July 19, 2024 | Hill Fire Update

Monday evening a lightning strike ignited the Hill Fire which continues to burn south of Willow Creek in the Mosquito Creek Drainage.

Evacuation Information

Due to the Hill Fire, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office has issued an Evacuation Order for the following zone:

• Zone HUM-E077-A (North of Forest Route 4N32, south of Title Hill Rd., Forest Route 5N36, Friday Ridge Rd., east of Titlow Hill Rd., Forest Route 5N04.)

Residents who are already evacuated from this zone are not permitted to return to their residences. Any residents remaining in this zone should evacuate immediately.

Due to positive developments in fire behavior and the hard work of firefighters, the Evacuation Order for the following zone has been downgraded to an evacuation warning:

• HUM-E077-C (North of Greenwood Creek, Grouse Creek, south of Forest Route 4N32, east of Twin Lakes Creek and west of Forest Route 4N32, PG&E Rd.)

Residents in this zone may now return home cautiously and be prepared to evacuate again at a moment's notice. Please note that HUM-E077-C is a new zone, previously the southern section of HUM-E077-A. This area was split into a new zone to notify residents more efficiently in the impacted area.

Additionally, an Evacuation Warning is still in place for two other zones:

• Zone HUM-E077-B (North of PG&E Rd., Grouse Creek, south of Madden Creek, Forest Route 6N06, east of Mosquito Creek/Madden Creek and west of the Trinity County Line.)
• Zone HUM-E076-A (North of Friday Ridge Rd., south of Upper Ranch Rd./High Prairie Rd., east or Redwood Creek and west of Forest Route 5N01.)

Residents should continue to remain ready to evacuate at a moment's notice if fire behavior and weather conditions worsen. Residents are advised to prepare for potential evacuations, including gathering personal supplies and overnight accommodations. More information will follow if an Evacuation Order is issued.

Road Closures and Traffic Information

Road closures are currently in place on Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Service Route 6N06, Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N01 and Friday Fridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N04. For updated road closure information, visit protect.genasys.com or humboldtsheriff.org/emergency.

Redwood Acres, located at 3750 Harris St. in Eureka, has been activated as a CalFire Incident Management Base Camp in response to the area wildfires. Redwood Acres is now closed to the public and all upcoming events at Redwood Acres have been canceled for at least the next two weeks. Please drive cautiously in the area as increased traffic from vehicles responding to the area wildfires is expected.

Due to the activation of this base camp, Humboldt County Public Works has closed Harris St. at Hubbard Ln. and Hall Ave. at Myrtle Ave. These closures will be in effect for at least the next two weeks. Please drive safe and use alternate routes. Visit humboldtgov.org/roads for the latest updates on county road closures and conditions.

Forest Closure

To provide for public and firefighter safety the U.S. Forest Service is temporarily closing all roads, trails and land within the area impacted by the Hill Fire on the Lower Trinity Ranger District of the Six Rivers National Forest, effective Thursday, July 18, 2024. This closure also applies to entering or using East Fork Campground or Big Rock River Access. To view the closure order and a map of the closure area provided by the U.S. Forest Service, please visit: www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1191963.pdf

Hill Fire Information Line

Community members in need of evacuation information and those with questions related to the Hill Fire and its impacts on Humboldt County should call 530-414-9056. Please do not call 911 unless you are experiencing an immediate emergency.

Know Your Zone

All Humboldt County residents are encouraged to know their zone. Our county has been split into 300+ numerical evacuation zones which may be modified to meet the needs of an active emergency. Zones may be split may be into new zones to better accommodate emergency notifications and to reduce or expand zone status. Find your evacuation zone at protect.genasys.com.

Agricultural Access Pass Program

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services, Agricultural Commissioner's Office and Planning & Building Department have established an Agricultural Area Access Pass program. This pass allows qualifying agricultural producers and commercial livestock operators emergency entry to evacuation zones or restricted areas to provide essential care to livestock and crops.

The goal of this program is to have businesses/operators pre-register for access before an incident occurs. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services cannot accommodate last minute applications during an emergency, so producers are encouraged to complete an application early to be ready for any potential incident occurring in 2024.

The Agricultural Access Pass does not grant authority to the applicant to stay at their residence and/or business when an evacuation order is issued. Access will not be permitted if conditions are unsafe. Evacuation zones that are safe to enter will be determined by fire personnel in consultation with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) daily.

A training is required before being issued an access pass. All persons entering restricted areas must have completed the required training and been issued their own pass to gain entry to restricted areas. To be issued an Access Pass, please complete the pass application form by Dec. 31, 2024.

At this time, the Restricted Area Access Pass will only be valid for agricultural operations located in Humboldt County. Passes issued in 2024 will remain valid through December 31, 2025. For more information, visit the Agricultural Access Pass Program website or call 707-268-2500.

Sign Up for Humboldt Alert

Humboldt County residents are encouraged to sign up for Humboldt Alert to receive local emergency notifications, including information regarding evacuations and emergency sheltering in the event of a wildfire or other emergency incident. Residents can sign up by going to humboldtgov.org/alert.

For more information regarding the Hill Fire, current impact and evacuation areas, please go to humboldtsheriff.org/emergency, visit @HumCoOES on Facebook and X or call 707-268-2500.

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