Extreme fire conditions push Antelope Fire to over 22,000 acres
/FIRE DETAILS
Cause:
Lightning
Size:
22,605 Acres
Containment: 0%
Location:
Antelope Creek Drainage
Klamath National Forest
41.521 latitude, -121.919 longitude
Personnel: 391
Fuels:
Mixed conifer transitioning to ponderosa pine with a sage bitterbrush understory
Coverage of the 2021 Wildfire Season is brought to you by Ace Towing.
UPDATED, 12:43 AM, 8/6/21 to include new fire details and fire video above.
TENNANT, Calif. - Under Red Flag conditions, the Antelope Fire burned actively yesterday [8/5/21] near the communities of Antelope Creek, Bray, and Tennant. Hot, dry, and windy conditions aligned with exceptionally dry forest fuels and produced extreme fire behavior.
Firefighters attempted to attack the fire directly on the burning edge, but by midday, the extreme fire activity forced the crews to redirect all efforts toward protecting the town of Tennant. A running crown fire produced spotting as far as one mile ahead of the active fire front, leading to substantial fire growth throughout the day and night.
Firefighters are focusing the majority of their resources on protecting structures in the path of the fire.
Night shift crews worked throughout the night to defend the communities of Tennant and Antelope Creek. Under extreme adversity, firefighters made a valiant effort to save as many homes as possible while the fire burned around the town. Fire managers are now beginning the process of conducting an official damage assessment for these structures.
Firefighters were able to successfully hold the Antelope Fire on the southern end, preventing fire spread to the south and establishing an anchor point to start constructing additional fireline.
Evacuations
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation orders for the following communities: Tennant, Bray, Mount Hebron, Round Valley area south of Red Rock Road, including Long Prairie Road, Robison Road, Old State Highway. For the most current and accurate evacuation information for Siskiyou County, please visit: https://arcg.is/1mWjWj.
A Temporary Evacuation Point has been set up at the Dorris City Hall, located at 307 South Main Street, Dorris, CA. If you are evacuated and need assistance or sheltering, please proceed to the Dorris City Hall or call 530-340-3539 for assistance. Residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED, the Siskiyou County rapid emergency notification service, at: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices/page/codered-emergency-alert.
Community Meeting
A community meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 6, at the Dorris Community Center, located at 52900 Highway 97. Local residents are invited to attend in-person or watch the community meeting virtually on the Klamath National Forest Facebook Page.
Restrictions
The Klamath National Forest remains in fire restrictions through October 15, 2021. Fire restrictions are in place to protect the public and firefighters, as well as National Forest System lands and resources, during a period of high wildfire danger. The complete Forest order is available on the Klamath National Forest website. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the area, which includes unmanned aircraft, or drones.
Weather
A dry cold front will move through Thursday, resulting in a shift of wind direction from southwesterly to northwesterly. Wind speeds overall will trend lower on Thursday compared to Wednesday, and humidity will trend higher. There is a slight chance for thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon. Winds will remain northwesterly on Friday and humidity will trend similar to Thursday. Winds will likely increase on Saturday as a weather system approaches from the northwest.
Smoke
Smoke from the Antelope Fire may be visible from communities in the surrounding area. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your location to see the latest smoke information. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.
Safety
The safety of emergency responders and the public is the first priority. The Klamath National Forest is in the process of developing an area closure order for the vicinity surrounding the fire.
Fire Maps
Antelope Fire Briefing Map. Click to enlarge.
Antelope Fire IR Map. Click to enlarge.
Klamath Falls News & Cascade Firewatch’s coverage of the 2021 Wildfire Season is brought to you by Ace Towing.
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