July 24, 2018
Garner Complex #UPDATE
Mid-day Update to the Garner Complex Fires
7-24-18 2:00PM
Here is the information you have been requesting about each fire in the Garner Complex. The Grave Creek Fire is at 6,546 acres. Much of the northern half of the fire has either dozer line, hand line or roads holding the fire in check. Today fire fighters will work on completing construction of hand line and dozer line in mostly the southern and southeastern portions of the fire. Securing, holding, and patrolling containment lines are on-going around much of the fire. Assigned resources are 37 crews, 27 engines, 21 heavy equipment and overhead.
The Pleasant Fire is at 784 acres. Yesterday the fire crossed over the containment line and burned a 30-40 area near Battle Mountain. Crews are working today to put a fire line around it and bring that portion back inside the fire line perimeter. Aircraft are planned to be active in this area. Most of the fire perimeter is secure by roads or dozer lines. In areas where there is unburned fuels between the fire perimeter and control lines or roads, Hot Shot crews are performing burnouts. Last night, an unmanned drone flew the fire and detected a new fire start. Crews were able to immediately react and put it out. Assigned resources are: 4 crews, 5 engines, 6 heavy equipment and overhead.
The Taylor Fire is at 9,624 acres and still very active, however progressing slowly. It has burned south to the Shan Creek. Due to the topography fire managers have taken a more indirect approach. There are primary and secondary control lines being built around the entire fire. The fire is burning towards those lines. Once lines are constructed and the lines are reduced of excessive fuels, and plumbed with hose and fittings ahead of planned burn out operations. There was very little spread last night. Assigned resources are: 23 crews, 13 engines, 13 heavy equipment, and overhead.
The Ditch Creek Fire is at 169 acres. This fire is relatively unchanged. It is secured with a fire line all the way around the perimeter. Resources assigned are: 5 crews, 4 engines, 7 heavy equipment, and overhead.
The Spencer Fire is at 228 acres and has a secured fire line around the entire perimeter. There is one engine assigned to patrol and monitor.
The OSFM Task Forces of structural engines have triaged and prepped over 500 structures. To date, no structures have been lost. Today there are nine OSFM Task Force at the Taylor Fire and Pleasant Creek Fires.
Public Meeting: in Wimer tonight at 6:00 P.M. at Evans Valley Education and Community Center, 8205 East Evans Creek.
July 24, 2018
GARNER COMPLEX
#UPDATEEvening Update 7-24-18 – 9:00am
QUICK FACTS:
Size: 17,369 acres
Change in last 24 hrs. +2,075 acres
Containment: 15%
Start Date/Time: 7/15/2018 9:00a.m.
Expected Containment Date: 8/7/18
Location: Josephine County
Cause: Lightning
Est. Cost: $11.5 million
Personnel: 2311
Assigned Resources:
Handcrews: 76
Engines: 102
Dozers: 35
Water Tenders: 45
Assigned Aircraft: 18
Structure Task Forces: 9
Overnight, firefighters continued making great progress on containing the Garner Complex Fire. Todays’ day shift will continue to secure and hold control lines by strengthening hand-built and dozer lines, placing water hoses and continuing mop-up operations. Firefighters will also be setting fire inside the control lines to consume fuel between the fireline and actively burning areas of the fire, weather permitting.
Structural crews continue assessing and creating defensible spaces around homes and other structures on the Grave and Taylor Creek fires.
The fire continues to slowly burn within the interior of those lines, leading to a growth in acres of 2,075 . As smoke conditions allow, air support will be dropping water and retardant on the south and west sides of the Taylor, Pleasant and Graves fires. Spencer Creek fire is holding within control and mop-up continues.
The weather forecast projects continued hot and dry conditions. Winds will have a west-northwesterly flow at 5 to 10 miles per hour. Smoke will be gradually lifting today, resulting in increasing temperatures and lowering of humidity. As a result, firefighters will likely see elevated fire activity.
FIRE ACREAGES BY FIRE:
Grave Creek/Sec. 14 6,546
Pleasant Creek 784
Ditch Creek 169
Taylor Creek 9,642
Spencer Creek 228
A public meeting will be held in Wimer today, July 24 at 6:00 P.M., located at Evans Valley Education and Community Center, 8205 East Evans Creek.
For the most current evacuation information, please contact the Joint Information Center at 541-474-5305 (8 AM—8 PM). A Red Cross Shelter is set up at the Grants Pass High School at 830 NE 9th Street in Grants Pass. 541-474-5710.
Cooperating Agencies: Oregon Department of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, Rogue Valley Fire Chiefs Association, U.S. Forest Service Rogue River-Siskiyou, Umpqua National Forest, Oregon State Fire Marshall Office
To learn more about wildfire preparedness & fire restrictions please visit:
www.swofire.com
July 23, 2018
GARNER COMPLEX
#UPDATEEvening Update 7-23-18 – 10:30pm
QUICK FACTS:
Size: 15,294 acres
Change in last 24 hrs. +3,730 acres
Containment: 15%
Start Date/Time: 7/15/2018 9:00a.m.
