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Jerusalem Fire Containment Grows To 85 Percent Despite Wind And Heat

Sunday, August 16, 2015 | Sacramento, CA
  

Monday Northern And Central California Wildfires Update

 

Wind, Heat, Dry Land Fuel Blazes; Jerusalem Fire 90 Percent Contained

Monday, Aug. 17 9 a.m. - Officials say the Jerusalem Fire is now 90 percent contained. Click here for more information.

9:45 p.m. - Cal Fire says containment on the Jerusalem Fire has reached 85 percent, with containment holding at 25,156 acres.

Nine residences and 18 outbuildings have been lost in the incident. 

12:15 p.m. - Cal Fire says crews continue to make progress on the Jerusalem Fire, with containment now at 82 percent, with acreage burned at 25,156, despite unfavorable weather conditions.

 

7:47 p.m. - Cal Fire says containment has moved to 80 percent, with acreage burned holding at 25,146.

The evacuation center located at Kelseyville High School will close effective Sunday, as all evacuation orders have been lifted.

 

3:15 p.m. Saturday - Cal Fire says containment of the Jerusalem Fire has reached 78 percent, and all remaining evacuations have been lifted as of 2 p.m. Acreage burned has edged upward, to 25,146.

As of 2:00 PM on 8/15/15 evacuations and road closures have been lifted including:

  • Jerusalem Valley Road starting at Spruce Grove Road (east)
  • Morgan Valley Road from Reiff Road southeast to Napa County Line
  • Reiff Road from Morgan Valley east to Yolo County Line
  • Berryessa Knoxville Road from Lake Berryessa north
  • Road 40 at Highway 16 to the west

 

 

6:35 p.m. - Containment of the Jerusalem Fire in Lake and Napa counties has grown to 71 percent, with acreage burned growing to 25,054.

The adjacent Rocky Fire has reached 100 percent containment, according to Cal Fire.

7 a.m. - In Lake and Napa Counties, the Jerusalem Fire is now 52 percent contained at more than 24,000 acres.  

"Right now we're just going to try and keep it in the containment lines we already have," says Jay Smith with Cal Fire. "Yesterday the fire was helping us and made a run to the north and burned into the Rocky Fire for the most part."

Full containment of the Jerusalem Fire is expected by Monday at the earlierst. Meanwhile, the nearby Rocky Fire is 95 percent contained after scorching almost 70,000 acres.

Smith says cooler temperatures and higher humidity helped firefighters in their containment strategy.

"So you have a fire burning in a certain area of a certain size. You draw a box around that fire, you create your box," says Smith. "You make your containment lines and contingency lines. Make every effort you can to make sure that fire stays within that box."

6:33 a.m. - Firefighters in Lake and Napa counties battling the Jerusalem Fire got some help from the weather Thursday.

Cal Fire's Jay Smith says containment is up to 52 percent.

"The weather is definitely helping out," says Smith. "With the weather not being triple digits, we have an increase in relative humidity and we can get more work done."

The Jerusalem Fire has blackened 24,555 acres.

Winds shifted the fire north, away from populated areas and toward the Rocky Fire area, which is 95 percent contained. Terrain access is still an issue for fire crews, who are working in 24 hour shifts.

Cal Fire estimates the Jerusalem Fire will be contained by Monday at the earliest.

 -Capital Public Radio Staff

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