Sunday, August 24, 2014

8/24/2014 South Fork Complex Update



Today a local fire management organization took over command of the South Fork Complex from Oregon Team 2. The fire information number has changed to 541-575-3000.

Road 24 will be temporarily closed from the Malhear NF boundary, west to the 42 Road. Firefighters will be cutting snags (fire-killed hazardous trees) in the area.

Yesterday
Crews continued to make good progress with securing the fire perimeter in all flanks of the fire. Firefighters are working cautiously in areas near the old Thorn Creek Fire where numerous snags are posing a significant risk. Aerial reconnaissance was used to patrol the perimeter and monitor fire behavior.

Weather and Fire Behavior
The forecast is for partly cloudy skies with isolated afternoon thunderstorms. Temperatures will be in the 60s-70s in the valleys and relative humidities dropping into the 20% range. Starting Tuesday a high pressure will be building throughout the week. This will bring a warming and drying trend. Winds will become light and variable.

Fire behavior includes creeping with isolated flare ups. As the weather warms up, single tree torching may occur.

Today's Operations

In the southern and eastern flanks mop-up, patrol and fire suppression repair will continue. The north and west perimeters are being patrolled and monitored from the air. Aerial support is available for bucket drops on the fire and for initial attack operations.

Closures
Due to decreased fire activity in and around the South Fork Complex, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Grant County Sheriff's Office have reduced closure areas and evacuation levels. For details and maps of the closure changes see: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/4042/

Forest visitors traveling in the area this weekend are advised to drive slowly along the narrow forest roads and be aware of the possibility of falling trees weakened from fire, rolling rocks and fire traffic. Note – The Forest Road 21 is closed between the NF boundary on the north and the junction of Rd. 2108.

Maps and other information, are available online at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4042/

-- Howard Hunter
Fire Information Officer
South Fork Complex
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