Blanket Creek Fire Information Office
Blanket Creek Fire
Fire line personnel made progress on containment goals Sunday,
while the leading edge of the fire burned actively in heavy dead fuels.
The Blanket Creek fire was estimated at 4,739 acres Monday morning. It is 31% contained and has a fire perimeter of approximately 32 miles. That means firefighters have successfully created or improved nearly 10 miles of fire line.
The location of the fire on the landscape makes for complex suppression strategies on the overall incident. Different fuel types, different resources at risk, and different hazards in each part of the fire means each part is evaluated individually, and takes deliberate planning about how to take the most effective suppression action.
At the west end of the fire, the objective is to prevent the fire from reaching private land, hand crews, engines, fallers, and heavy equipment worked Sunday with support from helicopters. The fire burned actively in the Lick Creek drainage. While crews identify and construct potential line locations, dozers and engine crews are prepping contingency lines off the Forest Road 6215 system.
The edge of the fire between FR 6205-100 and FR 6205 now has black to the fireline that is 50 feet wide. This wider buffer provides more security along the west edge of the fire.
All the fire line that was along the Cold Springs Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail is now being mopped up. On the south side of the fire, where the strategy was to allow the fire to back down the slope slowly and naturally, crews are tasked with holding the fire above FR 6205. Patience in this area has paid off, and crews who worked this portion of line report a nice steady low intensity underburn cleared away the ground fuels.
While the lower temperatures Sunday brought a bit of relief to fire personnel, the new weather pattern provides a different set of challenges. Sunday afternoon, an incident meteorologist kept fireline supervisors informed of the locations of thunderstorms northeast of the fire. Fire crews follow storm precautions to reduce the risk of exposure to dangerous wind conditions and lightning. Crews working in the northeast division of the fire reported hail.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect
from noon until 10 pm Monday for abundant lighting on dry fuels.
Although humidity is trending upward, and large dead logs (termed “1000-hour
fuels” in the wildland fire profession) would take 41 days of exposure to
moisture to fully re-hydrate. These larger fuels will stay dry even if
thunderstorms include some rainfall.
An opportunity for an in-person update about the fire status and future strategies will be available at a public meeting in Prospect on Tuesday evening. Details about time and place will be shared as it is confirmed.
Fire at a Glance
Size: 4,739 acres; 31% Contained
Location: 9 miles NE of Prospect, OR
Cause: Lightning, Natural
Personnel: 848
Resources:
3 Type 1 Hotshot Crews
17 Type 2 Crews
26 Engines
16 Water tenders
4 Dozers
8 Falling Modules
3 Masticators
1 Excavator
1 Skidgen
Aircraft (shared with Spruce Lake):
4 Type 1 heavy helicopters
2 Type 2 medium helicopters
2 Type 3 light helicopters
Closures: The Blanket Creek Fire vicinity is closed. The Closure Order and maps are on the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest website and Inciweb. Portions of the Pacific Crest Trail and other trails are closed in Crater Lake National Park. See maps on Inciweb.
Fire Information sources:
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5431/
Thunderstorms challenge Spruce Lake
Fire suppression
Cooler temperatures are slowing the spread of the Spruce
Lake Fire, allowing firefighters to work more aggressively toward containment.
Sunday, the fire was estimated at 4,681 acres and 13 percent
contained. A public meeting is being planned later in the week to brief
residents and visitors. Additional details will be posted as they become
available.
The fire continues growing in a southeasterly direction
toward West Rim Road. Sunday, crews hiked 7 miles in to begin establishing
fire lines along the northern boundary of the fire.
Ground crews were not able to approach the south side of the
fire due to steep terrain and thick areas of standing dead or dying trees.
Helicopters continue to drop water in that area.
Expected thunderstorms in the area pose another challenge to
the suppression effort, as lightning can force crews to stop work on the
ground, accelerate the fire’s spread and cause new fire starts.
In Crater Lake National Park, a Level 1 Evacuation Notification
is in place for Rim Village and the Park headquarters area. This is the first
step in the “Ready, Set, Go!” system. A Level 1 notification means park
visitors and residents should be aware they could be asked to leave the area
and get “Ready” to do so. For more information about evacuation levels and
procedures, go to http://www.rvem.org/general-evacuation-information.html
Air quality is predicted to be “Unhealthy for Sensitive
Groups” in Crater Lake National Park today due to smoke. Smoke levels vary
widely from place to place around the park and at different times of day. To
view current air quality data from a smoke monitor located at park headquarters
go to: oregonsmoke.blogspot.com. To see the current view
of the Crater Lake from Rim Village go to: www.nps.gov/crla/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams
West Rim Drive and several trails are closed until further
notice for the safety of visitors and firefighters. Affected trails are: the
Pacific Crest Trail from the south park boundary to Highway 62, and from the
intersection of the Dutton Creek Trail north to the North Entrance Road; Union
Peak Trail; Stuart Falls Trail; Pumice Flat Trail; Boundary Springs Trail; Bald
Crater Loop Trail; Bert Creek Trail; Discovery Point Trail; Lightning Springs
Trail; and the Rim Trail, from Discovery Point to North Junction.
An area west of the fire on the Rogue River-Siskiyou
National Forest is also closed to reduce the exposure to risk for fire
personnel and the public. See: https://tinyurl.com/SpruceLakeFire
All Crater Lake National Park services and facilities are
open and welcome visitors.
Fire at a Glance
Size: 4,681
acres; 13% Contained
Location: Mostly
inside Crater Lake National Park, west of Crater Lake
Cause: Lightning,
Natural
Personnel: 332
Resources:
·
2 Type 1 Hotshot Crews
·
15 Type 2 Crews
·
6
Engines
·
1 Dozer 6 Falling units
·
Aircraft (shared with Blanket Creek):
·
4 Type 1 heavy helicopters
·
2 Type 2 medium helicopters
·
2 Type 3 light helicopters
Closures: West
Rim Drive, sections of the Pacific Crest Trail and several other trails are
closed within Crater Lake National Park. An area closure is in place on the
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Closures may change as needed for public
safety. Maps are available on Inciweb.
A Level 1 Evacuation Notification is in effect for the Rim
Village and Park Headquarters.
Fire Information
sources:
Inciweb Fire Information site:
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