August 26, 2015
Stouts Creek Fire Current Situation:
- 26,452 acres
- 86% contained
- 158 residences threatened
- Personnel:420
- Helos: 4
- Handcrews: 8
- Engines: 12
- Dozers: 2
- Water Tenders: 5
- Evacuations:. All areas remain at Evacuation Level 1 (Get Ready).
Crews have made excellent progress on strengthening the lines and holding the Stouts Creek Fire within the perimeter. To date, approximately 51 miles of fire line surround the fire. The fire size is at 26,452 acres (due to more accurate mapping) and is 86% contained.
The Stouts Creek Fire is now being managed by the Florida Forest Service (FFS) Type 3 Incident Management Team with Incident Commander, Mike Work. The team will continue to work with local agencies to contain the fire and protect the community.
“We will continue to carry on the good work of the teams before us” said Mike Work, IC Florida Incident Management Team, “We appreciate all the hard labor that brought us this far.”
Fire operations managers have secured the fire and are confident the fire line will hold. The threat to structures has decreased to the point that as of 7:00 a.m. on August 24, all evacuation levels were reduced to a Level 1 (Ready). Local residents should be aware of the danger that still exists in their area, monitor emergency services, websites and local media outlets for information.
To date, the Stout Creek Fire has cost $35.7 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 26, 2015
Collier Butte Fire Current Situation:
- 11,100 acres
- 55% Containment
- 190 Personnel
- 3 Crews
- 2 Helicopters
- 5 Water Tenders
- 6 Engines
Management of the Collier Butte Fire has transitioned to a Type 3 organization. As of 6 am this morning, incident commander Monty Edwards has assumed command.
The Incident Command Post is located at the Gold Beach High School and the Information Center contact number remains 541-247-4447.
As mop-up continues along the primary containment lines, other personnel and equipment will carry on rehabilitating Forest roads and chipping the large piles of brush and slash created during development of alternate and contingency lines. Local resource advisors oversee the reparations in areas where active suppression is no longer needed. Installing waterbars and pulling berms back onto lines are examples of repair strategies; these actions allow the impacted areas to return to a more natural state by holding soil and vegetation in place.
The fire continues to slowly spread in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, but natural barriers with sparse vegetation are limiting fire growth to the east. This flank of the fire will be monitored by air and if necessary, helicopter water drops will be used to cool the fire’s edge.
Southern winds will continue to move smoke north from California wildfires toward the Oregon coast. Smoke may be visible along south coast communities and Agness for the remainder of the fire season. For information concerning smoke impacts, please visit the Oregon Smoke Information website.
The Emergency Area Closure remains in place on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The temporary flight restriction over the fire area also remains in place.
Bow hunting season opens this weekend. Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts should use caution while recreating on private and public lands. Extreme drought conditions exist in southwest Oregon creating very receptive fuels. Any spark or flame may ignite a wildfire, so please follow local fire restrictions and remain mindful of fire prevention.
August 25, 2015
Stouts Creek Fire Stats:
- 26,452 acres
- 86% contained
- 158 residences threatened
- Personnel: 521
- Helos: 4
- Handcrews: 8
- Engines: 12
- Dozers: 5
- Water Tenders: 11
- Evacuations: The Level 2 (Get Set) Evacuation Notice for Upper Cow Creek has been reduced to a Level 1. All areas remain at Evacuation Level 1 (Get Ready).
Crews have made excellent progress on strengthening the lines and holding the fire within the perimeter. To date, approximately 51 miles of fire line surround the fire. The fire size remains at 26,452 acres and is 86% contained.
“The fire line has been tested by heat but not by wind yet, there is still a lot of work left to do” said Douglas Forest Protection Association Agency Representative Dennis Sifford at this morning’s briefing.
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. An in-coming Type 3 Team from Florida Forest Service (Work) arrived yesterday and will shadow the ODF Team 2 today and assume command at 6:00 p.m.
Fire operations managers have secured the fire and are confident the fire line will hold. The threat to structures has decreased to the point that as of 7:00 a.m. on August 24, all evacuation levels were reduced to a Level 1 (Ready). Local residents should be aware of the danger that still exists in their area, monitor emergency services, websites and local media outlets for information.
There are 521 personnel assigned to the fire with 8 crews, 12 engines, 11 water tenders, 5 bulldozers and four helicopters. To date, the Stout Creek Fire has cost $35.5 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 24, 2015
Current Situation: 9,600 acres
40% Containment
241 Personnel
3 Crews
2 Dozers
2 Helicopters
8 Water Tenders
8 Engines
Yesterday, crews finished burning along the south containment lines, creating a fuel break from the Big Craggies to the 1376 road system. Firefighters will secure the fire’s edge by extinguishing burning vegetation along the completed containment lines. A helicopter equipped with an aerial ignition device will add depth to the burnout by dropping small incendiary spheres to remove interior pockets of unburned fuel. Other helicopters will be available for waters drops to cool hot spots and limit fire growth.
Firefighters will continue to patrol and secure containment lines on the west flank. Chipping and brushing operations will progress north from FR 3318 to the Illinois River to remove fuel along this alternate line. Crews and equipment will repair damage from fire suppression activities on alternate lines that are no longer needed.
