Dixie Fire Public Information Map for Wednesday, August 18, 2021
August 18, 2021 - Lassen and Plumas National Forests — Red flag weather and critically dry fuel conditions led to continued movement of the fire front to the east and south yesterday afternoon and into the evening. The fire crossed to the south side of Beardsley-Grade Road and quickly progressed towards Kessler Peak. Despite immediate engagement with all available personnel and equipment, crews were unable to hold the fire at Beardsley-Grade Road. Today’s operational plan is to continue improving the dozer line on the ridge west of Kessler Peak that was initiated last night. Crews and equipment will be constructing line to hold the fire to the smallest possible footprint, utilizing the road system above Genesee while tying the fire back into the Walker fire scar to the west. Structure preparation continues in the Genesee Valley and Taylorsville area.
In the Dyer Mountain area, resources continue to secure and mop up the perimeter line with 100 to 150-foot depth in most area. The fire is currently holding on Fruit Growers Boulevard, where firefighters continue to work on securing the line and mopping up. All lines at Keddie Point and into the North Arm of Indian Valley are holding and will continue to be patrolled.
The cold front passed over the East Zone of the fire at around 11 PM last night, causing winds to shift and come out of the northwest and then the northeast. Northeasterly winds are expected to persist today, with gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon.
Dixie Fire West Zone: Shifting winds continued to challenge crews as short to mid-range spotting caused continued growth. Dry, cooler air pushed by east winds allowed the fire to burn throughout the night, with minimal recovery of humidity into the early morning hours. The fire growth continued to challenge control lines throughout the night. Damage assessment is ongoing, and the number of damaged and destroyed structures may change as teams are able to access the fire area safely. Please see below for information affecting your area. California historically experiences some of the most devastating wildfires.
