Fires are still burning in California on on August 15. Read on to learn all the details about the current fires in California as of August 15, with a roundup of maps of the larger fires around the state, their containment levels, and where they are located. News is constantly changing, so call your local officials if you are concerned about evacuations near you. (If you are interested in reading about Forrest Gordon Clark, who was arrested in connection with the Holy Fire, see Heavy’s story here.)
Interactive Maps of California Fires
This map below is an interactive map of the more significant fires in California, consistently updated and provided by CAL FIRE and Google. Fires in red are active and fires in black are contained. Read the next section for details about the fires listed on the map. You may need to zoom into this map to see California up close.
The California Governor’s office has another active fire map for comparison, which is embedded below. This map periodically is made available only to those with a login, so if it’s not available when you’re reading this story, it might be released to the public again later. This map includes a major incident summary for the day.
Below is another active fire map from Google’s Crisis Map. Zoom in to see areas of interest. This map also includes fires in other states.
Next are more specific details on the fires for August 15. The details are extensive, so if you are looking for a specific fire, search for the name so you can find it faster, or just scroll down and look at the fires, listed in alphabetical order.
List of Active Fires in California as of August 15
Here are the active fires and updates about them, per CAL FIRE. Most of these are in alphabetical order, but newer fires not yet listed on the CAL FIRE map may be included in a separate section at the end.
Carr Fire
The Carr Fire is off Highway 299 and Carr Powerhouse Road in Whiskeytown (Shasta County.) You can see an interactive map above. The fire is 211,038 acres and 67 percent contained, according to CAL FIRE. Every day, containment and acreage increase just a little. There are 1,077 residences that were destroyed, 22 commercial structures, and 500 outbuildings. At this point, 44 structures are still threatened by the fire, which is a huge decrease from the thousands that were threatened last week. The fire was caused by a vehicle’s mechanical failure and there were three fatalities from the fire.
8/15 Wednesday #CarrFire. 214,527 acres per analysis of infrared data by fire staff. See “Legend” and “Map tips” links (upper left corner) to get the most benefit from the map. Open online map: t.co/zQEKMXqqRG #GeoSpatial
You can get the most latest updates on evacuations from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office here. But as of August 15, there are no evacuations listed.
Assistance and evacuation centers as of August 15: The Disaster Recovery Center at the old Kmart building at 2685 Hilltop Dr. in Redding, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Animal evacuation center:
- Small Animal – Haven Humane 9417 East Side Drive Redding, Ca.
Per CAL FIRE: “For information on evacuation notifications visit http://www.shascom911.com. Click for the most up to date evacuation orders and advisories at the Shasta County Sheriff’s page.”
You can also see map of repopulation efforts here.
Cloverdale Fire
This fire is off San Pasqual Valley Road near Escondido in San Diego County. It’s 100 acres and 65 percent contained.
Donnell Fire
8/15 Wednesday #DonnellFire. 29,824 acres per analysis of infrared data by fire staff. See “Legend” and “Map tips” links (upper left corner) to get the most benefit from the map. Open online map: t.co/J5Dsg6LyPh #GeoSpatial
This fire is in the Stanislaus National Forest and is 29,756 acres with 26 percent containment, as of August 15 (up one percent in containment from yesterday.)
Fourteen out of 16 cabins in the Wagner Tract, along with the Dardanelle Store, were destroyed in the fire. The fire started at the inlet of the Donnell Reservoir.
InciwebDonnell Fire Map
Mandatory evacuations are still in effect in the following areas as of August 15: “Still in effect along Highway 108 from Eagle Meadow Road to Kennedy Meadows (all residences and campgrounds) as well as all along Eagle Meadow Road (5N01) and the Clark Fork Road area. No new mandatory evacuations have been ordered.”
An advisory evacuation is still in effect for the Mill Creek area.
According to Inciweb on August 15: “Due to more accurate perimeter mapping a slight decrease in the percentage of containment was noted. Significant decrease in both fire activity and threats to structures allowed firefighters to continue progress on containment. Night crews were pulled off the line at midnight and rotated in this morning with the day crews to assist with patrol efforts. Increased personnel on the fire line and additional heavy equipment will provide more resources for fire containment. The thunderstorm over the eastern portion of the fire yesterday produced little rain and did not increase fuel moisture levels to help firefighting efforts. Firefighters are working hard to keep the established containment lines in place while making progress. Upcoming weather is predicted to be hotter and drier with winds from the southwest. This may make for more difficult fire-fighting conditions in the coming days. Overwhelming support from the local community is bolstering firefighter morale allowing them to push through incredibly tough terrain and fatigue.”
