Foresthill area residents were told they would have a long, fire-filled summer ahead of them Saturday afternoon.

The U.S. Forest Service held a community meeting to update residents on the status of the fires in the Foresthill area.

Paul Summerfelt, incident commander for the Rocky Mountain Incident Management team, was there as part of a 56-person incident management team. He said the U.S. Forest Service called the team to the area June 23 and they arrived June 25. The team helps local agencies manage incidents or disasters that are beyond their capabilities.

Of the 17 national incident management teams in the country, 15 are currently in California to help fight the fires, Summerfelt said.

Summerfelt said crews in the Foresthill area now have the needed amount of support to fight the two main fires that are still burning.

“Right now we have more resources in Foresthill than we did a couple days ago,” Summerfelt said. “We feel we’ve got the right mix of folks to manage the fires safely.”

Foresthill Divide Road remains closed since Friday afternoon so fire crews can fight a 1,204-acre blaze nearby.

The road is closed between the China Wall Off-highway Vehicle staging area and Robinson Flat. The closure is about 12 to 13 miles east of Foresthill.

“It’s pretty far up the hill,” said Jane LaBoa, public information officer for the U.S. Forest Service Saturday afternoon.

Fire crews are building a fire line to prevent the Westville fire, which is about 15 percent contained and directly across the north fork of the American River, from traveling across the road, LaBoa said.

Currently there is another fire in the area that remains active. A third fire is about 95 percent contained.

The Government Springs Fire is about 10 percent contained and has so far covered 5,384 acres, LaBoa said. The fire is located north of the North Fork of the American River and south of the Emigrant Gap and Yuba Gap area, LaBoa explained.

The Peavine Fire is located on Mosquito Ridge Road and is 552 acres and 95 percent contained, LaBoa said. Aircraft continues to patrol the area. LaBoa said crews reported the fire is “very stable” but they need to complete fire line work.

A portable fire retardant plant was being set up at the China Wall OHV area Saturday afternoon, Summerfelt said. He added that the cooler weather has made it easier to fight fires.

However, he said he expected the Westville and Government Springs fires to burn for a prolonged period of time. He explained that crews are trying to cut the fire off at the right point along the river. When and where that point is, he could not say.

“We’ve got a long summer ahead of us and we’re going to have more fires,” Summerfelt said.

He implored residents to clean up brush around their homes.

“Please help us, help you,” Summerfelt said.

Foresthill resident and restaurant owner JoAn Clifford said she came to meeting to stay in touch with the area. Her restaurant, Clifford’s Cooking Good at Starlight in Foresthill, is a frequent stopping point for firefighters.

“They’re on top of it,” Clifford said when asked how she feels about the fire sin the area.

Fellow Foresthill resident Sharon Page said she can see the smoke on the other side of the canyon from her home and hear the airplanes flying overhead.

“We’ve seen the fires come in very close before,” Page said.

Right now, she said she is not as concerned with the fires in her area because they are headed the opposite direction of her home.

To date, the three fires have burned 7,139 acres and are 25 percent contained, LaBoa said. A total of 645 people and 14 crews have responded as well as nine helicopters, 37 engines, 10 dozers and 11 water tenders.

The Journal's Jenifer Gee can be reached at jeniferg@goldcountrymedia.com or post a comment.