Despite the challenging terrain and extreme heat, firefighters stopped and are holding the Long Gulch Fire at 2.5 acres tonight. The fire is 100 percent lined. The fire burning on Bureau of Land Management forestland is roughly two miles north of Bear Camp, west of the Rogue River Trail.
The initial report of smoke came in roughly around 1:00 p.m. Both our ODF Southwest Oregon District detection cameras, and those of our partners north of us, the Douglas Forest Protective Association, picked up a light, wispy column forming near the Josephine-Curry County line. Immediately, aerial recon was dispatched to scout the fire behavior and an exact location for additional resources to respond. Due to the rugged nature of the terrain, aerial resources were determined to be the best source of initial action for the fire. This provided time to ground resources to search for access in the area.
In total, over 50 firefighters, two LATs (Large Air Tankers), one fixed-wing and five helicopters were involved in the direct attack on the Long Gulch Fire. While the conditions were prime for a potentially large wildfire, the aggressive initial attack by both air and ground resources was advantageous in today’s firefight.As always, we would like to thank our partners for the contnuous cooperation. Today, the U.S. Forest Service- Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest assisted us with both air and ground resources that were essential to the success of this mission. We are proud to be a fantastic example of Oregon’s complete and coordinated system.
Tonight, all aircraft our on hold, but ground resources will continue searching for hot spots and mopping up overnight. The cause of the Long Gulch Fire is under investigation.
We are continuing to encourage everyone to know the fire restrictions in your area. Please visit our Facebook page: ODF Southwest Oregon District, or our website, www.swofire.com to learn more about what the “extreme” (red) fire danger level means for you and your family while out and about this summer. It’s up to all of us to do our part to prevent #wildfires.