.”
Another concern is the ash and embers flying in the air.
If they are still hot enough and land in the right spot, they could spark another blaze, something fire crews say hope doesn’t happen.
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