Alpine County Fire near Wolf Creek Campground burns 35 acres, about 20% contained

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Wolf Creek Fire resources did great work on the incident today and containment is up to 50 percent. Tonight, crews will be solidifying fire breaks. Acres burned have been updated at 32.6 due to more accurate mapping.

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - Crews from the U.S. Forest Service - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and other agencies are working on a fire burning near the Wolf Creek Campground, south of Markleville. As of dusk on Wednesday, September 13 the fire had burned about 35 acres and is 20-25 percent contained.

Named the Wolf Fire, the Eastern Alpine Fire Department and the Alpine County Sheriff's Office first responded on Tuesday night at 9:56 p.m. At that time it was estimated to be about six acres.

CAL FIRE AEU's Tahoe-Meyers Fire Crew 1 and 2, and Battalion Chief 2716, are assisting on the Wolf Creek Fire.

Several hand crews and multiple ground resources are currently assigned to the fire and will remain on the scene overnight. Aircraft, including three helos, were released off the fire for the night and will return in the morning as needed.

There was some precipitation over the fire area this evening, helping fire crews.

The incident is designated as a full-suppression fire per current USFS policy and will be fully contained and extinguished. The terrain in the area is steep and rugged, so crews will need a few days to strengthen containment lines.

"Safety is a concern on the fire with thunderstorms passing through the area creating downdrafts on the incident. Additionally, snags (dead-standing trees) are creating an issue for wildland firefighters attempting to cut firebreaks on the perimeter," said a social media post by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

The Alpine County Unified Command has been activated in conjunction with federal, state, and county support agencies.

This incident overview is from the command center:

Location: 5.5 Miles SE of the Wolf Creek Road & Highway 4 Junction on Wolf Creek Road, Alpine County, California.
Incident Command: United States Forest Service (USFS), with federal, state, and county support.
Request to Avoid Wolf Creek Road: Alpine County strongly urges residents and visitors to avoid Wolf Creek Road until further notice due to the ongoing fire incident.
Evacuations: Wolf Creek Campground
Road Closures: Wolf Creek Rd. 5.5 Miles SE of the junction of Highway 4