Thanks to the hard work of crews, containment on the Upper Applegate Fire has reached 45%. This containment line is along the Upper Applegate Road and extends along much of the south side of the fire. In this area, crews have mopped up the fire, checking for hot spots and extinguishing any threats.
Last night’s back burn operation improved the success on the southeastern edge of the fire. As a result, less spotting occurred during the critical burn window today. The burn operation increased the fire acreage to 890 acres, all within established containment lines.
Crews continue to prep the east and north side of the indirect lines for additional back burns to help bring the fire closer to containment lines. These burns will occur over the next 48 hours, during night operations when burn intensity is low.
More than 450 personnel are assigned to this incident, including 19 20-person crews, six engines, five tree fallers, four bulldozers and numerous overhead. Four helicopters of various sizes are assigned to the fire again today, with additional helicopters and air tankers available when needed.
Level 2 – BE SET evacuation notices remain in effect by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management for Zones JAC-434 and JAC-436. More information about zones and locations is available here: https://protect.genasys.com/.
This fire is affecting private, BLM and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. It was first reported in the late afternoon of Thursday, June 20. The cause of this fire is currently under investigation
The fire danger level on the ODF Southwest Oregon District is moderate (blue) and regulations are in place. Please be aware of and follow all current restrictions to help reduce the risk of fires in our communities. Fire season information is also available online at our Facebook page: @ODFSouthwest and our website: www.swofire.com.