Ferguson Fire (Yosemite Fire)
InciwebFerguson Fire Map August 15
This fire is off Highway 140 and Hite Cove, near El Portal in Mariposa County. It’s burning west of Yosemite National Park. It is 96,810 acres and 87 percent contained as of August 15. Significant strides are being made to get this fire under control.
The fire began on July 13 in the Merced River canyon near El Portal around 10:35 p.m., Merced Sun Star reported, and at the time was less than 200 acres. It grew substantially from there. According to Inciweb, the fire is located at 37.652 latitude, -119.881 longitude. The cause of the fire in the Savage Trading Post area is currently unknown.
Per Inciweb, full containment is expected by August 15, but the interior parts of the forest may continue to smolder. Yosemite Valley opened to visitors yesterday. Wawona and Mariposa Grove are open but Glacier Point is NOT.
Per Inciweb: “All entrances to Yosemite National Park are open. Highways 120 and 140 are fully open. Highway 41 is closed to the public between Yosemite West and the Wawona Tunnel (open to residents only). Glacier Point Road remains closed, along with the Bridalveil Creek Campground.”
Garner Complex Fire
Although still listed on CAL FIRE’s map, it is no longer considered an active fire and Inciweb is no longer updating details about it. It’s 8,886 acres and 85 percent contained as of August 9.
Georges Fire
This fire has been inactive for several weeks and is 95 percent contained, per Inciweb on August 14.
Hat Fire
Per CAL FIRE, this fire is 1,900 acres and 85 percent contained. It’s at Highway 299 east and Fish Hatchery Road, northeast of Burney. All evacuations have been lifted and all road closures have been lifted.
Hirz Fire
Inciweb
This fire is not a CAL FIRE but it is listed on CAL FIRE’s website. It’s grown from 450 acres on the 10th to 7,321 acres on August 15 and only 5 percent contained. The fire is located north of Moore Creek Campground. It’s 11 miles east of Interstate 5 on Gillman Road near Lakehead, California. It’s 18 miles northeast of Redding, California. It’s growing primarily to the north and west, Inciweb noted.
The cause is under investigation. This listing is actually three fires near Hirz Bay and Moore Creek Campground off Gilman Road on the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake. Be cautious of fire traffic on Gilman Road.
According to Inciweb: “This fire is burning in extremely steep and rugged terrain west of Gilman Road near the McCloud arm of Shasta Lake. Please avoid Gilman Road east of Interstate 5. Last night crews were successful with firing operations in the northern section of the fire. Today, crews will continue to work aggressively on the containment lines to the north of the fire to Green Mountain, in preparation for further firing operations. The Hirz fire continues to get new resources as they become available. The Super Scooper aircraft became available and is now being used to assist in the ongoing aggressive firefighting activities on the fire.”
Inciweb noted about evacuations: “Due to increased fire activity in the Bastard Canyon late yesterday afternoon, additional evacuations were ordered by the Shasta County Sheriff. Residents of Old Mill Road, Bonnie Vista Lane and the portion of Top of the Hill Trail west of Gilman Road to Bonnie Vista Lane and residents along the north side of Gilman Road were evacuated. Residents of the Hirz Mountain Road who were evacuated are still under an evacuation order. The closure of Gilman Road has been relocated to the west, to the intersection of Gilman and Old Mill Road. Under a hard closure, no one will be allowed back into this area. However, residents who live south of Gilman Road will still be able to access their houses with proper identification.”
Residents should make sure their homes have a 100 foot clearing to create a defensible space, and they should think about what they might need if an evacuation is necessary, Inciweb reported. Please avoid Gilman Road east of Interstate 5.
County residents can sign up to receive emergency updates and critical information through www.shascom911.com using the Code Red program.
Holy Fire
The Holy Fire formed on August 6 in the afternoon and quickly grew. You can see an interactive map of the Holy Fire above or here.
8/12 Sunday #HolyFire. Map shows latest satellite hotspots. See “Legend” and “Map tips” links in upper left corner to get the most benefit from the map. Open online map: t.co/16QtsbvnVX #GeoSpatial
The Holy Fire is in Orange County, off Holy Jim Canyon Road, west of the North Main Divide. Today the fire is 22,986 acres according to Inciweb, but thankfully is also 72 percent contained. Growth has slowed down significantly since last week.
Another interactive map is below:
The cause is under investigation, but authorities have arrested Forrest Gordon Clark on suspicion of felony arson. Read more about Clark in Heavy’s story here.
