[Sculpin]

Working from my PCT Trail Guide, I estimate that the Dixie Fire east of Lassen National Park has burned approximately 85 miles of the PCT so far: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.2196352,-121.2180874,9z/data=!4m3!15m2!1m1!1s%2Fg%2F11nxq2b_0c My daughter has been working as a Park Ranger at Lassen. She was told that the fire would burn until the winter rains come. Thanks to favorable winds, the AQI was not too bad until a week ago, but has been above 250 for awhile now and is not expected to improve any time soon. She is bailing out.

[gb]

It is pretty clear that these Northern California fires are having a huge impact on hiking in this area. The smoke is by far the worst we have had this year. The article on the arsonist seemed to make it unclear whether he may have started the Dixie Fire as well, but recent news indicates that the Dixie Fire was caused by PG&E equipment. This fire is huge: if you have ever driven 89 from Shasta City to Susanville, you would realize that it is a fair distance from Mt. Lassen Park to Susanville. The fire is currently just 14 miles from Susanville and is 535,000 acres. I heard yesterday that California has 33,000,000 acres of forested land; so, to this point it has burned 1/1-2% of all California forest land. 6000 firefighters are fighting this one fire.

[Pyrites]

….& $224M spent and growing. Biting….my……tongue…. Ow.

[Joey]

[Sculpin]

The burned stretch of PCT - part of section "M" and most of section "N"- was already one of the more difficult sections, I think (never hiked it myself). The actual crest is 40+ miles to the east, with Susanville pretty much right on it. The trail routes well to the west of the crest, most likely to find shade in the open pine forests that get pretty sparse by the time you get as far east as Susanville. The hottest driest sections are of course the southernmost ones, but thru-hikers get past that in spring. Section "N" comes later in the year when things have warmed up. A lot of the trail is only around 5K' and gets into the 90s in summer. Now there will not be any shade on this stretch for many years.

[Sculpin]

Update 8/19: The Dixie Fire continues to spread and exhibit extreme fire behavior. The recent northward progression gobbled up another 20 or so miles of the PCT. It also burned into the summit area of Lassen, taking out the very popular Bumpass Hell and King's Creek Trails. Northward progression is currently stalled, and the lines are holding around the park HQ at Mineral.

[kiliki]

Oof, the Mt Harness Fire Lookout (on the National Register), gone. Burned through Drakesbad Guest Ranch. Photo of them trying to save the visitor center through a deliberate burn in the article. https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/Lassen-volcanic-national-park-fire-dixie-morgan-16396213.php My heart breaks for the wildlife.