The Chico Enterprise-Record
COVELO, Calif. — A fire engine was destroyed Saturday by the North Pass Fire northeast of Covelo, as its crew took safety in a pre-identified safe zone.
The fire took a number of runs that challenged firelines being created to stop it. “Extreme” fire behavior is being reported.
At last report, the fire had grown about 2,500 acres since Saturday to 26,648 acres. Containment was up one percentage point to 33 percent.
Full containment isn’t expected until Sept. 7.
The force fighting the fire is being reinforced. There are about 250 more people assigned to the fire today than Saturday, with the new total being 1,534.
The fire was started by lightning in the predawn hours of Aug. 18.
Ponderosa Fire
The teeth appear to have been taken out of the Ponderosa Fire, east of Manton between Highways 36 and 44, but it remains the most destructive fire in Northern California this year.
The fire, started by lightning just before noon Aug. 18 east of Manton, roared northeast toward Shingletown and Viola, as officials shifted strained firefighting resources to meet the threat. Sixty-four houses and 20 outbuildings were destroyed.
A change in the winds ended the threat to the north, but that pushed the fire southeast toward Highway 36 and Mineral. But that push appears to have been blunted, as the total burned area of 27,676 acres hasn’t changes for a couple of days.
Containment is still at 74 percent, and 340 buildings are listed as threatened. But about 300 people have been shifted to other fires. At last report. 1,936 people were fighting the fire.
Much of the activity involves stilling hotspots within the perimeter of the fire that have the potential to flare with higher winds expected for the next couple of days.
Rush Fire
No growth is being reported from Saturday to Sunday on the Rush Fire in eastern Lassen County and Nevada.
The blaze has blackened 320,793 acres an area 43 miles long and 16 miles wide but firefighters appear to be shifting into a cleanup mode. Most of the activity Saturday was in the interior of the fire.
Still the fire is just 66 percent contained, with full containment expected Thursday.
Personnel is being shifted to other fires. The 755 people working the fire Sunday was a decrease of about 75 from Saturday.
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