Shelly Fire Grows to 790 Acres, Remains at 0% Containment

Siskiyou County, California– The Shelly Fire has expanded to 790 acres with 0% containment, the Klamath National Forest reported on this morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. As a result of the wildfire, portions of the Klamath National Forest and Marble Mountain Wilderness areas are closed, with fire restrictions taking effect Thursday night.

The Shelly Fire Closure Area affects several trails, including:

Pacific Crest Trail from Etna Summit to the Junction with Shackleford Trail
Shelly Fork
Kidder Creek
Hayes Meadows
Etna Mill Creek
Right Hand Fork
Cabin Gulch
North Fork from the Mule Bridge Trailhead to the junction with Right Hand Fork

Due to increased fire activity, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with fire management partners, has issued an evacuation warning for the following zones:

SIS-2301 (Fire footprint)
SIS-2200 (South Kidder Creek Road)
SIS-2102 (North of Kidder Road)
SIS-2206 (North of Patterson Creek Road, South Kidder Creek Road)

Over the weekend, four Interagency Hotshot Crews worked along the Pacific Crest Trail to construct additional handline. Southeast of the fire, crews scouted for further containment options. Firefighters accessed the Mule Bridge area from the south and moved north to identify access points to the fire. The fire grew in the late afternoon in the Pointers Gulch area, as helicopters were deployed to limit its spread.

The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a Red Flag Warning from 3 to 8 p.m. today, due to gusty winds and low humidity.