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The Frying Pan Fire, burning in the mountains south of the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, as seen from Highway 96 east of the town of Happy Camp in late August 2014. The fire was one of a series sparked by lightning that federal fire managers have dubbed the Happy Camp Complex. The U.S. Forest Service announced Tuesday that a handful of "holdover" hotspots had reignited due to extreme heat and drought conditions. Dan Brekke/KQED
The Frying Pan Fire, burning in the mountains south of the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, as seen from Highway 96 east of the town of Happy Camp in late August 2014. The fire was one of a series sparked by lightning that federal fire managers have dubbed the Happy Camp Complex. The U.S. Forest Service announced Tuesday that a handful of "holdover" hotspots had reignited due to extreme heat and drought conditions. (Dan Brekke/KQED)
The California Report

Heat and Drought Rekindle Last Year's Massive Happy Camp Complex Wildfire

The California Report

Heat and Drought Rekindle Last Year's Massive Happy Camp Complex Wildfire

Ted Goldberg
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California's drought conditions are so extreme that one of the state's largest wildfires in recent years has rekindled six months after firefighters put it out.

The Happy Camp Complex Fire near the Oregon border burned from last summer to early January, charring more than 134,000 acres.

Over the weekend, firefighters noticed smoke coming from four small areas inside the old fire perimeter, said Klamath National Forest spokeswoman Kerry Greene.

"Some of the standing, dead trees that are within the footprint of the Happy Camp Complex began to rekindle," Greene said.

Forest Service fire officials usually rely on rain and snowpack to prevent any small flareups, or "hot spots." But the drought, along with hot weather in the area, enabled buried embers to spark back to life.

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"Normally what happens in the winter is that we have enough moisture and snow that the fire is completely out," Greene said. "But this winter we just didn't get the moisture to do that."

The extremely dry conditions can allow dead trees to burn for months, she said.

"With a fire this size and the lack of snowpack from last winter, seeing a few smokes within the fire perimeter is not a big surprise," Tom Mutz, a Happy Camp/Oak Knoll District ranger, said in a written statement. "It is likely we will be dealing with isolated smokes and hot spots until we receive significant rainfall."

Firefighters are expecting even hotter weather in Siskiyou County this weekend, with temperatures predicted to reach triple digits. Klamath National Forest officials believe the heat will lead to even more smoke over the old blaze, so they're increasing firefighting staffing in the region.

About 100 Forest Service firefighters have been assigned to monitor the area for any rekindling. But they don't necessarily extinguish new hot spots they see. In one of the recent cases, firefighters decided to let a very small fire burn itself out because there was so little ground fuel nearby and getting to the source was too dangerous.

The Forest Service is warning Pacific Crest Trail hikers that go through the area to watch out for any hazardous conditions.

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