Snow Fire update 19th September 2020

[The entire National Forest and State Park remain closed due to exceptional fire risk, with full details in an earlier posting, available here.]

UPDATED at 0915

Encouraging news. Total spread looks to have been held under 6000 acres and the fire is largely extinguished. Viewed from above, the western flank (in the vicinity of the PCT) appears to be completely extinguished. A very solid retardant line held the spread right around 5000ft elevation in chaparral, and there is no sign of smoldering or smoke.

Minor smoke plumes are still visible on the east flank of Blaisdell Ridge at about 5000ft elevation, about two miles due north of Mountain Station of the Tramway. Although there is a spotter plane in the air, there is no active air attack, so I assume there is no significant flare-up in that area. This could change at any time of course.

There is minor smoldering and smoking low down in the Falls Creek drainage. Otherwise all the spot fires in the drainages appear to have died down.

Wind in the high country is very similar to yesterday, from WSW sustained above 10 mph gusting to 18 mph. Especially those of us living in Idyllwild-Pine Cove been very fortunate to have predominantly SW winds, and everyone has been helped by having relatively weak winds. Air quality is the best today in two weeks, with the San Gabriel and Santa Ana mountains clearly visible this morning fom the San Jacinto high country.

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