InciwebHoly Fire Map August 15
A public information hotline has been set up at 714-628-7085 for the Holy Jim area.
On August 14, mandatory evacuations were lifted for the Mystic Oaks community.
Inciweb also noted regarding evacuations:
“The Long Canyon Road loop will remain closed on the west above the entrance to Mystic Oaks and on the east on North Main Divide at Highway 74.
“Returning residents, please note that power is off in the Highway 74 corridor. Edison continues working diligently to restore power in the area.
“All Forest Service facilities in the Highway 74 corridor remain closed: Blue Jay campground and Falcon campground and Los Pinos. All Forest Service Trails leading into the burn area are closed.
“Holy Jim and Trabuco Canyon are subject to Forest Closure.
“The community of Trilogy in Temescal Valley remains under voluntary evacuation.”
To see if you are under evacuation orders, you can enter your address on the Riverside County map website here.
An evacuation center is at Temescal Canyon High School at 28755 El Toro Road in Lake Elsinore.
Lions Fire
InciwebLions Fire Map August 14
This fire is listed on the CAL FIRE map. It’s 10,004 acres and 70 percent contained as of August 15 (and only grew 2 acres from August 14.) It’s located seven miles southwest of Mammoth Lakes. It was caused by lightning. Most of the fire is on the Sierra National Forest, but about 1,600 acres are on the Inyo National Forest. The northeast, east, and southern flanks of the fire are contained and patrolled by aircraft. The fire continues to move into sparse fuels and cliffs on the northwest.
Regarding closures, Inciweb noted on August 14: “There is an emergency trail closure for the Fern Lake and Beck Lake Trails on the Inyo National Forest and emergency trail closures and a Forest Order to close the area on the Sierra National Forest (west of the North Fork of the San Joaquin River, north of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River and South of Iron Creek).”
Murphy Fire
This fire is being handled by the Plumas National Forest and is listed on CAL FIRE’s map, however it is no longer listed on Inciweb.
Natchez Fire
InciwebNatchez Fire Map August 15
This Oregon fire falls under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Department of Forestry Fire, but is also listed on the CAL FIRE map. It’s grown to total 15,940 acres on August 15, and 55 percent contained. It was caused by lightning. It’s located 15 miles southeast of Cave Junction, Oregon, located on the Oregon/California border between Happy Camp, California and Cave Junction, Oregon. Some active surface spread is still expected.
On August 15, Inciweb reported the following regarding evacuation orders and fire closures:
“The community of Sunstar has been placed in a Level 1 evacuation “Ready” status. Del Norte County, CA, including the community of Sunstar, has adopted the Oregon three level evacuation process. For Del Norte County emergency notification information, visit: http://www.co.del-norte.ca.us/departments/administration/emergency-services.
“Effective 2:30 pm August 1, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has issued an evacuation order for the two residences near the terminus of the South Fork Road (National Forest System Road 17 N 32). The residents received a warning on July 31 and chose to evacuate.
“In the evening on August 12, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office upgraded one additional residence in the South Fork of Indian Creek from an evacuation warning to an evacuation order.
“Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has also issued an evacuation warning for all residences accessed by the South Fork Road (Road 17N32) and all residences accessed by the Grayback road north of the junction of the South Fork Road (Road 17 N 32) and the Grayback Road.
“On the evening of August 12, the evacuation warning area was expanded to include all residences on or accessed from the Indian Creek/Grayback Road from the intersection with Doolittle Creek, north to West Branch Campground.
‘The warnings are being issued as a precautionary measure. Those that are in the warning area are reminded to remain vigilant in the possible event that the evacuation warning is upgraded to a evacuation order.
“Fire area closures are in place on the Rogue River-Siskiyou and Klamath National Forests.
‘Forest Road 48, known locally as the Grayback Road, between Happy Camp and Cave Junction, remains open.”
Oak Fire
This fire is 16 acres and 80 percent contained, off Oak Lane and Buck Mountain Road south of Grass Valley in Nevada County. All evacuations and road closures have been lifted.
Ranch Fire (Mendocino Complex Fire)
Wednesday 8/15 #RanchFire California. Map displays latest satellite hotspots. Perimeter data is 24+ hrs old. You can turn off perimeter data with control in upper right corner. Open online map: t.co/aCWSmL1yuc #GeoSpatial
This fire, the largest in California’s history, is off Highway 20 near Potter Valley, northeast of Ukiah in Mendocino/Lake/Colusa Counties. It’s now 314,925 acres and 64 percent contained as of August 15. (That’s a significant containment increase from August 7.) So far, 147 residences have been destroyed. (The total for the entire Mendocino Complex fire is 363,845 acres and 64 percent containment.) There have been no fatalities.