Expected Containment Date: 8/7/18
Location: Josephine County
Cause: Lightning
Est. Cost: $11.5 million
Personnel: 2311
Assigned Resources:
Handcrews: 76
Engines: 102
Dozers: 35
Water Tenders: 45
Assigned Aircraft: 18
Structure Task Forces: 9
Public Meeting: A public meeting is set for Wimer on Tuesday July 24, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. at Evans Valley Education and Community Center, 8205 East Evans Creek.
Around 300 people attended a public meeting that was held at the North Valley High School tonight. Fire officials briefed everyone about all of the fires in the Garner Complex.
CURRENT FIRE ACREAGES: Total 15,294
Fire Acres
Grave Creek/Sec. 14/Swamp Creek 6,119
Pleasant Creek 657
King Mountain 6
Ditch Creek 657
Taylor Creek 8116
Spencer Creek 228
For the most current evacuation information, please contact the Joint Information Center at 541-474-5305 (8 AM—8 PM). A Red Cross Shelter is set up at the Grants Pass High School at 830 NE 9th Street in Grants Pass. 541-474-5710.
July 23, 2018
Size as of 0200 hr. IR flight: 11,564 acres
Change in last 24 hrs.: +3,605 acres
Containment: 14%
Start Date/Time: 7/15/2018 9:00a.m.
Expected Containment Date: 8/7/18
Location: Josephine County
Cause: Lightning
Est. Cost: $8.873 Million
Personnel: 2162
Assigned Resources:
Hand Crews: 70
Engines: 100
Dozers: 25
Water Tenders: 38
Other: 2
Assigned Aircraft: 26
Structure Task Forces: 9
Critical Resources
Needs: TFUL, T6ENG, FELB, HEQB, IA Crews, Tenders, HMGB, HECM
Injuries: 8
Structures Threatened: 1,090
Structures Damaged: 0
Structures Destroyed: 0
Evacuations: Level 3 Estimated 357 persons
Public Meetings: Plans are set for two public meetings for the local communities
that are being most effected by the Garner Complex fires. The first meeting will
be Monday July 23, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. at the North Valley High School, 6741 Monument
Drive, Grant Pass, OR. Another meeting is set for Wimer on Tuesday July
24, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. at Evans Valley Education and Community Center, 8205 East
Evans Creek.
Fire crews from the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office (OSFM) continue to work in
the area’s of the Grave and Taylor Fires. OSFM crews are assessing homes and
other structures. This allows the crews to create a defensible space around each
structure. Flagging left on the driveway quickly informs structural crews of the
work needing to be completed. It does not indicate the level of protection fire
crews will provide that structure. Please do not remove or move the flagging. This
causes fire crews to duplicate their work. OSFM crews have been able to assess
245 structures near the Grave and Taylor Fires.
If you have questions regarding the evacuation level area’s, please call the Joint
Information Center at 541-474-5305.
We understand the impact we are having on the community with a camp of over
2,000 people nearby. Thank you for working with us as we work to protect your
community from multiple fires in the area.
For the most current evacuation information, please contact the Joint Information
Center at 541-474-5305 (8 AM—8 PM). A Red Cross Shelter is set up at the Grants
Pass High School at 830 NE 9th Street in Grants Pass. 541-474-5710.
July 22, 2018
GARNER COMPLEX
#UPDATEEvening Update 7-22-18 – 11:00pm
QUICK FACTS:
Size: 11,564 acres
Change in last 24 hrs. +3,605 acres
Containment: 14%
Start Date/Time: 7/15/2018 9:00a.m.
Expected Containment Date: 8/7/18
Location: Josephine County
Cause: Lightning
Est. Cost: $8.873 million
Personnel: 2162
Assigned Resources:
Handcrews: 70
Engines: 100
Dozers: 25
Water Tenders: 38
Assigned Aircraft: 26
Structure Task Forces: 9
Public Meetings: Plans are set for two public meetings for the local communities that are being most effected by the Garner Complex fires. The first meeting will be Monday July 23, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. at the North Valley High School, 6741 Monument Drive, Grant Pass, OR. Another meeting is set for Wimer on Tuesday July 24, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. at Evans Valley Education and Community Center, 8205 East Evans Creek.
Today 50 Oregon National Guard personnel arrived to staff ten road blocks around the clock. Supporting traffic control check points help the public avoid entering active fire areas.
Construction of direct and indirect control lines continues on the Graves fires. Much of the fire is holding within the lines on the north and west flanks, and hoselays are in place in these areas. Crews worked down each side of the fire tying in reopened roads, hand and dozer lines. Much of the focus on the Grave Fire was to create a fire line across the southern edge to tie in line between the Ditch Fire and the Pleasant Creek fire. The Spencer Fires are subdued with few visible smokes. On the Taylor Fire, because of challenging fire behavior and topography, indirect control line is being built around the much of the fire, by a combination of hand crews and dozers. Some existing roads and old firelines from previous fires will also be utilized. The smoke inversion kept aircraft grounded most of the day.
OSFM Structure Taskforces were busy today doing triage, assessment, and protection of homes in the evacuation areas.
For most current evacuation information, please contact the Joint Information Center at 541-474-5305 (8 AM—8 PM). A Red Cross Shelter is set up at the Grants Pass High School at 830 NE 9th Street in Grants Pass. 541-474-5710.
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