8/8/2018 - Taylor Creek Fire Update

Taylor Creek Fire Update Wednesday, August 8, 2018 Galice Road closure lifted at 5:00 pm on August 7, 2018, restoring access to local businesses and boat ramps. Hard work and diligence of crews working the fire line in this area allowed the road to open to all traffic and the river to all recreation. Crews from the Oregon Fire Marshal’s office continue to patrol the area and protect structures. Firefighters continue to attack the Taylor Creek and Klondike fires. Wherever rollout occurs firefighters use safe tactics to attack and contain the fire. Patrolling crews quickly respond to these situations. Construction of the contingency lines steadily progresses. Crews working the Taylor Creek fire made significant progress completing the Peavine Road contingency line. Firefighters are continuing to monitor the fireline along Galice Road. The Bear Creek fire line progresses as planned. FS Road 2402 contingency line was completed. Oregon National Guard continues their thorough sweep and internal mop up of the eastern fire line. Klondike crews strengthened the FS Road 25 contingency line that protects Wonder, Wilderville, Selma, and Cave Junction. This line ranges from 500 ft to ½ mile wide.  Road 4103 is acting as the  contingency line protecting Selma. This line has been completed and is being strengthened and reinforced. If conditions permit, firefighters may use aerial ignition today between the main fire and control lines along the south end of the fire. Crews will continue to strengthen, patrol, monitor, and hold these lines. Firing operations progress on both fires. Drone technology enables aerial observation and firing operations to continue during low visibility conditions. This capability has aided  fire containment and contingency line completion. Interactive map of current evacuation levels is available at http://bit.ly/joco-evac. Get emergency alerts at www.rvem.org. Hot and dry weather conditions will intensify. Heat will bring valley temperatures to near 105 and ridgetop temperatures to around 90. Morning humidities will start off around 70-80% and drop into the 20-30% range in the afternoon. As with Tuesday, little change in winds and inversion conditions are expected Wednesday with widespread smoke expected. Quick Facts Fire Location: Taylor - Approx. 10 miles west of Grants Pass, Oregon Klondike - Approx. 9 miles northwest of Selma, Oregon Approximate Acreage: Taylor Creek - 41,977; Klondike - 35,072 Containment: Taylor Creek - 38%; Klondike - 15% Start Date: July 15, 2018 Cause: Lightning Incident Commanders: Chris Shulte and Ian Yocum Resources on the Fire: Taylor Creek - 44 crews, 49 engines, 24 water tenders, 13 dozers, 8 helicopters Klondike - 11 crews, 24 engines, 12 water tenders, 4 dozers, 0 helicopters Total Personnel: Taylor Creek - 1,469 Klondike - 444 Cooperating Agencies: Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon Department of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, Rogue Valley Fire Chiefs Associaion, Josephine County Sheriff, Jackson County Sheriff, Josephine County Emergency Management, U.S. Forest Service Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Umpqua National Forest, United States National Guard and American Red Cross. More Information taylorcreekfire2018@gmail.com 2018.KlondikeFire@firenet.gov (541) 474-5305 https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6058/