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Watch: Rumsey Fire Held At 396 Acres As Containment Climbs Tuesday Night

Firefighters strengthened containment lines overnight as calmer conditions slowed fire spread and supported steady progress Tuesday.

Night-flying helicopters, bulldozers, and ground crews gained ground on the Rumsey Fire as calmer overnight conditions helped slow its spread in remote Colusa County.
Night-flying helicopters, bulldozers, and ground crews gained ground on the Rumsey Fire as calmer overnight conditions helped slow its spread in remote Colusa County. (Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa)

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Firefighters battling a blaze overnight slowed the advance of the wildfire and allowed crews to strengthen fire lines around the perimeter.

On Tuesday evening, crews continued fighting back the Rumsey Fire burning near Sand Creek Road in a remote area of Colusa County.

Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit originally reported the fire at 450 acres, with 15 percent contained on Tuesday afternoon. Later, officials said the fire had burned about acres 396 acres as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.

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Officials said there are no evacuation orders or warnings because the fire is burning away from populated areas.

About 175 personnel were assigned to the incident, including 15 fire engines, six hand crews, five water tenders, four bulldozers, and three helicopters.

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Fixed-wing aircraft, including an air tactical aircraft and three air tankers, were scheduled for an early morning response beginning at 8 a.m.

Fire officials said today's conditions helped firefighters to make steady progress securing the perimeter.

Crews continued building direct and contingency firelines today while engines, supported by helicopters, extinguished hot spots near containment lines. Helicopters also conducted water-dropping missions on hot spots burning inside the fire perimeter.

The fire expanded rapidly Monday after it was initially mapped at about 120 acres. At one point, Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit reported the fire was making "a good run to the southeast" along Sand Creek Road, prompting an aggressive air attack that included nine air tankers and four helicopters.

Overnight, firefighters held spot fires in check with help from night-flying helicopters that targeted flare-ups after dark.

Fire managers reported some ember cast despite relative humidity dropping into the mid-20 percent range after midnight, although fuels were less receptive to new fire starts during the cooler nighttime hours.

Dozer operators completed a containment line along a ridge east of Sand Creek Road to surround the section of the fire that crossed the roadway and became established on the right flank.

Officials said cooler temperatures and rising humidity helped reduce fire activity overnight, giving crews an opportunity to improve containment before warmer daytime conditions returned.

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