5 mi
Butler Fire
West of Butler Mtn, N/W of Forks of Salmon
Humboldt & Siskiyou CountiesAcres11,641Containment2%StatusActive
Updated 4 minutes ago
Created by Watch Duty • 14 days ago • Jul 3 at 6:54 PM
Evacuation Order – Level 3 – Go
FRK-1709, SIS-1703, SIS-1704, SIS-1707-A, SIS-1707-B, SIS-1708, SIS-1710, SIS-1803-A, SIS-1804, SIS-1805, SIS-1808
Evacuation Warning – Level 2 – Set
SAW-1713, SIS-1705, SIS-1712, SIS-1802, SIS-1811, SIS-1906
Evacuation Notes
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• Staff Reporter
3 minutes ago · Jul 18 at 9:58 AM
Operational Updates: The Butler Fire spotted over the Salmon River July 17 into the Boyd Gulch area. Additional aircraft were brought in to drop water and retardant, while a surge order of firefighters and equipment arrived early in the evening to provide additional protection for structures in the vicinity, including Forks of Salmon two miles upstream of the fire. Among responding crews were those from the Six Rivers National Forest, Klamath National Forest, and CAL FIRE’s Siskiyou and Humboldt-Del Norte units. A night-flying helicopter was also supplied by CAL FIRE, which dropped water up until 1 a.m. as crews aggressively worked to suppress the fire. A contingency line completed the previous day off Yellow Jacket Ridge initially held the spot’s progression south toward Forks of Salmon. However, the fire grew to more than 700 acres overnight, spilling over the ridgeline.
Crews continued to strengthen reopened containment lines from previous wildfires around Horn Creek and McNeal Creek ahead of the main fire’s southern edge. The western fingers of the fire began to naturally converge on one another as fire moved slowly downslope into the Hammel Creek drainage around Orleans Mountain. Butler Creek remained effective in holding the fire’s westerly growth, with scars from the 2024 Boise Fire and 2023 Pearch Fires serving as backstops. Firefighter priorities today are gaining control of the Boyd Gulch spot fire, protecting structures around Forks of Salmon, Sawyers Bar and Godfrey Ranch, and preparing control lines south of the main fire west of the Salmon River.
Evacuations: Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has issued additional evacuation orders July 17 to include SIS1710 and SIS-1808. They join existing evacuation orders for FRK-1709 (Forks of Salmon), SIS1703, SIS-1704 (Butler Creek, Lewis Creek, Bloomer Mine residents and Nordheimer Campground), SIS-1707-A, SIS-1707-B, SIS-1708, SIS-1803-A, SIS-1804 and SIS-1805. The Siskiyou Office of Emergency Services has established a dedicated phone number to assist people with their evacuation needs: 530-340-3539. Zones SAW-1713, SIS-1705, SIS-1712, SIS-1802, SIS-1811 and SIS-1906 are under an evacuation warning, where residents are advised to be prepared to evacuate if conditions become more threatening. The latest evacuation information can be found Genasys Evacuation Map
Closures: Butler Fire: The road between Butler Flat and Nordheimer Campground remains closed as rocks and burning debris continued to fall into the roadway. • National Forests: The Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests issued a joint closure order July 16 within the vicinity of the Butler Fire. The closure includes Nordheimer and Oak Bottom campgrounds.
Weather and Fire Behavior: While slightly cooler, temperatures will stay in the low 90s and winds are expected to come mostly come out of the west with occasional gusts up to 20 miles an hour for another active day on the fire line.
Full update HERE
