Mon 8/31 Just a quick summary for today’s operations on both Elkhorn and the northern bits of the Glenn Zone (Tatham and Doe where it threatens and bumps SRA.) Today is the first day we can see mountains from the valley. Clear air means a lot of things, higher intensity fire, higher temps and lower RH, but also aircraft get a clean shot at the thing as well. They have been approved for retardant operations in the wilderness where it supports direct attack on the fire only (as opposed to pre-treating a line ahead of the fire.) They were hoping to work all through the Tomhead Gulch and Sulpher Creek drainages today, however the air still isn’t quite clear in Sulpher Creek behind Elkhorn Ridge, and there are no terrain features to really take advantage of the retardant up in the wilderness area this morning and tying it into the Elkhorn Ridge area. Much more conducive for helicopters for the time being. Will try again this afternoon.
For the Tatham Fire south of Elkhorn, it’s pushing its way north to Riley Ridge. They have dozer line along the ridge but nothing past that at the moment. When the inversion lifts and the fire gets aligned with the terrain and slope reversal, they expect it to make a mile run at least today, in a generally N-NW direction towards Ball Rock with the upslope diurnal winds. Further south near Salt Creek Camp they were trying yesterday to fire off I believe the M4 and Mud Flat Road to tie in the line with black, but higher humidity kept that operation from being effective. Will try again today with the helitorch. The Glade fire is also pushing right behind Tatham and will become a situational awareness issue for crews in there around Kingsley Glade and Ball Rock, having to watch their backs for two fires from two directions. This area sandwiched between Elkhorn, Tatham and Glade, has action from the state side, the fed side, and private logging resources and contractors so opportunities might present itself for operational objectives to be slightly tugged back and forth. Heads up there. I believe the BTU/TGU complex side will simply keep it out of SRA and help where they can deeper in but that’ll be primarily MNF August Complex…
For the Elkhorn, everything from Brushy Ridge north, clockwise around the fire and back to Elkhorn Ridge is looking good with little to no fire activity. They’ll continue to mop up 300feet into the line to make sure the edge is cold. The three active pieces are Sulpher Creek below Elkhorn Ridge, where they’re making great but slow progress with the terrain, the fire backed into and appears to be holding at Cottonwood Creek, and up along Brushy Ridge into the Middle Ridge and Slide Creek area just working on cleaning that up. The slop into the wilderness will be a big priority today with the opportunity for air support. Hand crews cut in line along Humboldt Trail all the way to East Gap last night, and will be working down Long Ridge into the creek today and tie into Tomhead Gulch. They’ll also be working direct where it’s safe and the opportunity lends itself. Fire has been rolling out below itself, then isolated torching and spotting back on itself.
Elkhorn Operations and aircraft is highest priority on scancal.org live scanner. MNF-August Complex is second priority. Besides the alpha tags, the telltale double-squelch tail of the NIFC command repeaters and the generally “non-Californian” accents of the Southern Blue Team will audibly tell the two apart.
11am Update:
Elkhorn just pulled out of Div X and the Sulpher Creek drainage and going to safety zones. The entire drainage just pretty much exploded. The 1 hour on the Eighmy Cam is impressive (from after 1030am). The column to the south before Eighmy zooms in is the northern edge of Tatham coming up into Riley Ridge area (Div WW on TGU/BTU Glenn Zone).