The fire continues to slowly spread to the east in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, but has not crossed the Illinois River. Natural barriers with sparse vegetation are limiting fire growth in that direction. Helicopters may also be utilized to slow the fire from spreading eastward.
Burnout operations play an important role in securing the southern containment line by preventing the fire from spread into Mislatnah Creek and the Chetco River watershed. Current water sources in the vicinity have been adequate to support the needs of the burnout. To date, there has been no water withdrawal from the Chetco River, and none are anticipated. If absolutely necessary, however, the following measures will be taken: (1) tenders will be filled before leaving Gold Beach, (2) fish screens will be used in coho critical habitat, (3) no helicopters will dip from the Chetco, and (4) no more than 12,000 gallons per day would be removed – an impact of 0.03% of the overall daily flow.
Steep terrain, an abundance of snags and the potential for the fire to re-burn previously burned areas presents challenges to firefighter safety. Smoke may be visible throughout the remainder of the fire season. For information on closures on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, please see the Facebook page or the Inciweb page listed above.
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. With extreme drought conditions in southwestern Oregon, the public is encouraged to use caution outdoors. Any type of spark or flame may ignite a wildfire. Please follow local fire restrictions and remain mindful of fire prevention.
August 22, 2015
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Residents of Upper Cow Creek Rd with IMT 2 Steve Bowen.
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Southern Oregon is wildfire country. In the last five years about one-third of the 325,000-acre Tiller Ranger District has been blackened by wildfire. This year, the Stouts Creek Fire has already burned over 25,000 and was 82 percent contained on August 22, 2015. Locals here know about living with wildfire. They have learned that adapting to wildfire means getting to know your neighbors and that potlucks are the perfect place talk about being a fire-adapted community.
When the Stouts Creek Fire was threatening homes east of the community of Azalea, fire managers were pleased to learn that Milo, Tiller, and Upper Cow Creek Road were designated FireWise Communities. Being Firewise means homeowners have taken significant steps to make their homes defensible from a wildfire. After several years of hard work, 14 homes and several roads including Upper Cow Creek Rd have defensible space and have joined the dozen other recognized FireWise communities in Douglas County.
The maxim of many hands makes light work applies. Grant resources, program support and technical assistance came from the Douglas Forest Protective Association, the Umpqua National Forest, Douglas County Public Works, the Phoenix Charter School and others. At the grassroots level, neighbors did not just come together on their own. There was a spark, a catalyst, someone who overcame the inertia and fostered change. That person was Kathy Staley of Upper Cow Creek Rd.
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| Kathy Staley, community sparkplug. |
“The Umpqua National Forest is part of our community,” said Kathy Staley. “Donna Owens, Tiller District Ranger, made it easy for us. We hold regular potlucks and Donna and her staff began attending. As we got to know one another we naturally broadened our circle of care to include those who work for the Forest Service,” she explained.
“Prior to these gatherings, the relationship with the Umpqua NF was often adversarial. It helped that Ranger Owens was willing to say the tough but honest things,” Staley said. “That built trust in the eyes of the community members.”
Clearly motivated, Kathy explained that her career as an engineering inspector gave her a sharp and critical eye.
“I saw a need,” she explained. “I’m relatively new to the community. We learned that there were grants available to help pay for removing the brush and small trees to make our homes safer from wildfire,” she said. The grant funds and other monies helped pay for road crews removing roadside brush.
“Red Apple Road used to be tight with brush,” explained Kathy Pack of Upper Cow Creek Road. “It made me nervous thinking about driving it during a wildfire. Getting the roads and houses cleared of brush out really gave me piece of mind,” she said.
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| Defensible space around the home of Jim and Kathy Pack. |
Once the neighbors learned that they could meet their commitment by contributing their time, the idea spread like creamy peanut butter. Using the county’s road crew and students from the Phoenix Charter School, they were able conduct defensible space activities at more than a dozen homes—removing brush and small trees and pruning up the branches on larger trees to make the homes safer from wildfire.
“We’ve owned this piece of land for 30 years,” said Jim Pack. “I planted all the trees myself and each one has a name. This place is a dream come true for me. Making it safer from wildfire was just something we had to do. We have too much at stake to live with the risk of it burning.”
Just as local residents gave their time, staff from the Tiller Ranger District understood they had to do the same. “The relationship building just took time,” said Terry Brown, Fire Management Officer, Tiller Ranger District. “The relationships we have with the community are the most valuable results from this process.”
The Douglas Forest Protective Association formed the third leg of the FireWise stool. FireWise Coordinator Dennis Sifford advises communities on becoming FireWise.
“The program helps make homeowners aware of the risks and teaches them about the little things they can do to help their homes survive a wildfire,” said Dennis.
Wildfire is a frequent visit
or to southern Oregon. Building resilience and adapting to wildfire depends on knowing your neighbors, widening the circle of care and finding the catalysts in the community who can make things happen. In these Firewise communities, these grass roots efforts have clearly paid off.
“When I learned that the residents of Upper Cow Creek Road were designated FireWise, I was more confident that we could protect the homes and that our firefighters would come home safely,” explained Steve Bowen, Structural Liason for the Stouts Creek Fire.
By: Stouts Creek Fire Information Team
Helpful Links:
http://www.dfpa.net
http://www.firewise.org
http://www.fs.usda.gov/umpqua
