The Helena Fire was a wildfire that burned in
Trinity Alps Wilderness
The Trinity Alps Wilderness is a designated wilderness located in northern California, roughly between Eureka and Redding. It is jointly administered by Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Six Rivers National Forests. About are administered by th ...
and west of the town of
Weaverville,
Trinity County,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The fire had burned , and destroyed 72 homes. The fire merged with the nearby Fork Fire (). The Helena Fire was fully extinguished on November 15, after reaching .
The cause of the fire was a tree falling into a power line.
The fire threatened the communities of Weaverville and
Junction City and impacted recreational activities in the area.
Progression
The Helena Fire was first reported on August 30, 2017, at 5:20 pm near the town of
Helena, California, along
California State Route 299
State Route 299 (SR 299) is an east–west state highway in the state of California that runs across the northern part of the state. At , it is the third longest California state highway (after Route 1 and Route 99). Route 299 begins at US 101 ...
. The cause of the fire was a tree falling into a power line.
It was fueled by brush, timber and hardwood litter, with excessive heat helping to strengthen the fire.
[
On September 3, the fire was reported to be growing to the northeast and southwest, threatening infrastructure in ]Junction City, California
Junction City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Trinity County, California. Junction City sits at an elevation of . Its population is 658 as of the 2020 census, down from 680 from the 2010 census. Junction City is located west of Weaverville ...
. Crews constructed fireline
A firebreak or double track (also called a fire line, fuel break, fireroad and firetrail in Australia) is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. A firebre ...
s from Junction City to Glennison Gap. The fire had expanded to Brock Gulch and along Brock Road. It had also expanded into the Trinity Alps Wilderness
The Trinity Alps Wilderness is a designated wilderness located in northern California, roughly between Eureka and Redding. It is jointly administered by Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Six Rivers National Forests. About are administered by th ...
.[
As of the morning of September 4, the fire was burning along California State Route 299 and on both sides of the Trinity River. The fire had destroyed 72 homes and 61 outbuildings. The Helena Fire had burned and was at 14% containment.][ That day, a spot fire broke out east of Weaver Bally Lookout.]
Effects
Evacuations and closures
Portions of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest were closed, including to hunters..
Environmental impacts
The smoke from the Helena Fire settled over Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, creating unhealthy breathing conditions.
See also
* 2017 California wildfires
References
{{California wildfires by year
Wildfires in Trinity County, California
History of Trinity County, California
2017 California wildfires