Firefighters from several agencies managed to contain the Hill Fire north of Lakeport on Highway 29 just a day after it sparked concern and prompted evacuations. Initial reports from CAL FIRE LNU indicated that the blaze began on the northbound side of the highway, covering an estimated one acre and threatening multiple structures. The fire quickly escalated, torching trees and fully engulfing at least one structure.
#HillFire: Firefighters from multiple agencies are at scene of a vegetation fire north of Lakeport near Highway 29 and Hill Road. The fire is on the northbound side, approximately one acre in size and multiple structures are threatened. pic.twitter.com/0hHpQn44Mg
— CAL FIRE LNU (@CALFIRELNU) September 1, 2024
Efforts to contain the blaze required an immediate-need task force, which included three engines of any type. The intensity of the fire led to a hard closure of Highway 29 in both directions, while the fire grew to 3-4 acres with multiple structures involved. CAL FIRE's update detailed a response consisting of 17 engines, two dozers, two water tenders, and a squadron of aircraft, including three helicopters and three fixed-winged craft.
Despite the rapid escalation, response teams were successful in their efforts. The fire was contained, and according to a later update from CAL FIRE LNU, the heavy machinery and aircraft were released from duty. The update also noted that eight engines, two water tenders, a helicopter, and a hand crew remained onsite to conduct mop-up operations, ensuring the fire was completely extinguished and preventing any potential flare-ups.
One of the key strategies in the firefighting efforts involved using helicopter water drops. A CAL FIRE Hawk from the Boggs Mountain Helitack Base was one of three type-1 helicopters deployed to tackle the blaze on Saturday. The imagery of the operations was shared by CAL FIRE, displaying the precision and skill of the aerial responders as they executed water drops over the affected area, as detailed in the CAL FIRE LNU's X post.
