Chippy Creek forest fire contained

By Jennifer McBride

Leader Staff

After almost $18 million and 100,000 acres of damage, the Chippy Creek forest fire, once the largest in the state, is 100 percent contained as of Monday afternoonn. Firefighters spent Labor day stomping out of the last of the fire despite temperatures hovering in the 90s.

In its final days, seven hand crews, 27 engines, five bulldozers, 23 water tenders and four helicopters all worked on smothering the fire, for a total of 541 personnel.

The Type 2 Incident Management Team remained on the ground Tuesday, mopping up hotspots and removing excess fire hoses.

As of Tuesday, evacuated residents along the Hubbart Dam road were allowed to return home, but roads north of the fire and south of Highway 2 remained closed to the general public due to fire traffic. Temporary flight restrictions also remained in place, as numerous aircraft were still working the area.

The Chippy Creek fire, located 20 miles north of Plains and 12 miles north/northwest of Hot Springs, started July 31. Its cause is still under investigation. Fire suppression cost a total of $17,900,000 and a total of 99,090 acres burned before being squelched.

South of Lake County, the Black Cat fire was 90 percent contained as of last week, as fire crews performed mop-up operations.