On August 15, Inciweb reported the following: “The Ranch Fire continues to threaten the Mendocino National Forest as well as communities that reside north of the fire perimeter. Throughout the night, the Ranch Fire progressed north, steep and rugged terrain, dry fuel, and hot weather continue to challenge suppression efforts. Overnight fire crews constructed control lines and implemented new dozer lines, tying together preexisting containment barriers. Crews continued structure preparation and defense in the communities threatened by the Ranch Fire. Today operations will focus on the northwest and northeast edges of the Ranch Fire, while continuing to develop strategic plans to slow the northern push towards Lake Pillsbury. The south side of the fire has had no significant events and remains in suppression repair and patrol status.”
InciwebRanch Fire Map August 15
See the latest evacuation orders and advisories at the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Facebook page , Colusa County Facebook page, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Facebook page. The following mandatory evacuations are in place for the Ranch and River fires as of August 15 at 7 a.m.
Mendocino County:
- South of Eel River, west of the Mendocino- Lake county line, east of 10500 block of Mid Mountain Road, and north of Pine Ave. Does not includes residents on Pine Ave.
Lake County:
- East of the Lake-Mendocino County Line, south of the Lake-MendocinoGlenn County Line, west of the LakeColusa County Line, north of the fire perimeter and the Mendocino National Forest boundary.
Colusa County:
- Town limits of Stonyford, west to the Colusa-Lake County line and north to Colusa-Glenn County Line, Century Ranch sub-division east and west side of East Park Reservoir.
Glenn County:
- Mendocino National Forest boundary west to the Lake County line, south to the Colusa County line and north to Forest Road 20N07 also known as County Road 308.
The following evacuation advisories/warnings are in place:
Mendocino County
- Mendocino County north of Mid Mountain Road, south of the Eel River, west of the 10500 Block of Mid Mountain Road, and east of East Potters Valley/Eel River Roads.
- The Bureau of Land Management closure of the Cow Mountain Recreation Area remains in effect.
Glenn County:
- North of the Glenn County/Colusa County Line, west of County Road 306, south of County Road 308, east of the Mendocino National Forest Boundary.
Animal evacuation centers:
- Redwood Riders Arena, 8300 East Road, Redwood Valley is accepting horses
- Animal Care, 298 Plant Road, Ukiah is accepting small animals
For updated details, call 707-574-8261 in Mendocino County.
River Fire (Mendocino Complex)
Per CAL FIRE, the River Fire is now 48,920 acres and 100 percent contained. For details about evacuations etc., see the Ranch Fire update above.
Taylor Creek Fire
InciwebKlondike and Taylor Creek Fire Map August 15
Once considered part of the Garner Complex Fire, this Oregon fire is now being managed separately, according to Inciweb, alongside the Klondike Fire. If you have not signed up for Josephine County Citizen’s Alert, Josephine County’s emergency notification system, you can sign up on line at www.rvem.org. The fire is 10 miles west of Grants Pass.
It’s 46,695 acres in size and 45 percent contained as of August 15. You can find the latest evacuation updates on the Josephine County Emergency Management Facebook page. The Fire Information Center can be reached at 541-474-5305 and is staffed from 8:00am to 8:00pm each day.
8/15 Wednesday #TaylorCreekFire Oregon 49,695 acres per analysis of infrared data by fire staff. See “Legend” and “Map tips” links (upper left corner) to get the most benefit from the map. Open online map: t.co/an2Bz3Lkyy #GeoSpatial
An animal evacuation center is open at the Josephine County Fairgrounds Floral Building located at 1451 Fairgrounds Road, Grants Pass, OR.
Dry fuels and hot, dry weather have fueled both this fire’s and Klondike’s growth. According to Inciweb on August 15, there are still several evacuation advisories in effect for Josephine County. You can see an evacuation map here. Just enter your address to see if you are under an evacuation advisory.
The following roads are closed: Bear Camp Road and Peavine Road.
The Klondike Fire and the Taylor Creek Fire are being managed by the Pacific Northwest Team 2.
Valley Fire
The Valley fire is 1,350 acres and 82 percent contained as of August 14. It’s at the Valley of the Falls Dr. and Service Road 1S08. According to Inciweb, minimal to no growth is expected and very little fire spread is expected. However, hot and dry conditions have helped the fire stay active. Inciweb isn’t actively updating this every day.
The Valley Fire closure area was reduced on August 15. See more here.
