Update for Sept. 15, 2020, morning
Northwest Incident Management Team 9 (Incident Commander Brian Goff)
Email: 2020.archiecreek@firenet.gov
Phone: 971-334-7674 Hours: 7am-8pm
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7176/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Archie-Creek-Fire-Information-120244459815292/
Evacuations, shelter areas: Douglas County Sheriff website www.dcso.com/evacuations and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCoSO/
Yesterday, crews reported minimal fire activity along the western edge of the Archie Creek Fire from Glide up to the Nonpareil area. In the Little River Road area, crews are using a combination of existing road systems and dozer lines to stop the fire from advancing downhill toward nearby structures. Spot fires have crossed containment lines in the Little River area, where firefighters are working to contain them and tie back into the primary line.
Fire activity picked up slightly on the southeastern portion of the fire due to northwest winds over the area. Firefighters plan to hold the fire in this area near Panther Creek.
Crews also scouted the Canton Creek and Scaredman Creek areas, looking for opportunities to successfully engage on the fire. Heavy equipment will be used in this area to open existing roadways and construct new dozer lines to tie back into the Upper Rock Creek area.
Fire spread on the east flank is low intensity. It’s backing into primary lines helping to achieve security in that area.
Crews from the Oregon Department of Transportation and Pacific Power continue to work along Highway 138E within the burned area. The highway remains closed to all non-fire traffic between Milepost 21 and Milepost 83. Douglas County Public Works Department is also working to clear Rock Creek Road and other county roads.
An infrared flight last night shows the Archie Creek Fire at 125,498 acres. It is 15% contained with 708 people assigned to the fire. The National Guard has arrived, will meet with fire officials this morning and be out on the lines this afternoon. Firefighters will continue construct direct and indirect line. They will hold and mop-up completed line, improve and mop-up around structures, and assess opportunities to exclude acres when possible. Air resources are available should the smoke clear enough to make flying safe.
Weather today will be similar to yesterday. Dense smoke continues to hang over lower elevations, with possible clearing at upper levels near the Glide area, which may increase fire activity.
Evacuations, shelter areas: The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is reducing evacuation levels in the following areas.
- Bar L Ranch Road, Terrace and Upper Terrace: Downgraded from a Level 3 “GO!” to a Level 2 “BE SET”.
- Nonpareil Road from Plat K to Banks Creek Road (and all side roads): Downgraded from a Level 2 “BE SET” to a Level 1 “BE READY”.
- Banks Creek Road to Hinkle Creek Road: Downgraded from a Level 3 “GO!” to a Level 2 “BE SET”.
- Hinkle Creek to the end of Nonpareil Road: This section of Nonpareil remains at a Level 3 “GO!”.
- All of Douglas County: The Level 1 “BE READY” has been removed for Douglas County. However, residents are encouraged to have an emergency plan in place. Resources can be found at ready.govor www.dcso.com. An interactive evacuation map can be found at www.dcso.com/evacuations.
Fire managers and the Sheriff’s Office urge residents returning to their homes to drive cautiously and watch for falling hazards such as trees and debris. If you feel unsafe, evacuate on your own and do not wait for notification from the sheriff.
For further information:
Inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7176/
Douglas County Sheriff website www.dcso.com/evacuations and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCoSO
Air quality: The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality at http://www.oregon.gov/deq
Road closures: Monitor www.tripcheck.com for updates on the highway closures.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM): all lands east of Interstate 5, within the Swiftwater Resource Area are closed.
Umpqua National Forest: Maps and closure orders can be found on Inciweb at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7176/ . Additional information on the Forest Service closures are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-noticesmanaged lands east of Interstate 5, within the Swiftwater Resource Area are closed.