7/20/2018 Sugar Pine Fire Update

Good progress is being made to access, assess and safely engage all the known fires on the High Cascades Ranger District west of Crater Lake National Park.  Fourteen known fires are being managed under the collective name Sugar Pine, which is also the name of one specific fire.

Yesterday firefighters constructed fireline around two newly detected fires: North Top and Kettle.  There was some increase in sizes of the Sugar Pine, Round Top, Sunshine and Goodview fires, but no major spread occurred.  Retardant was applied to keep the Union Fire in check, approximately 1 ½ miles from Crater Lake National Park.  All the assigned fires were more accurately mapped.  Line construction and mop-up continued on several of the smaller fires that have been mostly contained. 

Keeping the Union Fire at its current size continues to be today’s priority. Containment lines are being constructed around the Sugar Pine and Round Top fires.  A strategy to contain the inaccessible Goodview Fire is being developed.  Mop-up and patrol continues on several smaller fires that have been contained. 

Today, Operations specialists from NW IMT#13 will meet with counterparts from NW IMT#6 who are managing the South Umpqua Complex.  They will identify and coordinate potential issues and efficiencies related to fires that are near each other across the boundary of the Umpqua and Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forests.  Specifically, the Sugar Pine Fire (NW IMT#13) is about 4 miles east of the Miles Fire (NW IMT#6) and the Goodview Fire (NW IMT#13) is approximately 4 miles south of the Donnegan Flats Fire (NW IMT#6).

Today’s weather will be similar to yesterdays with temperatures reaching 85 degrees and relative humidity dropping below 20%.  Winds will be from the NW, with gusts increasing to 20 mph in the afternoon.  There is no lightning forecast. 

The public is encouraged to be aware of slow moving fire traffic throughout the area, especially near the Hwy 62 entrances to Joseph Stewart State Park.

West of Hwy 62 (8-10 fires):

Sugar Pine (250 acres; size doubling is mostly due to better mapping, but some fire growth)

Hawk Creek (also called “Hawk” or “Elk Horn”) (10 acres; no change)

Round Top (125 acres; 25 acre growth July 19) 

North Top (1/10 acre; detected and lined July 19)

Sunshine (4 acres; 3 acre growth mostly due to improved access and mapping; 40% lined)

Goodview (70 acres in heavy timber; 60 acres of growth due to fire spread and better mapping)

Kettle (1/10 acre; detected and lined July 19)

Buck Basin (2 acres; no change; contained 7/16)

Gravel (10 acres; no change; lined; mopping up)

East of Hwy 62 (5-8 fires):

Union (60+ acres; no change in size; retardant applied July 19; containment increasing)

Alder (4.2 acres; decrease in size due to better mapping; lined; mopping up)

Soldier (1 acre; size increase of ½ acre due to better mapping; contained on 7/18)

Coplen (1.2 acres; slight size increase due to better mapping; contained 7/17)