A Cal Fire map marks the location of the two branches of the Wilson Creek Complex wildfires. Courtesy Cal Fire

A total of 285 acres burned, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jim Smith.

Branch 1 of the fire burned 35 acres and singed the base of some old-growth redwoods north of the primitive campground near the DeMartin section of the Coastal Trail. It was contained Monday morning.

Branch 2 burned 250 acres farther east off Wilson Creek Road, including young timber stands belonging to Green Diamond Resource Co.

“We contained the Branch 2 fire last night,” Smith said Tuesday. “We’re going to continue monitoring it. We’re out there today in the rain making sure there aren’t any trees down that could cause access problems.”

Smith said activities for the rest of the week depend on what the weather does.

“We’re kind of confused about what the weather is going to do,” Smith said. “If we get a high-pressure system in, it would mean patrolling for the rest of the week.”

Despite the uncertainty about the weather, Tuesday’s rain following Monday’s containment of both fires has resulted in breaking down the fire camp at the fairgrounds, Smith said.

A 1956 Chevy Bel-Air convertible took home the best of show award at Sea Cruise in Beachfront Park on Saturday. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

Some 366 classic and newer cars covered the area along with hundreds of browsing spectators during the 18th annual Sea Cruise car show.

“We were down a car or two from where we were last year, but we’re still very pleased with that,” said Everett Young, president of the Crescent City Car Club.

Spectators, car-owners and even family dogs showed up to inspect the unique vehicles.

“The economy is even more depressed than it was last year, but the participation from other communities — Brookings, Ore.; Washing­ton; Eureka — has been great,” he said.

The pristine sunshine and breezy 65- to 70-degree weather helped, too, said Young.

“The weather has been wonderful. Everything went really well out there. I can’t complain. This has been a really good show,” he said, stopping to snap a shot of Don and Karen Glassner’s red 1956 Chevy Bel-Air convertible, which had just won best of show for 2009.

The Grants Pass couple has been coming to Sea Cruise since 1990.

Shandra Hull of Lucky 7 Casino presents the best of show trophy to Don Glassner. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

“This is all about Doug right now,” said Don Glassner, clutching his glass redwood trophy and wrapping an arm around his wife.

He said he had also won best of show in 1990 and then in 1991, with a different car each time.

“We’ve been to a lot of car shows and this has kind of been one of our favorites; we met a lot of friends here and the hospitality has been wonderful,” he said.

Wayne Snoozy, 71, of Klamath Falls, was driving south when he rounded a corner and was unable to avoid a boulder in the road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Snoozy’s 2008 Ford truck left the  highway, ran up an embankment and landed on its left side, blocking both lanes of traffic.

Snoozy was transported to Sutter Coast Hospital for a laceration on his left arm, the CHP said. He was released from the hospital Monday.

Firefighters are shrouded in smoke as they work on the Wilson Fire on Saturday. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

However, an approaching storm  had the same officials worried that the winds could spread the flames and the accompanying rain might not be enough to drown them.

The two blazes known as Branch 1 and Branch 2 of the Wilson Fire Complex haven’t caused any injuries or threatened structures, but stands of old growth redwoods on public land were threatened and younger trees on private land were destroyed.

Officials said Monday morning that firefighters had managed to contain the smaller fire, known as Branch 1, which burned  35 acres and singed the redwoods north of the primitive campground near the DeMartin section of the Coastal Trail.

Firefighters monitor a back-fire set to slow the progress of the Branch 2 fire. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jim Smith said things might have been different if firefighters hadn’t been hampered by Sunday fog that grounded three helicopters that were dumping saltwater on the flames Saturday.

The fog lifted Monday, allowing the helicopters to resume dropping water.

Branch 2 of the Wilson Fire Complex had scorched about 225 acres farther east along the Wilson Creek drainage and was burning timber on land owned by Green Diamond Resource Co, Smith said.

“We keep real close track when fires burn on Green Diamond land,”  company spokeswomen Jackie Deuschle said Monday afternoon. “We have some folks up there working with Cal Fire.”

Smith said the Branch 2 fire was 90 percent contained, and he expected it to be completely contained at 250 acres Monday evening, “barring high winds or any other disasters.”

The fires were large enough and required enough personnel that for the first time in years a fire camp was erected at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds.

1 blaze threatens old-growth parkland, the other burns private timber

A spectator watches as a helicopter water-tanker sucks water up from the lagoon at Lagoon Creek rest stop area on U.S. Highway 101, just North of Klamath on Saturday afternoon. (The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson)

About 400 firefighters were scrambling to contain the two blazes, and they were hampered by fog that grounded three helicopters that were assisting the efforts Saturday by dumping saltwater on the flames.

The 30-acre Branch 1 blaze singed the ground and burned at least one old-growth redwood north of the primitive campground on the DeMartin section of the Coastal Trail, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jim Smith.

Firefighters expected to have the Branch 1 blaze contained by Sunday night, he said.

Branch 2 of the Wilson Fire Complex had burned about 225 acres farther east along the Wilson Creek drainage and was burning timber on land owned by Green Diamond Resource Co, Smith said.

Containment of the Branch 2 blaze is not expected until Monday, and that effort could complicated by winds that are expected to reach up to 35 mph by mid-morning Monday, Smith said.

There is a possibility of rain later Monday that could help firefighters, he said.

Thirty-five hand crews and 25 fire engines are being used, and Cal Fire is being assisted by the Crescent and Fort Dick fire districts, Smith said. A small base camp has been established at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds.

No one has been injured, and no structures are threatened, Smith said, adding investigators believe both blazes started Friday night and were human-caused.

The area to Wilson Creek is barred by a locked gate, but “there are lots of ways you can get to Wilson Creek from Klamath,” Smith said Saturday.

A Cal Fire water tender truck was damaged Saturday after flames flared in front of it, Smith said.

“It was supporting a firefighting operation and the fire made a high-intensity run right toward them — they had to drive through the flames to get to a safe area,” he said.

Another fire burned 2-3 acres at Dead Lake north of Crescent City on Saturday before it was contained, Smith said.

Bay Area ferry, the Del Norte, stops to refuel

Second mate Dave Mayden, left, and captain Mike Bennett, check the Del Norte’s anchor mechanism after arriving here. (The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson)

A San Francisco ferry pulled into Crescent City’s harbor Friday, and it wasn’t by mistake.

The 135-foot catamaran normally  travels across San Francisco Bay between Larkspur and the city. Appropriately named Del Norte, it  stopped for refueling in Crescent City on its way to Seattle for new engines.

“We expect the trip to take three more days,” said captain Mike Bennett, whose company was contracted to deliver the ferry.

Bennett said he was hoping to avoid a storm that is scheduled to hit Sunday, adding, “she’s not designed for open ocean or rough water.”

Second mate Dave Mayden said the trip had already been “pretty rough.”

Event will focus on saving money, energy

Del Norte County’s second annual “It’s a Green Day” celebration of saving money by saving energy takes place Oct. 24 at the county fairgrounds.

The event brings together green-minded vendors and consumers. More than 1,000 people showed up for last year’s inaugural event, organizers said.

“Last year was a huge success,” said organizer Cindy Vosburg said. “People came out of the woodwork.”

Jewelry store owner was arrested last Oct.

A local jeweler who was arrested last October on suspicion of grand theft and embezzlement has been cleared of all charges.

Eric Mathews Smith, the owner of Redwood Coast Jewelers, had been accused of not returning the proceeds of jewelry sales and jewelry to customers.

The Del Norte County District Attorney’s Office has dropped all the charges due to a “lack of proof of intent,” Assistant DA Katherine Micks said Wednesday.