NorCal Fire Report – 7/4/2025

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{Written by a robot, skimmed by Zeke}

Zeke Lunder discussed the active wildfires in Northern California on July 4, 2025.

Key fires included 2 small fires in Butte County, the Green Fire near Round Mountain/Shasta Lake, the Horse Fire between Lakehead and Trinity Lake, the Helena Fire west of Weaverville, and the Summit, Butler, and Jacket Fires in the Marble Mountain Wilderness and Salmon River Country.

The Green Fire, at 224 acres, is challenging due to its remote location and steep terrain. The Horse Fire has not grown significantly, and the Helena Fire is slowing down. The Summit Fire, burning in a 10-year-old burn scar, is expected to continue burning, potentially for weeks. We don’t have great intel on the prospects for the Jacket and Butler Fires. The briefing also highlighted the importance of defensible space and strategic fire management.

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Butte County Fires: Grove and District Fires

  • Zeke Lunder discusses the quickly extinguished Grove Fire and District Fire in Butte County, near Oroville and Palermo.
  • He explains the historical context of fires in South County Butte County, noting that the area has experienced significant fire damage every year, usually early in the summer.
  • The District Fire started around noon and the Grove Fire, at about 3 PM. There were signs of structure involvement on the Grove webcams, with black smoke indicating potential structure losses.
  • CAL FIRE responded quickly, and the fires were put out relatively quickly due to good access and mainly grass fuels.
  • The importance of maintaining defensible space around homes in fire-prone areas is emphasized, especially in grass fuels.

Green Fire and Fire Behavior

  • Zeke Lunder discusses the Green Fire’s location near the Pit River and its exposure to landscape-scale winds.
  • He explains the potential for downslope winds to impact the fire, but notes that this did not happen last night.
  • The fire has grown significantly, with mapping showing it at 224 acres, but other sources suggest it might be larger.
  • The fire is in a roadless area and difficult or impossible to access with bulldozers, making direct attack challenging.
  • The Forest Service’s control objectives for the Green Fire include keeping the fire north of the Pit River and south of Sierra Pacific Industries timberland. This describes an area of at least 50,000 acres.
  • The Green Fire is being managed by a Type 3 (local) incident management team.

Horse Fire and Helena Fire

  • The Horse Fire is located near east of Trinity Lake, in an areas of private industrial timberland which was logged after the 2018 Carr Fire.
  • The fire has crossed Rattlesnake Creek but appears to have been caught on an old midslope logging road, here.
  • The Helena Fire appears to have run out of slope, having backed down to the river on the south.

Summit Fire and Fire Management Challenges

  • Zeke Lunder discusses the Summit Fire in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, noting its remote location and the challenges of fighting fires in steep, remote areas.
  • The fire has grown significantly. It is reported to be 250 acres, with spots across the Pacific Crest Trail at the head.
  • It is in a 11 year-old burn scar which burned largely with high-severity.
  • The Forest Service’s approach to fighting the fire is discussed, with a focus on the challenges of getting ground crews safely engaged in heavy fuels at the head of a major west-facing drainage.
  • The limitations of air power in firefighting in heavy timber fuels are highlighted, as is the necessity of having people on the ground.
  • The potential for the fire to burn all summer is discussed. An incident management team has been assigned to fires on the Klamath National Forest.

Salmon River Fires: Butler and Jacket Fires

  • Zeke Lunder discusses the Butler Fire, noting its location near Butler Flat and the potential impact of aerial retardant use on local drinking water sources.
  • The area has a history of previous fires, and another fire at this time interval would likely be ecologically beneficial.
  • The Jacket Fire is mentioned, with a focus on the challenges of fighting fires in steep, remote areas, and retardant impacts on domestic water sources.
  • The importance of local knowledge and community engagement in fire management is highlighted.
  • Zeke described the local ‘Community Liason’ program in the Salmon River Watershed, and the frustration which often arises between locals and outside fire overhead who often are much less familiar with the local firefighting history and fire culture.