Fire crews have not only held the Elk Fire at bay for three days, they appear on the verge of closing the ring and settling the matter for good.
As of Monday night at 8 p.m., containment stood at 90 percent, up dramatically from the 70 percent mark achieved in the early morning hours. The fire remained locked at 670 acres — a number unchanged from Friday.
The Elk Fire covers an area near Elk Mountain Road and Mount Dinger Road north of Upper Lake.
Once the situation turned in their favor, firefighters have been slugging successfully at the blaze. Over the weekend Cal Fire committed more reserves to the fight. Friday ended with 270 firefighters working the line. That number swelled rapidly on Saturday, as almost 1,000 men and women pushed containment over the halfway mark.
Activity calmed considerably on Monday. Fewer than 600 firefighters remained at the start of the day. By 6 p.m. that number had been halved, as others returned to the Rough Fire or one of the five major incidents currently raging across the state.
The crews concentrated on closing the gap before this week’s forecast heat wave settles in over the area.
Although Monday dawned cool and clear, temperatures climbed to 98 degrees. Today through Friday, forecasts call for triple digit heat and low humidity — a dangerous combination with an active fire.
Fortunately for fire crews, winds remained calm throughout the day, allowing them to focus on the perimeter. This was a welcome contrast to Friday’s 30 mile per hour gusts along the ridgeline. This allowed crews to increase hand lines around the perimeter at a steady clip.
Although firefighters from Cal Fire, Northshore Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service blunted Elk several days ago, preventing any further spread, interior hot spots continue to draw the attention of hand crews.
Four helicopters and 37 engines patrolled the area on Monday before many of these were released from the scene.
The Elk Fire started on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 2. There are no road closures or evacuation notices associated with the incident.
