Slink Fire south of Topaz grows; Forest Service closes nearby public land for safety reasons
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 09/03/2020 - 10:44am
The Slink Fire burning south of Topaz Lake and two miles west of Coleville, Calif., reached 14,200 acres early Thursday and was 10 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Firefighters expect the #SlinkFire to remain active over the next several days as fuel moisture levels are extremely low and predicted increased air ventilation may significantly influence fire behavior, according to the Forest Service.
The fire continues to move south in the Lost Cannon Creek drainage and west to the Iceberg Wilderness. One priority is to prevent the fire spread to the south and the Marine Warfare Training Center. Fire management is working closely with the Marine Corps to protect the area.
As of Wednesday there was a total of 540 personnel from the Sierra Front teams from California and Nevada working on the fire, including teams from Carson City.
Firefighters will continue to construct handline to work to increase containment Thursday. Steep, rugged terrain is a factor, particularly on the western flank of the fire. They are also using minimal impact suppression tactics within the wilderness boundaries.
Aircraft use was limited Wednesday due to poor visibility from the smoke from multiple California wildfires. Visit https://fire.airnow.gov/ to view updated smoke impacts.
No evacuations are currently in place and Highway 395 is open.
However, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest has closed all National Forest System lands in the fire area to the public, effective this Wednesday night. The closure is for public safety due to activity from the Slink Fire.
The closure is for the following areas:
— From the Forest boundary west of Highway 395 from East Lane Road in Walker, California to Monitor Pass Road on Highway 89
— South of Highway 89 (Monitor Pass) to the northern edge of Summit Meadows Rd (Rd #32059)
— Summit Meadows Road to the Carson Iceberg Wilderness Trails including: East Carson River (#21011), Poison Flat (#21018), and Silver King (#21017)
“The closure is for the public’s safety due to the activity of the Slink Fire. We ask that people please stay out of the area so we can continue to focus on suppressing the fire and give our firefighters room to work,” Says Jan Cutts, Bridgeport District Ranger.
This closure will remain in effect until the Forest Service determines the area is again safe for the public. People who are found guilty of violating this closure order could receive a maximum fine of $5,000 or six months in jail or both. Go here to view the map of the closure and updates to the fire.
In addition to the Slink Fire, multiple other fires in California have contributed to the dense smoke and poor air quality in the area. Visit https://fire.airnow.gov/ to view updated smoke impacts.
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