Fire History and Resources
This section provides fire history and resource information for Humboldt County and surrounding counties. Major fires reported on KMUD News are posted here and this section will serve as an archive for notable fires in our area.
Fire Resource information:
- To report a fire call 911 and be ready to report:
- that there is a fire.
- where the fire is located.
- the size of the fire.
- Other useful telephone numbers:
- Garberville Area Cal Fire Office: (707) 923-2645
- Cal Fire Humboldt/Del Norte Headquarters in Fortuna: (707) 725-4413
- Arson Hotline: 1-800-468-4408
- Useful Links:
- Cal Fire Home Page
- Cal Fire Current Fire Incidents Page
- Incident information System
- National Interagency Fire Center
- GEOMAC Wildland Fire Mappings
- Cal Fire Defensible Space Page (To Create a Defensible Space Around Your Buildings)
- California Fire Department Directory (Humboldt County)
Watch a Cal Fire Video on how to create a defensible space around your home:
According to information received by KMUD News from Cal Fire - Mendocino Unit, dated August 16, 2011:
A fire, officially called the "East Fire", started Monday August 15, 2011 at 3:38 pm along the East Side Road east of Willits. The fire started in the grass but quickly burned into the trees threatening structures. With combined efforts of Cal Fire, CDCR, Little Lake, Ukiah Valley, Brooktrails, Laytonville, Redwood Valley & Hopland Fire Departments the fire was held to 10 acres and controlled by 8:00pm on 08/15/2011.
Today (Tues. August 16) 1 crew & 2 engines will be mopping up & patrolling the area.
The photos below were sent to KMUD News by Cal Fire - Mendocino Unit:
An Incident Update, from Cal Fire, on the Pass Incident, dated Thursday, August 4, 2011, 8:00 a.m. indicates the following (also, see below for original report and maps of fire location):
Acres Burned:800 acres; 35% contained- full containment expected August 6th. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and at this point no structures have been destroyed and, to date, there have been no evacuations.
Additional information:
- Total Fire Personnel: 336
- Engines: 15
- Fire crews: 17
- Airtankers: 1
- Helicopters: 3
- Dozers: 2
- Total Personnel: 450
- Cooperating Agencies: CAL FIRE, USFS, Covelo Fire, Little Lake Fire, Brooktrails Fire, Laytonville Fire, Ukiah Valley Fire, California Conservation Corp and CDCR
Current Situation: Firefighters continue to construct and improve containment lines, improve and hold fire lines and put out hot spots. Possibility of long-range spotting again today. Continuing unified command with Mendocino National Forest.
See maps below (compliments of Long John) for fire locations:
At 4:15 PM, August 3, 2011 KMUD News received the following information from KZYX News Director, Dave Brooksher:
According to CalFire’s Julie Cooley, there is a fire burning near Hams pass road in the Hulls Mountain Area, Northeast of Covelo. Known as the Pass Incident, this fire started at 12:03 PM on Wed., August 3. It is currently burning at roughly 600 acres, and growing. So far, CalFire has committed twenty-six fire engines, twelve hand-crews, six bulldozers, three air-tankers, two air attack vehicles and two helicopters. The United States Forest Service has also committed two engines and two hand-crews from the Mendocino National Forest.
Another fire was reported along Highway 253, but sources at CalFire are reporting that it has already been put out and was contained at less than one acre.
A fire broke out Thursday, July 21, 2011 at around 10:45 AM across from the Briceland Fire Station near Perry Meadow Road. Units responding to the fire included Cal Fire, Briceland, Phillipsville, Redway and Telegraph Ridge Fire Departments.The fire, which was estimated to be 6 to 7 acres, was contained at 11:52 AM. Resources responding to the event included four crews, seven engines, one helicopter, two dozers, three air attack craft and two water tankers. Two structures were threatened by the blaze but were protected, resulting in no structures lost. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Click here to see a photo, taken by Mikal Jakubal, of the Briceland VFD crew doing mop-up at the Briceland Road fire.
The photo below is from Briceland VFD-twitpic
According to a CAL FIRE News Release, dated July 4, 2010:
The Spanish fire located within the Spanish Flat area of the King Range National Conservation Area remains 100% contained. The CAL FIRE Humboldt – Del Norte Unit will continue to have limited suppression resources at the fire to ensure firelines hold and to conduct mop-up operations. The fire, which has burned 498 acres, will be monitored over the next week. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by both Bureau of Land Management and Cal Fire investigators.
As of July 4th CAL FIRE has the following fire suppression resources assigned to the fire:
2 - Hand Crews
2 - Overhead Personnel
CAL FIRE recommends that the public avoid hiking in the burned area and remain on established hiking trails and roads. Various environmental hazards can exist in burned areas.