Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for the complex Tuesday, following a similar declaration from county officials on Aug. 18. The complex is at 7% containment.
The Smith River Complex will see rainfall this weekend, but not before “near critical fire weather conditions” expected to play out Wednesday with gusts of north winds blowing over the now 75,000-acre group of fires impacting Del Norte County.
“That’s where the firefighters have been focused in for the last two days,” said Ryan Berlin, a spokesperson for the Smith River Complex. A handline in the “very rugged” terrain is being worked on with hopes of reinforcing the area before winds will come in. But better conditions are in the forecast, according to meteorologists; starting Friday, periods of light rain are expected across the region.
Out of the Smith River Complex, the greatest threat to homes has been in the small town of Gasquet, with firefighting efforts focusing on structure preparation for days now. Over 2,700 personnel are fighting these fires, the Del Norte Office of Emergency Services noted. A sawyer carries his chainsaw along a fire line west of Gilligan Butte on Aug. 26. He and other firefighters are building fire lines and removing fuels adjacent to the lines north of the Kelly Fire, southwest of O’Brien.
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