8:31 a.m. PDT July 11, 2021
The Sugar Fire, the only active fire in the Beckwourth Complex, ran to the east and northeast Saturday, crossing US Highway 395 in at least two places destroying structures in Doyle, California.
Videos shot by Craig Philpott showed multiple structures burning in the small town.
The fire spread northeast for about three miles in 24 hours, growing to more than 82,000 acres.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Sugar Fire and the Beckwourth Complex, including the most recent, click HERE.)
In a virtual community meeting Saturday night, Incident Commander Rocky Opliger said, “We’re looking at unprecedented early season extreme fire behavior…much earlier than we’ve experienced before.”
Highway 395 was closed at times Saturday north of Highway 70.
The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for the area through Tuesday. The weather forecast for Doyle, CA Sunday afternoon calls for 104 degrees, strong winds out of the southwest Sunday of 21 mph gusting at 32 mph, and 9 percent relative humidity. The wind will subside Sunday night but will increase Monday afternoon — 22 mph gusting out of the southwest at 34 mph with 9 percent RH.
These conditions will make it a challenge for firefighters to make much progress in suppressing the fire.
#SugarFire #BeckwourthComplex at Doyle CA. Significant property damage in small town. 4/ pic.twitter.com/Y2tCZG7WaQ
— craig philpott (@CphilpottCraig) July 11, 2021
Just checking on my aunt Margie’s place? Can’t get ahold of them. Frank and Alma Flux raised cattle on that property with his 2 girls. Please have her shoot me a email or tex. And if she needs anything let me know. I came out the last fire in 87. Scarey it came over the mountain right up to the house.
Thank you
Karen Dooley 530 333 7629
Remember, if CalFire takes control of the fire, any and all of the equipment that is diesel powered has to be Tier 4 compliant and there is not enough Tier 4 equipment available. Also, contractors don’t like to work for CalFire because they don’t get paid for 10-12 months after submitting their billing.
This is totally unacceptable! The Sugar and the Bootleg fire are due to understaffing at all stages of these fires.
This is due to one third of fed agency firefighters not returning to work because of poor wages and working conditions that fed management doesn’t give a DAMN about while they sit on their fat behinds in big offices, expecting their firefighters to risk their lives for less than they can earn at McDonalds or unemployment and be home every night with their families !
Wake up all you sheep, fed management doesn’t care about your private property or your lives. WAKE UP !
People would rather hold onto their money than pay taxes–until the fire knocks on their own door.
It all gets consumed by beaurocracy, unless specifically earmarked for firefighting.
Very true
Unfortunately
CALFIRE needs to start taking command of the fires in CA if there is any threat at all to private property or private timberlands.
Federal response are too slow and ineffective in their response.
Opliger is right unprecedented fire behavior ERC’s are at levels never seen before at this time of the year.
If we have any lightning at all in Nor Cal we will easily surpass the 4 million acres burned and have more than one million acre fire.
Remember, if CalFire takes control of the fire, any and all of the equipment that is diesel powered has to be Tier 4 compliant and there is not enough Tier 4 equipment available. Also, contractors don’t like to work for CalFire because they don’t get paid for 10-12 months after submitting their billing.
Nailed it
Noah Berger has a bunch of great shots of the impacts in the town on Facebook.