June 25, 2015
The Buckskin Fire is estimated at 5,341 acres and is 60 percent contained. Full suppression of this fire remains the operational objective.
Today, crews will patrol and mop-up hotspots along the southwest containment line near Baldface Creek. Remaining equipment from the south containment lines will be removed and backhauled to the incident command post. Repair of dozer work, including trails and firefighter safety zones, will continue on the east flank. A large pile of woody debris stacked during line development will be chipped. Wildland Fire Modules will continue to monitor and patrol the west fire edge.
The helibase at the Illinois Valley Airport will be closed tomorrow and all helicopters will operate from Merlin. The heliwell will remain at the airport for use. All water used in bucket drops from helicopters for any additional suppression efforts will come from the heliwell to protect critical Coho habitat in Baldface Creek.
A Type 3 fire organization is planned to follow the current incident management team. This organization will be smaller and operating from the Wild Rivers Ranger District office in Cave Junction. The type 3 organization will continue to monitor, complete suppression repair and be available to respond should the fire situation warrant.
Hotter temperatures, lower humidity, and gusty winds are predicted for the next several days. A Fire Weather Watch, an advisement of conditions that could result in extensive wildland fire occurrence within 12 hrs., has been issued for abundant lightning Friday afternoon through Sunday. These thunderstorms could produce dry lightning and erratic winds creating very active fire behavior. Firefighters are prepared and will remain vigilant to take additional suppression actions needed on the Buckskin Fire.
Resources no longer needed in the suppression of the fire are being released for reassignment or to return home.
With burnout operations completed, less smoke generated by the Buckskin Fire should be in the air. For future reference, Oregon Smoke at http://OregonSmoke.BlogSpot.com is an excellent resource for air quality information.
A Fire Area Closure Order remains in place closing forest land around the wildfire area to provide for public health and safety. For more information, please see the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Buckskin Fire Inciweb, or Buckskin Fire Facebook web pages.
Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): A TFR remains in place over the Buckskin Fire. Please check the NOTAMs for current information.
Resources – Crews – 6; Dozers – 1; Engines – 2; Water Tenders – 6; Helicopters – 9
Total Personnel – 352
June 24, 2015
High Temperatures and the Threat of Lightning Forecasted
Fire managers throughout Oregon are feeling the heat. Continued hot, dry weather is plaguing the region that could lead to a significant fire from a single spark.
“I’m sure everyone is aware of the heat wave that is predicted over the next several days,” says Oregon Department of Forestry Fire Prevention Coordinator Tom Fields. “While we’re all looking for ways to stay cool, now is not the time to be careless with activities that could lead to a wildfire.”
Fire season is now in effect throughout Oregon and much of the state is experiencing fire danger conditions normally seen in late July and August. ODF Meteorologists are predicting record warm weather across Oregon later this week, with afternoon temperatures climbing into the 95-105 °F range by Friday and continuing through the weekend. In addition, southerly flow aloft will bring an increasing risk of dry thunderstorms, on both sides of the Cascades, beginning in southern Oregon on Friday and spreading north across the state this weekend. With forests already at mid-August dryness levels, the impending hot spell and dry lightning poses a significant fire weather threat. While wildland fire agencies gear up for natural-caused wildfires, the last thing anyone wants is careless human-caused fires.
“The conditions are driving the story. So far, we’re seeing above normal numbers of human-caused fires.” Fields says even activities not normally linked to fire starts are causing concern. “We have had three fires related to target shooting just in the last week. One of those fires burned 67 acres and cost over $80,000 to put out. These fires, and the fact that we have already had 80-plus human-caused fires above the average for this time of year is an indication that we need everyone to think twice before conducting any spark emitting activity.”
So far in 2015 the Oregon Department of Forestry has suppressed 301 fires in 2015, 227 of which were started by people. The two leading causes are debris burning and campfires. Many parts of the state have imposed public fire restrictions on outdoor debris burning, campfires, off road driving, fireworks, the use of tracer ammunition and exploding targets to name a few. Log on to www.oregon.gov/odf for fire restrictions in your area or call your local Oregon Department of Forestry office or fire department.
June 24, 2015
Hot spots have rekindled in a few areas within the Happy Camp Complex fire, located on the Klamath National Forest in northern California. With the coming of triple digit temperatures later this week, it is expected that more smoke will be seen over the 2014 wildfire.
“With a fire this size and the lack of snowpack from last winter, seeing a few smokes within the fire perimeter is not a big surprise,” commented Happy Camp/Oak Knoll District Ranger Tom Mutz. “We have firefighters assigned to monitor the fire and take action when needed. It is likely we will be dealing with isolated smokes and hotspots until we receive significant rainfall.”
