Blaze prompts evacuations of 1000 people in Fresno County

The steep terrain makes firefighting hard; helicopters are the main thrust to battle this blaze.

National Guard units joined them Tuesday to help – about 200 arrived on the Fork Complex near Hayfork.

River Complex: Multiple fires totalling 37,165 acres in Trinity County near Denny, 18 percent contained. To date, 23,600 acres have burned and there is 0% containment. Overall, the 75 fires had consumed about 4,900 acres of land, one residence and six outbuildings near the Alderpoint-Blocksburg area since beginning on July 30 at around 3 p.m. The lightning fires have cost $30.4 million as of Tuesday morning to suppress, Scanlon said. Little change in fires Monday.

Southwest of Hyampom, firefighters say they’re planning a back burn operation, in which they intentionally ignite plants to eliminate a fire’s potential fuels, on the western side of the Johnson Fire. Forest service firefighters monitored the blaze, which was under 100 acres for several days, before increasing their response when the fire grew. The forest service reported Tuesday that it grew by 2,621 acres on Monday alone. It is about 35 percent contained. The district released an unhealthy conditions alert the same day for Orleans, Dinsmore, Garberville, Weaverville, Lewiston, Trinity Pines, Wildwood, Big Bar, Junction City and Mad River.