Latest news with #SuperScoopers
Los Angeles Times
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Los Angeles Times
At least four firefighters injured while battling Northern California wildfires
At least four firefighters have been injured over the last week while battling three wildfires in Northern California forests that are burning amid extreme heat in steep, bone-dry terrain, fire officials said Monday. One firefighter combating the barely-contained Green fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest sustained a blunt-force trauma wound while working on the fire line on Saturday, said Deanna Younger, a spokeswoman for California Interagency Management Team 10, the incident command team overseeing the fire response. Another firefighter suffered a heat-related injury on Sunday, she said. Both were treated at a hospital and released. Two firefighters fighting the Orleans Complex — two blazes burning in Del Norte and Siskiyou counties — also were stricken with heat illness amid temperatures that have topped 110 degrees in recent days, said Paul Meznarich, a spokesman for the multi-agency team coordinating the response to those fires. 'Everyone is very mindful of the heat effects,' Meznarich said. 'All things considered, everyone has been managing the heat well.' For those fighting the blazes — which, combined, have charred nearly 20,000 acres of forest since July 1 — the conditions have been extremely challenging, fire officials said. The remote areas are steep, thickly-forested and bone-dry. 'It is very, very dry right now, and we're still around 100 degrees,' Younger said of the Green fire region on Monday morning. 'We are not getting good humidity recovery at night. The Green fire — burning on the eastern side of Shasta Lake near the Pit River between Interstate 5 and Highway 299 — was sparked by lightning the evening of July 1, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It had burned 11,643 acres and was 5% contained as of Monday afternoon. On July 1 and 2, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest saw more than 3,100 lightning strikes, which sparked more than two dozen fires, most of which were small and quickly extinguished by firefighters who had been 'positioned throughout the forest in anticipation of wildfires caused by lightning strikes,' according to the Forest Service. 'The Forest Service was able to catch all of them except this one,' Younger said of the Green fire. 'That's because this one was so inaccessible.' Firefighters are gaining access to some areas that are unreachable by vehicle or foot by taking boats to more accessible areas and climbing in with their gear, Younger said. Fighting the blaze by air, she added, has been complicated because there is a thick tree canopy, and water cannot reach the fire burning in vegetation close to the ground. Planes also have not been able to fly amid heavy smoke, fire officials said. More than 1,400 firefighters were assigned to the blaze as of Monday. Two so-called Super Scooper airplanes — each of which can hold 1,600 gallons of water — arrived from Canada on Sunday, according to the Forest Service. The Super Scoopers, which require a mile of open water to refill their onboard tanks, are expected to use multiple arms of Shasta Lake, which fills with recreational boaters during the peak summer tourist season. 'The physics involved in the contest between a fully loaded plane and recreational watercraft are unfortunate at best,' the Forest Service said in a statement asking boaters to avoid areas where firefighting aircraft were operating. To the west, two fires — the Butler and Red fires — were being managed by the same incident command team as the so-called Orleans Complex fire. The Butler fire, which was reported amid a lightning storm July 3, had burned roughly 8,156 acres in the Six Rivers and Klamath national forests and was completely uncontained as of Monday afternoon, Maznarich said. The fire was burning between the tiny towns of Orleans and Forks of Salmon, the latter of which was under an evacuation warning on Monday. It was burning within the 2024 Boise Fire, the 2020 Salmon Fire, and the 2013 Butler Fire footprints, according to the Forest Service. Firefighters, some patrolling on boats, were working to keep the fire from jumping the Salmon River because areas east of it had not recently burned and had more dense vegetation, Maznarich said. The 116-acre Red fire, which was 50% contained, was burning in the Siskiyou Wilderness in Del Norte County, Maznarich said. It started July 6.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Super Scooper planes to fight Green Fire in Shasta-Trinity forest near Lake Shasta
Fire officials working the Green Fire burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest northeast of Redding announced they are using two "Super Scooper" planes to drop water and help extinguish flames. The U.S. Forest Service also said a firefighter suffered from heat-related illness and was taken by a firefighting boat, which has a medic onboard, to a waiting ambulance so they could receive more medical care. As of Sunday, the growing fire's size was mapped at 10,334 acres from 9,563 on Saturday, fueled by extreme heat and dry conditions this time of year in the region. A heat advisory remained in effect through 11 p.m. Monday due to temperature highs that would range from 95 degrees to 110 degrees in parts of the Sacramento Valley. The Super Scoopers was expected to draw water from various arms of Lake Shasta, but they need a mile of open space to refill their tanks. Boaters should move toward the shore so as to not impede the firefighting operations and keep air crews safe, the forest service said in a statement. For the first time since lightning sparked the fire on July 1, the forest service reported firefighters built containment lines around 5% of the Green Fire. That's because to the south, the flames reached the Pit River. Watercraft, including the one that carried the ill firefighter to medical treatment, were in that area and secured defense lines along a portion of the river, the