OREGON FIRE UPDATE: GREAT NEWS!! REEVES CREEK FIRE WILL BE UNDER FULL CONTAINMENT TODAY! Here is the latest news on the fires in Oregon. We do have new fires this morning, and we also have an incident returning to active reporting status...the Bridge 99 Complex in Central Oregon. As noted above...the Reeves Creek Fire is done. Stick a fork in her. BEAVER COMPLEX - INCLUDES PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SALT CREEK & OREGON GULCH FIRES: Jackson County. Lightning caused. Fires are burning on ODF protected lands. Fires are burning in a mix of timber and brush. Oregon IMT II under the command of Chris Cline. The Oregon Gulch Fire is 36,273 acres with 10 percent containment. This fire is being jointly commanded by Oregon team II, Oregon State Fire Marshals Office, and Cal Fire. Cal Fire has assigned an IMT 1 to the fire. National Guard assets are deployed on the fire. Fire behavior of the Oregon Gulch Fire was active yesterday. Torching was seen as was short range spotting. Mandatory evacuations in place in both Oregon and California. 6 residences along with outbuildings and vehicles were lost on Thursday night. 270 structures are at risk from the fire and the Conflagration Act has been enacted in Oregon for structural protection. California has declared a State of Emergency to bring additional resources up to help defend structures. Highway 66 between Ashland and Klamath Falls has a travel advisory on it and is for local residents and movement of fire assets. Avoid non essential travel on Highway 66. The news is much better on the fires on the north side of the complex in Northwestern Jackson County. Total acres here is about 180 with 148 of that from the Salt Creek Fire. Fire behavior was minimal. Fire fighters have contained the smaller fires near the Salt Creek Fire and are mopping them up. Thunderstorm activity is anticipated over the complex today which could both help and hinder efforts. Heavy rain is a potential, but so is frequent lightning creating a safety issue for crews. Oregon Air National Guard Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters are being used to fight the fires in the complex. An Air Guard Black Hawk is on standby to be used as a medevac. They have a full resource mix allocated for the fire including hand crews, engines, water tenders, bulldozers, helicopters, and air tankers...with a DC 10 now assigned to the complex. Total personnel - 1280 CAMP CREEK COMPLEX: Jackson and Klamath Counties, nearest to Butte Falls. The Camp Creek Complex is located in the vicinity of Rustler Peak. The complex has fires on both BLM and Forest Service lands. 400 acres in total, varying containment percentages in the complex. This complex has a total of 37 fires of which most are located in the Sky Lakes Wilderness. The largest fire of the complex is estimated at 300 acres and 0% contained. It is well back in the wilderness and is being allowed to burn for now. It is accomplishing objectives for a controlled burn at this point. A Type I IMT is in command of the complex. Smoke jumpers were brought in to staff fires well back in the wilderness. They will be spike camping. Lookouts and reconnaissance aircraft continue to watch for additional starts from last weeks storms. Additional thunderstorms with the potential for new fire starts may develop over the area today. A full resource mix of hand crews...including smokejumpers, and helitack crews, engines, water tenders, bulldozers, helicopters, and air tankers are fighting the fires. Total personnel - 538 REEVES CREEK FIRE FINAL REPORT: Josephine County, near Selma. Cause under investigation. The fire is burning on private lands and is commanded by Illinois Valley Fire and ODF. 204 acres, 85 percent contained. The fire is burning in mixed brush and timber. The terrain is a challenge for crews, and vegetation is very thick out there. The fire has had minimal behavior for five days now. Crews are pulling the hose lines out today and rehabilitation work is commencing. There are still hot spots, but they are well within the fire perimeter and not expected to present a danger now. Higher humidity levels and possible rains from showers and storms today should finish the fire off. CRATER LAKE COMPLEX: Klamath County inside Crater Lake National Park, Lightning caused. An Oregon Interagency IMT III has command. The fires are burning in timber. 28 acres at this time with the largest fire now at 22 acres. Minimal fire behavior yesterday. 18 fires as the result of lightning last week. Additional thunderstorms with the potential for new fire starts may develop over the area today. The fires of the complex are burning in all sections of the park. The ones closest to roads have been hit first and most of those have been lined and dealt with. Effort is on the more remote fires. Many of these fires are visible from the roads in the park. If visitors want to stop for pictures, please do not stop on roads. Use pullouts and overlooks to stop for pictures. There are currently helitack crews, hand crews, helicopters, air attack, and engines working the complex. Total personnel - 193. HAYSTACK COMPLEX FINAL REPORT: Grant County, near John Day. Lightning caused. Fires are burning on ODF protected lands. An Oregon Interagency type II IMT has command. 1740 acres, 98 percent contained. Fires are burning in timber, grass, and brush. This complex was hiot by thunderstorms producing rain and that took the momentum right out of it. Crews then made excellent progress. Complex will be wrapped up tomorrow. PREVIOUSLY REPORTED INCIDENT........BRIDGE 99 COMPLEX - INCLUDES THE NEW CASTLE FIRE: Deschutes County, near Camp Sherman. An Oregon Interagency type II IMT under the command of Applegate Fire District Chief Brett Fillis in command. Complex is burning in timber. Castle Fire had active behavior yesterday with torching and spotting. The Castle Fire is a new fire that resulted from lightning. The complex also includes the Bridge 99 fire and the southern end of the Bear Butte 2 fire. The northern end of the Bear Butte 2 fire is being handled by the IMT in command of the Logging Unit Complex to the north. Crews will attack the Castle Fire today from the air and the ground as it poses a large threat to structures, infrastructure, and recreational areas in the vicinity. 90 people have been assigned to the Castle Fire alone with back up from engines, helicopters, and air tankers. NEW FIRE........NENE CREEK: Warm Springs Reservation, nearest to Warm Springs. Unknown cause, under investigation. Fire is on Reservation lands. 300 acres, zero percent contained. Fire is burning in timber, grass, and brush. An IMT has been ordered for command of the fire. The fire had very active behavior yesterday with torching and short range spotting. A full mix of resources are on the fire including hand crews, engines, water tenders, bulldozers and air support. Total personnel - 123 NEW FIRE........STALEY COMPLEX: Willamette National Forest near Oakridge. Lightning caused. Local unit in command. 116 acres total. Fires are burning in timber. Fire behavior was minimal across the complex yesterday. Access to some fires is via helicopter as they are in remote wilderness. Resource mix assigned includes hand crews, helitack crew, engines, water tenders, and helicopters. Total personnel - 215 NEW FIRE........BALD SISTERS: Grant County, near Prairie City. Fire is on Malheur National Forest, and the local unit has command. Fire is burning in timber. 105 acres with zero percent containment. Active fire behavior yesterday with torching and spotting. Hand crews are deployed and the call is out for additional resources. Engines, bulldozers, and helicopters are due to arrive today along with more hand crews. Total personnel - 90 Fire information brought to you by Southern Oregon Subaru, Volvo, Mitsubishi. Click here to see their complete inventory.....sosubaru/index.htm
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:22:25 +0000