Lime Fire grows to reach 1,872 acres, 84 percent containment

KLAMATH NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — UPDATE: (Sunday, Sept. 15 at 2:30 p.m.) The Lime Fire remains at 1,872 acres with 84% containment.

According to USFS, today crews will work on increasing the containment level and secure the fire in advance with anticipation of the cold front.

UPDATE: (Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2:00 p.m.) According to USFS, the Lime Fire is now 1,872 acres with 71% containment.

USFS said firefighters were productive yesterday and increased the containment from 45% to 71%.

On Friday morning, one firefighter was airlifted to Medford for medical treatment after being struck by a tree. The firefighter remains in the hospital in stable condition.

The evacuation warning for residences within and near the Lime Fire was lifted by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office on September 12.

Crews will continue to mop up and strengthen containment lines today.

UPDATE (Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9:00 p.m.) The USFS reports the Lime Fire has reached 1,620 acres at 14 percent containment. There are 515 firefighters working to contain the flames.

USDS said moderate fire behavior was experienced overnight. On Monday, officials said morning cloud cover prevented their crews from using retardant planes. When skies cleared later Monday afternoon, retardant planes were once again used to aid in fire suppression.

Officials are also advising drivers to exercise caution along Highway 96 near the fire to provide safety and to accommodate fire equipment traffic. Motorists are also encouraged to be aware of potentially distracted driving along Interstate 5, as the fire is visible from a number of vantage points north of Yreka.

UPDATE (Monday, Sept. 9 at 8:45 a.m.) According to USFS, the Lime Fire tripled in size to approximately 1200 acres from Sunday night into Monday morning.

The fire is currently burning in a mixture of private land at USFS land.

"Very steep, very rugged, very tree-laden, heavy fuels," U.S. Forest Service public information officer Marc Peebles said.

Because of the moisture levels from the winter, there is a lot of fuel to burn, according to USFS. The agency says between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m., the fire "gets more established" because of the sun beating down and drying out the grasses.

Crews are hoping to get a good handle on the fire while the weather is cooler to start this week, as they anticipate more fire activity as the week ends due to higher temperatures in the area.

"As you know, there's quite a bit of fires in Northern California, as well as the western United States, so there's a little bit of a demand on resources," Peebles said. "As those resources from other fires become available, we're getting more resources in including crews, engines, dozers, as well as an aircraft."

UPDATE (Sunday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m.)

According to the U.S National Forest Service-Klamath National Forest, the Lime Fire is now estimated to be 400 to 500 acres with 0 percent containment.

There are 174 people assigned to the fire with six firefighting crews, three helicopters, and nine bulldozers.

A Type 2 incident management team was ordered to help and is in place as of this morning.

Officials are advising motorists to use extreme caution when traveling along Highway 96 to provide firefighter safety and accommodate for the increase in fire equipment traffic. They also ask to be aware of potential distracted driving since the fire is visible from multiple vantage points north of Yreka on Interstate 5.

Additional information and daily updates can be found on InciWeb or by contacting the Klamath National Forest Supervisor’s office at 1711 South Main Street in Yreka, CA or calling (530) 842-6131.

ORIGINAL:

Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office has issued an evacuation warning for residents in the area from Ash Creek to Gottsville to four miles north of Highway 96 due to the Lime Fire.

The Lime Fire started on September 4th during multiple thunderstorms and lightning strikes.

The fire is currently 250 acres.

Officials ask for you to please be ready to evacuate immediately if you live in these areas.

The Klamath Forest has ordered a Fire Management team to take over the fire, and they will be hosting a public meeting soon.