Incident Update McFarland Fire

Situation Summary

Current Situation:

The McFarland Fire is currently mapped at 118,090 acres and is 68% contained.

Favorable conditions overnight allowed crews to successfully conduct careful burning operations down Noble Ridge from dozer line toward Beegum Creek. Firefighters used night-flying aircraft to help identify places of remaining heat, and only minimal fire behavior was observed around
the rest of the fire.

Today, crews will prioritize completing containment lines around Beegum Gorge to further protect the structures there and in the community of Platina. They will strengthen lines on the southern edge of the fire near the Wilderness Boundary.

As fire activity slows and containment increases, crews are taking opportunities to start working on interior areas of the fire, opening roads that were compromised, snagging dead trees, and beginning the process of suppression repair. During suppression repair, roads and culverts that were damaged during the fire fight are repaired, and water bars are added to help prevent erosion during winter rain.

The weather today is expected to be similar to yesterday, with a light flow aloft that may push smoke to the east and allow for sunnier skies over the fire area. Winds are predicted to be light and terrain-driven.

A damage assessment team has identified 20 residential structures and 18 other structures destroyed, and damage assessments are ongoing. To view the McFarland Fire structure status map please visit: https://arcg.is/1Pu8GW

Road Closures

Hwy 36 is closed from Harrison Gulch to Vestal Road. For current road information visit quickmap.dot.ca.gov 

Tehama County Evacuations

EVACUATION ORDERS: The area west of Vestal and Weemasoul Roads to the Shasta/Tehama County line and south of Highway 36 in the fire area. EVACUATION WARNINGS: Hwy 36W from Bowman Road west to the county line and north to the Shasta County line (Zone 157). The area south of Hwy 36, east of Vestal and Weemasoul Roads, north of Pettyjohn, and west of Cottonwood Creek and Vestal Roads in the 4 corners area (Zones 158 and 169). Please click here to view the map for Tehama County: https://tinyurl.com/Evacuation-and-Road-Closure

Shasta County Evacuations

The Shasta County Sheriff's Office has issued a mandatory evacuation ORDER for all residents within the township of Platina. The evacuation order includes all residences and roadways from the Trinity/Shasta County line east to the Shasta/Tehama County line. Residents are encouraged to use Platina Road as an evacuation route. There will be a temporary evacuation site at the Igo/Ono Elementary School. https://www.facebook.com/ShastaSheriff

FOREST CLOSURE IN EFFECT FOR MCFARLAND FIRE AREA:

The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region has announced a temporary closure of nine National Forests for public and firefighter safety. This includes the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. This closure will be effective through September 6, 2021 at 11:59 p.m., and may be reassessed as conditions change. The full closure order and closure map are available at https://go.usa.gov/xF7EM.

For more information please visit:
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7746 
CAL FIRE: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/
Twitter: @ShastaTrinityNF/ @CALFIRETGU
Facebook: @ShastaTrinityNF/ CAL FIRE Tehama-Glenn Unit
Email: 2021.mcfarland@firenet.gov
Fire Information Line: (530) 330-4048 (8am-8pm daily) 

Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow.

Engines

73

Water Tenders

20

Helicopters

7

Dozers

14

Hand Crews

13

Total Personnel

813

Cooperating Agencies