June 11, 2015
Firefighting resources are responding to the “Buckskin” Fire, located approximately six miles north of the California border approximately one mile outside the Kalmiopsis Wilderness on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
Airtanker 161 is dropping water on the estimated 50-75 acre blaze which is actively burning and clearly visible from the town of Cave Junction.
Members of the Siskiyou Rappel crew are on the ground on-scene and more rappellers are en route. Helicopters are also en route/on scene, as are smokejumpers from Redmond. Two hotshot crews currently assigned to other incidents on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest are being reassigned to the Buckskin Fire to help battle the blaze.
June 11, 2015
Firefighting crews and aerial resources continue to work on mop up efforts on several fires across the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, in addition to responding to new starts on the Gold Beach Ranger District. Weather will be continued hot and dry conditions over the weekend with a slight chance of thunderstorms and no precipitation in the forecast for the next week.
Gold Beach Ranger District
The “Tom Fry” Fire (#355), located two miles SW of Agness, is four acres in size. The retardant line held yesterday and firefighters have completed containment line. Steep, rugged, and remote terrain, coupled with heavy fuel loading, is impacting mop up efforts.
Fire #346 is located near Hog Mountain. The fire is 2 acres in size and firefighters have completed a line around it. Fire is in patrol status with one engine assigned.
New Starts
#372 Miller Fire, called in this morning, is reported to be 3.5 acres in size. One Forest Service engine, patrol unit, and 20-person initial attack hand crew are responding, in addition to Coos Forest Protection Association resources. The fire is located near Elko Camp in the Hunter Creek area, is not threatening any structures, and is proximal to but not threatening South Coast Timber lands.
The North Smith Fire near Packsaddle Mountain is currently two acres in size. It is located near the SW corner of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness boundary. Four helitack crew members (Lakeview), a Forest engine and a 20-person initial attack hand crew is assigned.
Wild Rivers Ranger District
The Red Dog Fire located five miles SW of Onion Mountain on the Wild Rivers Ranger District, is 100% contained and mopped up. An assigned 20-person hand crew is pulling hose off the line today. After today, the fire will be in patrol status.
Fire #367 (Little Onion) Fire is located two miles SE of Galice in Josephine County on the Wild Rivers Ranger District. The fire is currently four acres in size with a hand line completed around the perimeter of the fire. Assigned resources include the Rogue River Interagency Hotshot Crew, the Prineville Hotshots, 3 rappelers, and an 8-person hand crew. Challenges include rolling material and competition with other incidents on forest for helicopter water bucket support.
High Cascades Ranger District
Fire #362 (Cowboy Fire) is located one mile E of Robinson Butte on the High Cascade Ranger District. This fire is 1/10 of an acre in size and is contained, controlled and in patrol status.
For current recorded fire regulations, precautions, Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL), and closure information 24 hours a day, call 800-267-3126.
For additional fire and weather information, go to the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/rogue-siskiyou or the Medford Interagency Dispatch Center at http://ormic.org/ or follow us on Twitter @RRSNF.
June 11, 2015
ODF engine crews from the Grants Pass Unit brought a halt to an 8-acre wildfire Wednesday afternoon along the edge of Interstate 5 near Milepost 68. Structural fire protection engines from Rural-Metro Fire Dept. pitched in with protecting homes and battling the wildfire. Traffic in I-5’s southbound lane crept past single-file as two helicopters, a bulldozer and numerous firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control. Crews remained on-scene until midnight, and have returned this morning to complete mop-up operations on the fire.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is being investigated.
ODF Medford Unit firefighters continue to mop up the 46-acre Rosebud Fire and the 9-acre Little Butte Creek Fire, both of which were caused by lightning from thunderstorms on Tuesday morning. The other fires caused by the storm have been extinguished or continue to be mopped up, and crews will be checking all of the fires today.
Late Wednesday, a holdover lightning-caused fire was discovered on 9 Mile Peak, south of Ruch in the Applegate drainage. Firefighters from the ODF’s Medford Unit, with the aid of a helicopter, controlled the fire at 1/4 acre.
June 9, 2015
The thunderstorms early this morning started 16 fires on ODF’s Medford Unit and 5 fires on the Grants Pass Unit. The largest fires are:
- Rosebud, approx. 15 acres
- Left Fork Foots Creek, 5 acres
- South Fork Little Butte Creek, 4 acres
- Jump Off Joe Creek, 2 acres
- Wards Creek, 1 acre
The rest of the fires are 1 acre in size or smaller; most are smaller than 1/10th of an acre. The Rosebud Fire (photo below), located 5 miles south of Pinehurst in the Soda Mountain Wilderness, has had helicopters dropping water on it for most of the afternoon, and crews are working their way in by foot and by helicopter shuttle. No engine access.
The Left Fork Foots Creek Fire is burning in heavy fuel and helicopters have been dropping buckets of water onto hot spots for much of the afternoon. A bulldozer has been constructing fire line.
The South Fork Little Butte Creek Fire is also a walk-in fire, and helicopters with buckets have been supporting firefighters on the ground.
All of the fires 1 acre in size and smaller have been lined and the fires 1/10th of an acre and smaller have been 100 percent mopped up.
A reconnaissance plane has been flying the district all day and another flight is planned for Wednesday.
June 9, 2015
Firefighting resources have responded to a number of new lightning-caused fires across the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest today, and additional resources have been ordered to assist with continued response to new starts.
On the Gold Beach Ranger District, the “Tom Fry” Fire (#355), two initial attack crews initially responded to this fire. The fire has grown to 4 acres in size and short range spotting is occurring. A heavy helicopter and air tanker are currently assisting with firefighting efforts on the ground. A Forest Service engine, rappellers and Coos Forest Protective Association resources responded to Fire #346, located near Hog Mountain. The fire is 1.5 acres in size and firefighters have completed a line around it.
On the Wild Rivers Ranger District (Grants Pass/Cave Junction), Fire #358, in the Limpy Creek area, a fire 1/10 acre in size has been completely lined. This fire was staffed by a crew, one engine and additional resources from Oregon Department of Forestry.
The Red Dog Fire is expected to be 100% contained by end of shift this evening. The Winema Hotshots have been reassigned to the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District in the Ashland/Applegate areas to support potential new starts.
Additional resources have been ordered to assist local firefighting resources with lightning-caused fire starts and have arrived on scene, or are en route:
- Prospect/Butte Falls: One 20-person veterans’ crew and a strike team of engines
- Gold Beach: Prineville Interagency Hotshots
- Grants Pass/Cave Junction: Wolf Creek Interagency Hotshots and one additional engine
- Ashland/Applegate: Redmond Interagency Hotshots
