Saturday coverage: More Than 1,400 Battling for American Fire Containment
Latest U.S. Forest Service Incident Report
Updated: 11:00 p.m. Sunday - American Fire Keeps Growing, Crews Making Progress
The American Fire has grown to 13,750 acres, with more than 1,850 personnel workign the incident. The blaze, burning in heavy fuels on extreme slopes about 10 air miles northeast of the community of Foresthill, and eight air miles south of Interstate 80, is 49 percent contained as of late Sunday.
The Robinson Flat Campground is closed. The Tahoe National Forest has issued a voluntary evacuation notice for Big Oak Flat located near the south end of the fire. Forest Road 43 (Robinson Flat Road) is closed at its intersection with Forest Road 96 (Mosquito Ridge Road).
An emergency closure order is in place for portions of National Forest System lands within and adjacent to the American Fire. A map and description of the closed area can be obtained at Tahoe National Forest offices as well as online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe. Portions of the Foresthill Divide road are closed.
A Type I incident managment team (IMT) will assume command of the fire the morning of August 19. Full suppression efforts remain in progress.
Thunderstorms predicted over the next few days may bring additional complexity and increase the potential for new starts. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning beginning Monday morning, August 19, through Wednesday evening, August 21. Changing weather patterns are likely to affect fire behavior and smoke dispersal patterns.
Heavy fuels are creating large amounts of smoke, which is a significant issue for the Sierra Foothills, Tahoe area, and Sacramento Valley. Several counties have issued air quality warnings, and those planning to visit area campgrounds and other recreation sites may experience intermittent heavy smoke. Smoky conditions may last for several days. Changing weather patterns are likely to affect fire behavior and smoke dispersal patterns.
Firefighter and public safety are the highest priority.
American Fire perimeter, Aug. 18:
Basic Information
| Incident Type |
Wildfire |
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| Cause |
Under Investigation |
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| Date of Origin |
Saturday August 10th, 2013 approx. 04:30 PM |
|---|
| Location |
Deadwood Ridge, northeast of Foresthill |
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| Incident Commander |
Dana D'andrea |
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Current Situation
| Total Personnel |
1,851 |
|---|
| Size |
13,730 acres |
|---|
| Percent Contained |
49% |
|---|
| Estimated Containment Date |
Wednesday August 28th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM |
|---|
| Fuels Involved |
Heavy fuels with standing dead snags.
|
|---|
| Fire Behavior |
The extremely dry fuel bed and steep slopes are contributing to control difficulty.
|
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| Significant Events |
Active fire behavior in some areas.
|
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Outlook
| Growth Potential |
High
|
|---|
| Terrain Difficulty |
Extreme
|
|---|
| Remarks |
Today fire behavior was moderate. Tonight’s predicted thunderstorms and erratic winds may produce more surface fire on the ridgetops and increase the potential for torching and short crown runs.
Full suppression efforts remain in progress, and fire officials are watching the weather closely. Thunderstorms predicted over the next few days may bring additional complexity and increase the potential for new starts.
|
|---|
Current Weather
| Wind Conditions |
7-15 mph NE |
|---|
| Temperature |
Max 90 degrees |
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| Humidity |
15% |
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