UKIAH — Fire managers added additional containment to the north side of the wildfire near Ukiah after crews worked to find and extinguish hot spots.

The Oregon Department of Forestry in its update Monday, Aug. 12, reported containment stands at 77% on the Battle Mountain Complex of fires and some public lands are reopening.

Swale, Ditch, Ellis and Potamus creeks continue to hold heat as southwest winds push through the drainages. Crews continue to mop up in these areas and on Aug. 11 they used a helicopter with a water bucket to cool down areas around Notell.

Preparing contingency lines around Penland Lake continues Aug. 12, ODF reported. Crews and machinery are nearing completion of the tree and brush cutting that will make these lines defensible. Cutting along the U.S. Forest Service 21 and 2104 roads wrap up Aug. on 12.

Firefighters on the east, south and west sides of the fire will focus efforts on suppression repair work, according to the update. Crews also will repair miles of dozer line with erosion control features and will remove unnecessary equipment, such as hoses, pumps and water tanks. Crews already removed 15,000 feet of hose from the fire.

Workers also will clean and inspect that equipment to it’s available for other fires in the area.

As containment increases and fire activity diminishes, some firefighting resources are reaching the end of their assignment. They will demobilize from the incident to rest and get ready to be sent to other fires.

Weather

An isolated late afternoon or evening shower or thunderstorm will be possible Aug. 13-15. Temperatures ranging from upper 70s to around 90 Aug. 13 and 14 will cool off late in the week following a dry cold front. Winds will be from the west to southwest the first half of the day Aug. 13 and 14before shifting out of the northwest later in the afternoon. More typical northwest winds return Aug. 15 and 16.

Smoke and more

Smoke has moderated but is expected to persist from regional fires in the area. Residents can expect to continue to see smoke from interior pockets of unburned fuel. Helicopters will patrol the fire and provide bucket-drop support if needed. To see a detailed smoke outlook, visit linktr.ee/battlemntcomplex2024.

That site also contains information on evacuation levels, public land closures, road closures and fire restrictions.

Total estimated complex size: 182,858 acres

Total containment: 77%

Cause: under investigation

Estimated cost: $64 million

Resources

28 crews

49 engines

6 helicopters

29 water tenders

19 dozers

1,151 personnel