Eureka Times Standard (California)
Copyright 2006 Times - Standard
All Rights Reserved
A number of small wildfires on national forest lands in the region have grown, others have been contained and a new one has been discovered.
The remote nature of many of the burns has kept many of the fires lightly staffed, as have the scarcity of resources spread thin over California.
Thirteen fires on the Orleans/Ukonom Ranger District and the Gasquet Ranger District of Six Rivers National Forest are now dubbed the Orleans Complex. Seven of the fires have been corralled.
The Somes Fire above Pearch Creek outside of Orleans has grown to 5 acres and the Owl Fire is now 10 acres. The Crawford Fire closest to Orleans to the west has grown to 15 acres and is the main target of firefighting efforts.
The Hancock Fire in the Wooley Creek area of the Marble Mountains Wilderness is not staffed because it is in remote, difficult terrain. The Wooley Creek trail is closed to North Fork Camp.
Smoke jumpers have been flown in to the 30-acre Buck Fire in the Siskiyou Wilderness to begin building fire lines. The fire is burning in heavy fuels 16 to 20 miles southeast of the Gasquet Ranger Station.
Access into the Six Rivers portion of the Siskiyou Wilderness has been issued and will remain in effect until the Buck Fire is contained.
Only three 20-person crews, eight engines, a helicopter and an air tanker are working on the Six Rivers fires, though more resources are on order.
The Fortuna California Conservation Corps has sent 15 corps members to a fire camp in Weaverville to help with the Bar Complex fires there.
Other fires in the area include the Uncles Fire in the Marble Mountain Wilderness northwest of Sawyers Bar, and several fires on the Klamath National Forest have burned 50 acres in all.