Here’s the newest update from June 19, 2019.
UPDATE 6/18/19 8 p.m. — The fire is now estimated to be about 100 acres in size, according to a Facebook update from the USFS issued in the last hour. The USFS current incident page for the fire has not yet been updated to reflect this as of the time of publication.
Additional crews are being brought in by helicopter, which may explain the increased air traffic around Willits and Covelo, and the crews are using the trails to create contain the blaze in the East Ridge area. Hikers are asked to avoid the Bucks Ridge and Wrights Valley areas.
Another fire, the Lumgrey Fire, is also burning to the north; that blaze began as two separate fires on Monday evening which have grown together. The Lumgrey Fire is now 230 acres and is at 30% containment. Portions of State Route 96 is at one-way controlled traffic until 10 p.m. tonight, at which point portions will close until 6 a.m. You can read more information at the Lumgrey Fire incident page.
UPDATE 7 p.m. — The East Fire remains at 40 acres in size, according to an evening update from USFS around 5 p.m., and firefighters have developed a strategy to confine the fire’s spread. The fire is currently spreading to the southeast, and there are 20 personnel on the scene.
“Forest officials have identified an area where the fire will be managed to reduce exposure to firefighters, remove hazardous fuels and decrease the probability for high severity wildfires in this area in the future,” according to the USFS evening update. No additional information has been released about the Haynes Fire, to the southeast of the East Fire.
Here’s a map of the fire’s location provided by the USFS. This morning’s information about the fire can be found below.
MENDOCINO Co., 6/18/19 — Two small fires have started in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness yesterday afternoon after lightning struck around 4 p.m. The larger fire, called the East Fire, is currently burning about 43 miles east of Red Bluff in southeast Trinity County, in portions of the forest that burned during the Yellow Fire. Another smaller fire, the Haynes Fire, is being monitored to the southeast. The United States Forest Services has sent crews to the East Fire, although the fires are not being actively suppressed at this time. Smoke may be visible in northern Mendocino County.
The East Fire was reported to be around 40 acres as of Tuesday morning. Updates from the USFS can be found at their current incident page. The USFS notes that “fire managers are currently developing a strategy for managing the incident.” Ten smoke jumpers and one Type 2 crew are at the scene; the Haynes Fire is being monitored and no additional information has been provided.
The fires were first reported at the Anthony Peak lookout, and the National Weather Services reports that some smoke has been visible via satellite today.
Here’s the full announcement from USFS:
1650-1_EastFire_2019_061819