The Green Fire spread Tuesday morning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest wilderness in an area northeast of Redding and Shasta Lake, about 8 miles west of Montgomery Creek.
Fueled by dry conditions, the fire grew to 14,181 acres by 11 a.m. Tuesday — up from 13,366 earlier that morning, and from 11,643 acres on Monday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The fire remained 5% contained on Tuesday after it spread up against the Pit River over the weekend.
Firefighters snuffed a 50-acre spot fire, ignited Monday evening by the Green Fire in the wilderness near the Sulanharas arm of Shasta Lake, according to the forest service’s Operations Section Chief Shawn Burt.
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Where is the Green Fire burning on Tuesday?
Here’s how far the Green Fire progressed, Incident Commander Joe Sean Kennedy said in a Tuesday morning update.
California wildfire and smoke map
What are firefighters doing to stop the Green Fire?
The forest service will continue using two super scooper airplanes to scoop water from Shasta Lake and drop it on the Green Fire burn area. Those planes need a mile of open water to refill their tanks, so recreational boaters should avoid the area so they don’t block firefighting operations, the forest service said.
The forest service’s incident management team opened a second base camp to cover the western section of the Green Fire, while the existing base camp will work the eastern section, Kennedy said in the update.
Another 40 firefighters joined the Green Fire incident team this week, for a total of 1,442 people battling the Green Fire. Out of 29 firefighter crews working the fire, 17 are hotshots — teams of experienced firefighters with specialized knowledge regarding fire suppression in rugged wilderness, he said.
There are nine helicopters, 26 bulldozers, five firefighter boat crews and 96 engines working the fire. The forest service also had five field ambulances positioned throughout the area in case anyone is injured.
Weather this week could help firefighters get stronger handle on Green Fire
While the weather will remain very dry, temperatures in Redding and throughout the North State are cooling down a bit this week, starting Wednesday, according to forecasters.
That could slow the Green Fire down and allow firefighters to build containment, the National Weather Service said.
Overnight temperatures will drop into the high 60s in Redding and low 60s east of the Green Fire in Montgomery Creek. By afternoon, the temperature won’t rise above the high 90s in Redding and low 90s in Montgomery Creek, according to weather service forecasts.
That could reduce some Green Fire smoke, boosting air pollution levels over Redding and other parts of Shasta County. Several North State counties issued air quality advisories, including Shasta, Tehama and Humboldt.
Winds will calm to about 5 to 10 mph, but gusts up to 20 mph could kick up the fire a bit in the afternoons throughout the week, Kennedy said.
Are Green Fire evacuations and warnings still in effect on Tuesday?
Yes, an evacuation order remained in place Tuesday for one LKH-1448-A in the forest. The wilderness area is north of Kennedy Memorial Road and south of Wheeler Nursery Road, according to Genasys.com zone maps.
– People evacuating west can go to a collection point at the Gilman Road and Interstate 5 intersection, the county announced.
– People evacuating east toward Highway 299 can gather at Halcumb Cemetery, 29943 Highway 299 in Montgomery Creek, according to the county.
Zone LKH-1448-B to the north of the Green Fire area is still under an evacuation warning, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office issued. That area is north of Wheeler Nursery Road.
Two other zones remained under evacuation warnings on Monday:
– Zone LKH-1200 to the west of the Green Fire area — from north of Ski Island, south of Dekkas Creek, east of the McCloud River and west of Bully Hill.
– Zone LKH-1190 to the northwest — from north of Hirz Creek, south of the McCloud Bridge and east of Matquaw Flat.
To find your zone, type your address into the search window at protect.genasys.com/search. If you’re away from home and not sure of your address, users can find their location on the site’s map.
What parts of the Shasta-Trinity forest are closed near the Green Fire?
The forest service closed trails and campgrounds near the fire, including the Hirz Recreation Complex, Chirpchatter Campground and picnic area, Potem Falls Trail and Madrone Campground and picnic area.
The burn area is closed and off limits to the public, the forest service said.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal , Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding’s Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Green Fire grows another 815 acres Tuesday; spot fire in Shasta-Trinity forest contained
Reporting by Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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