forest service said. Those boats were expected to continue suppression efforts along the river. Nearly 1,200 fire personnel are assigned to the fire. In addition to the two airships, nine helicopters, 26 bulldozers, 56 engines, 16 hotshot crews and 10 other crews are fighting the fire. The forest service also has 15 ambulances staged throughout the area to respond to and support firefighters. Note to readers: We've made this story free as an important public service to our North State communities. If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Your support goes a long way in supporting coverage that matters to you. On the north side of the fire, or the area of Alder Springs, flames backed down toward the burn scar of the Shoe Fire, which burned more than 5,000 acres before it was contained Nov. 9, 2024. On the east side, the fire crossed Flat Creek and to the southwest, the fire moved across the Brock Mountain Road. The forest service said firefighters limited the fire's growth on the east side and secured the remainder of Brock Mountain Road to the north and northwest. An evacuation order was still in place for a swath of land identified as zone LKH-1448-A, north of Kennedy Memorial Road and south of Wheeler Nursery Road, according to 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 do to a collection point 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 was under an evacuation warning, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office issued. That area is north of Wheeler Nursery Road. Other people who should be prepared to leave the area in case of a mandatory order were in zones: 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 If you're away from home and not sure of your address, users can find their location on the site's map. The forest service also 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 fire started on July 1 north of the Pit River arm of Lake Shasta, and south of the Chirpchatter Campground, according to the forest service. That area is about 8 miles west of Round Mountain, according to Cal Fire maps. (This story will be updated as new information becomes available.) This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Super Scooper planes to fight Green Fire as it grows north of Redding
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Super Scooper planes to fight Green Fire in Shasta-Trinity forest near Lake Shasta
Fire officials working the Green Fire burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest northeast of Redding announced they are using two "Super Scooper" planes to drop water and help extinguish flames. The U.S. Forest Service also said a firefighter suffered from heat-related illness and was taken by a firefighting boat, which has a medic onboard, to a waiting ambulance so they could receive more medical care. As of Sunday, the growing fire's size was mapped at 10,334 acres from 9,563 on Saturday, fueled by extreme heat and dry conditions this time of year in the region. A heat advisory remained in effect through 11 p.m. Monday due to temperature highs that would range from 95 degrees to 110 degrees in parts of the Sacramento Valley. The Super Scoopers was expected to draw water from various arms of Lake Shasta, but they need a mile of open space to refill their tanks. Boaters should move toward the shore so as to not impede the firefighting operations and keep air crews safe, the forest service said in a statement. For the first time since lightning sparked the fire on July 1, the forest service reported firefighters built containment lines around 5% of the Green Fire. That's because to the south, the flames reached the Pit River. Watercraft, including the one that carried the ill firefighter to medical treatment, were in that area and secured defense lines along a portion of the river, the forest service said. Those boats were expected to continue suppression efforts along the river. Nearly 1,200 fire personnel are assigned to the fire. In addition to the two airships, nine helicopters, 26 bulldozers, 56 engines, 16 hotshot crews and 10 other crews are fighting the fire. The forest service also has 15 ambulances staged throughout the area to respond to and support firefighters. Note to readers: We've made this story free as an important public service to our North State communities. If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Your support goes a long way in supporting coverage that matters to you. On the north side of the fire, or the area of Alder Springs, flames backed down toward the burn scar of the Shoe Fire, which burned more than 5,000 acres before it was contained Nov. 9, 2024. On the east side, the fire crossed Flat Creek and to the southwest, the fire moved across the Brock Mountain Road. The forest service said firefighters limited the fire's growth on the east side and secured the remainder of Brock Mountain Road to the north and northwest. An evacuation order was still in place for a swath of land identified as zone LKH-1448-A, north of Kennedy Memorial Road and south of Wheeler Nursery Road, according to 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 do to a collection point 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 was under an evacuation warning, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office issued. That area is north of Wheeler Nursery Road. Other people who should be prepared to leave the area in case of a mandatory order were in zones: 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 If you're away from home and not sure of your address, users can find their location on the site's map. The forest service also 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 fire started on July 1 north of the Pit River arm of Lake Shasta, and south of the Chirpchatter Campground, according to the forest service. That area is about 8 miles west of Round Mountain, according to Cal Fire maps. (This story will be updated as new information becomes available.) This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Super Scooper planes to fight Green Fire as it grows north of Redding
