August 21, 2015
After three weeks of hard dangerous work, crews now have the Stouts Creek Fire fully encircled with a blackline—when the fire’s edge has burnt to a road or other fireline and is secure. Last night, fire crews completed burn out operations on the last piece of the 51-mile fire perimeter. Reaching this milestone has been the fire crews’ focus for the past week.
“I feel really good about where we are at,” said John Pellisier Operations Section Chief. “I was able to sleep easy last night knowing that we have this thing cinched up.”
While the mood at morning briefing was upbeat, fire managers reminded crews to be vigilant and stay focused on the work ahead. “Yes, we have a blackline around this fire. That’s great. And we still have lots of work to do,” said Incident Commander Chris Cline. “We need to stay focused and make sure our lines hold as the weather heats back up in coming days.”
The day shift will focus on burning interior patches of unburnt fuels near the southern tip of the fire. These operations will produce smoke for at least a couple more days. Once the burnout is secured, the evacuation level on Upper Cow Creek Road will be reduced. Until then, the evacuation levels remain unchanged.
A Level 2 Evacuation notice (Get Set) remains in place for residents on Upper Cow Creek Road east of Devils Flat to the end of the road. This precautionary measure is because of high temperatures and low humidities that might cause increased fire behavior. The Stouts Creek Fire has blackened 26,188 acres and is 80% contained and still has the potential for rapid growth. A contingency plan to protect structures on Upper Cow Creek is in place and will be activated if needed. Evacuation levels for all other areas remain at Level 1 (Get Ready).
The Stouts Creek Fire has been managed under unified command by Oregon Department of Forestry Team 2 Incident Commander Chris Cline and Forest Service Incident Commander Mike Wilde, since August 13.
There are 764 personnel assigned to the fire with 11 crews, 19 engines, 25 water tenders, 13 bulldozers and six helicopters. To date, the Stout Creek Fire has cost $33.3 million.
The Incident Management Team is protecting lands that are about 46% on state protected lands, which include BLM and private lands and 54% on the Umpqua National Forest.
August 21, 2015
Location: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, 18 miles east of Gold Beach
Incident Commander: Doug Johnson
Information Center: 541-247-4447
Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4461Email: collierbuttefire@gmail.com
Facebook: U.S. Forest Service-Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest
Oregon Smoke Information: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/
The Curry County Fairgrounds in Gold Beach will host the Fair August 27-30 as planned. The Collier Butte Fire incident command post will be moving to the Gold Beach High School Saturday to make room for the Fair set-up.
Current Situation:
9,000 acres
30% Containment
415 Personnel
5 Crews
5 Dozers
2 Helicopters
8 Water Tenders
11 Engines
With firelines in place on the north, west and south flanks, firefighters will focus on securing containment lines by burning fuel along the fire’s edge and interior pockets within the fire perimeter. Burnout operations will also focus on the containment line between Big Craggies and the Collier Butte vicinities, and will begin only if favorable weather conditions exist. A helicopter equipped with an aerial ignition device is available to assist ground personnel by burning areas that are difficult to access.
Helicopters will shuttle crews into the Wilderness to assist in containing burnout operations. Portable water pumps and hoses remain in place to provide water support, and two heavy lift helicopters stationed in Agness will be available to drop water.
Crews and engines will continue mop up operations to extinguish burning and smoldering vegetation along the fire edge. Firefighters will improve secondary and contingency lines by falling hazard trees and removing excess fuels. These precautionary lines extend north from Forest Road 3318 to the Illinois River and south along Forest Road 1376 to the Chetco River. The fire continues spreading east into remote, inaccessible land in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, yet remains west of the Illinois River.
Nationally, the wildfire situation remains at a critical level. All available firefighting resources are being called upon to assist, resulting in a shortage of fire crews, helicopters and support personnel. Firefighters are being reassigned to more-critical incidents to protect lives, homes and infrastructure. On the Collier Butte Fire, managers are strategically positioning available resources to focus on holding and securing containment lines, and coordinating aircraft use with other fires in southwest Oregon.
Rugged, steep terrain and an abundance of snags present challenges to firefighter safety. Due to a shortage of firefighting resources and limited wilderness access, management of this wildfire is likely to continue for an extended period. Smoke from the fire may be visible at the times throughout the remainder of the fire season.
Businesses along the south coast and Rogue River remain open and welcome visitors. Residents and visitors to Gold Beach, Brookings and nearby communities are encouraged to drive carefully as firefighter traffic has increased in the area. The public is encouraged to use caution outdoors, as extreme drought conditions persist. Fuels are receptive to any type of spark or flame. For information on closures on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, please see the Facebook page or the Inciweb page listed above.