Three “holdover” hotspots have been reported recently, burning in single snags deep within control lines. Each time a smoke is detected, it is evaluated by the incident commander and appropriate action is taken. One recent detection – a one hundred foot tall, five foot diameter dead Ponderosa Pine with smoke coming out of the top – was burning 400 feet below a road in an area of high severity burn from 2014. This snag was surrounded by a continuous landscape of dead, burned trees. Firefighters evaluated the risk of the fire moving from the single tree. Due to little or no ground fuels to carry fire in the area, coupled with significant risks to firefighter safety from falling snags, the decision was made to monitor the snag until it burns itself out.
While the weather is forecast to be very hot in the coming days, fire managers do not expect to have challenges from holdover hot spots. Control lines have been “mopped up” to over 300 feet and fire leaving the footprint of the 2014 burn is extremely unlikely. Firefighters are patrolling the fire area daily.
Forest visitors are cautioned that hazards in the burned area still exist. These include but are not limited to increased potential for falling trees, trail damage and mudslides or rockslides.
June 24, 2015
The Buckskin Fire grew slightly due to the burnout operations to 5,340 acres. Overall containment is 50%. Full suppression of this fire remains the operational objective.
Crews burned out the last section of containment line working along an unnamed ridge carrying fire from the south containment line northeast to tie into the previously burned, cold fire edge and tie into Baldface Creek to secure this line. The heli-torch worked late into the evening adding depth to this containment line.
The west fire edge has not moved nor has any heat been detected for the past week. Fire managers and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest officials made the decision not to use a direct suppression tactic on this portion of the fire due to the risk and exposure to firefighters by falling snags. A contingency line (Trail 1233) will remain to the west until the fire is deemed controlled.
Today, operations along the east containment line will include patrolling and completing repair of dozer work including staging areas and firefighter safety zones. The heli-torch, if needed, will continue burning out pockets of fuels near the southwest containment line adding depth. Burning these areas will consume fuels between the containment line and the main fire. This will secure the containment of the fire into the Baldface Creek. Wildland Fire Modules on the western flank will continue to monitor the inactive west fire edge.
Hot temperatures, lower humidity, and winds will test the containment lines into the weekend. Firefighters are prepared and remain vigilant to take suppression actions as needed.
Resources no longer needed in the suppression of the fire are being released for reassignment or to return home.
Oregon Smoke at http://OregonSmoke.BlogSpot.com is an excellent resource for air quality information. The burnout operations might produce some level of smoke in the Illinois Valley and surrounding communities.
A Fire Area Closure Order remains in place closing forest land around the wildfire area to provide for public health and safety. For more information, please see the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Buckskin Fire Inciweb, or Buckskin Fire Facebook web pages.
Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): A TFR remains in place over the Buckskin Fire. Please check the NOTAMs for current information.
Start Date – June 11, 2015
Location – 10 miles southwest of Cave Junction on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
Cause – Lightning
Resources – Crews – 7; Dozers – 1; Engines – 1; Water Tenders – 7; Helicopters – 10
Total Personnel – 407
June 23, 2015
The Buckskin Fire has grown to 4,993 acres as firefighters continued burnout operations yesterday along the southern perimeter near Baldface Creek. Overall containment has improved to 45%.
Today, crews along the southwest edge of the fire will work to complete interior burnout operations. Helicopters will support the burnout with bucket drops, sling load cargo off the line and shuttle personnel. Crews working the eastern flank are in various stages of mop up, repair and monitoring. WIldland Fire Modules on the western flank continue to monitor the inactive fire edge. The fire area will continue to smolder and creep in the drainage creating visible smoke until a season ending event occurs, likely later in the Fall.
Forecasted oppressive heat, over 100 degrees will test the fire lines into the weekend. Interior fuels which have been smoldering could become more active. Fire managers will take suppression actions as needed.
Suppression repair guidelines have been prepared by resource advisors on the Buckskin Fire in conjunction with the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest specialists. Where necessary, suppression repair will be implemented by fire crews.
Oregon Smoke at http://OregonSmoke.BlogSpot.com is an excellent resource for air quality information. The burnout operations might produce some level of smoke in the Illinois Valley and surrounding communities.
A Fire Area Closure Order remains in place closing forest land around the wildfire area to provide for public health and safety. For more information, please see the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Buckskin Fire Inciweb, or Buckskin Fire Facebook web pages.
Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): A TFR remains in place over the Buckskin Fire. Please check the NOTAMs for current information.
Start Date – June 11, 2015
Location – 10 miles southwest of Cave Junction on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
Cause – Lightning
Resources – Crews – 10; Dozers – 1; Engines – 6; Water Tenders – 7; Helicopters – 10
Total Personnel – 497
