Fire crews work on the Milepost 21 fire near Weitchpec and Hoopa. Photo courtesy of the Hoopa Valley Tribe Office of Emergency Services

A wildfire near milepost marker 21 on Hwy. 96 is 90 percent contained, Hoopa Valley Tribal officials reported Sunday.

One-hundred and fifty personnel are continuing to suppress the blaze, which started July 20 and is human-caused, according to the tribe's news release. Firefighters will continue to monitor the fire in the steepest areas where hazards remain.

According to the news release:

The Milepost 21 Fire is 90% contained today. There is a little more suppression repair to do and isolated stumpholes are still burning in the interior of the fire perimeter. Some parts of the fire will be monitored and patrolled in the steepest areas where hazards remain.

Beginning today, a smaller Type 3 firefighting organization will be in place to complete containment of the fire. The remaining work is focused on suppression repair. Portions of the dozer lines remain; they must be treated with water bars and covered with brush and then inspected before considered complete.

A wood chipper will be brought in to chip up cut brush; wood chips are spread over areas disturbed by fire line construction to prevent later soil erosion. An excavator will be used to water-bar and place slash and cut-brush over the dozer lines. The firefighters will also assist the Hoopa Fire Department as needed with any new starts.

Weather for the area: Hot and dry weather conditions are expected to continue through the week. Good relative humidity recovery of 50% or higher will occur overnight. Thunderstorms are expected to the north and east of the fire area today; there is a slight chance for storms in the fire area. Winds of 6-12 mph, with gusts of 25 mph during the warmest part of the afternoon are expected.
Unless conditions change, this is the final update for the Milepost 21 Fire.

California Interagency Incident Management Team 11 appreciates the support of Hoopa Valley tribal members and the Hoopa Fire Department. We hope everyone remains healthy during these challenging pandemic times.

 

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