Single Publication

HILL FIRE INCIDENT UPDATE

Date: August 1, 2024

Fire Information: 530-414-9056 

Hours: 08:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Email:2024.Hill@firenet.gov

Incident Website:

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/casrf-hill-fire

https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/16/hill-fire

Location: Humboldt County, CA

Size: 7224 acres

Cause: Under Investigation

Start Date: Monday July 15, 2023, at 5:40 PM

Percent contained: 77%

Personnel: 525

CURRENT SITUATION: 

Crews made significant progress on the Hill Fire yesterday, focusing on mopping up and repairing suppression efforts to restore the area. Infrared cameras identified hotspots in Mosquito Creek, prompting a swift response to address any potential threats. Despite the challenging and rugged terrain, the fire's footprint has remained stable for several days, thanks to the relentless efforts of the firefighters.

On Saturday, California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 will transition incident control to the North Coast Interagency IMT, ensuring the fire remains under expert management. Operations will continue until the fire is fully contained and extinguished. This will be the final written update on the fire’s status unless conditions change significantly. For ongoing updates, please visit the Hill Fire Facebook page, and check county-controlled websites for evacuation warnings.

WEATHER: 

Warming and drying will peak today with highs at low elevations above 90 and minimum RH just above 20 percent. A strengthening nighttime inversion will allow for poor RH recoveries and an extended burn period. Elevated mixing heights today combined with strong southeast winds aloft will create a complex wind environment. Southeast winds will start early in the morning, battling with the northwest sea breeze in the afternoon. Wind direction will be inconsistent with some enhanced gusts up to 20mp. Conditions will slightly ease Friday as moisture moves in aloft and high pressure weakens.

CLOSURES:

Forest Closure Order currently in effect for the area impacted by the Hill Fire. It is temporarily prohibited to be on any national forest system land, trail, or road within the closure area. To view the closure order and map of closure area visit the following link www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1191963.pdf.

Road closures are currently in place on Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Service Route 6N06, Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N01 and Friday Fridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N04. For updated road closure information, visit protect.genasys.com or humboldtsheriff.org/emergency.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS:

Forest fire restrictions also went into effect on July 12th. Campfires and stove fires are restricted to those developed areas listed in the forest order located at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1188610.pdf.

Smoking, welding, and operating an internal combustion engine also have restrictions in place.

EVACUATIONS:

Humboldt County: Evacuation order and warnings remain in effect. For current updates on evacuations, visit https://www.facebook.com/HumboldtSheriff and https://humboldtgov.org/2383/Current-Emergencies. 

Conditions are subject to change at any time, visit https://protect.genasys.com/search for a full zone description. 

Sign up for Humboldt Alert emergency notifications at https://humboldtgov.org/2014/Emergency-Notifications 

Trinity County: Evacuation warnings remain in effect. For current updates on evacuations, visit     https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064589806351 and https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES 

Evacuation Center:

For information on assistance available to those displaced by the Hill Fire, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS  (1-800-733-2767.)

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services in coordination with the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services and the American Red Cross-Gold Country Region established an Evacuation Center for those impacted by the Hill Fire to receive fire information. The Evacuation Center is located at Trinity Valley Elementary School, 730 CA-96 in Willow Creek. The center is not open to the public, however information on how to request assistance is posted at this location.