8/23/2014 Onion Mountain Fire Update

Monday, crews continued to patrol and mop-up hot spots.  Mop-up activity reached as far as 150 feet in from the line depending on ground conditions and what the crews deemed to be a safe working area.  On the southeast portion of the fire, crews used hand held infrared heat sensing equipment to locate hot spots and found none.

Monday Night, crews patrolled the western and northern portion of the fire finding very few hot spots.  Night operations will be discontinued as rain moves over the area.

Today, crews will continue to monitor and mop-up along all sections of the fire.  Equipment will be used in suppression repair work (water barring line and pulling slash back over the disturbed areas to prevent erosion) on all areas of the fire. 

Where possible, machinery, hose, pumps, and other suppression equipment will be removed from the fire area and hauled back to camp in advance of expected rain Tuesday night andWednesday.

Monday morning, the fire camp was visited by Senator Ron Wyden.  He was give a briefing on fire status and the cooperative efforts by federal, state and local agencies.  He also discussed with agency and fire officials efforts needed to reduce the impact of wildfires on local residents and the economy and alternate methods of funding.

The weather is expected to continue to cool over the next few days as a cold front moves through the area.  South to southwest winds will accompany the front passage, but are expected to have little impact on the fire.  Rain is forecasted to fall over the fire area. 

With the coming rain, we encourage the public to drive carefully on the wet roadways and be alert to fire traffic that will still be present.

Fire at a Glance

Location: 15 miles west of Grants Pass, Oregon
Size:  4,105 acres
Containment:  70%
Assigned personnel:  674

Aircraft:

2 Heavy-lift helicopters
1 Medium-lift helicopters
1 Light-lift helicopters
1 Fixed-wing air management aircraft 

Closures:  Sam Brown Campground and Horse Camp, Briggs Campground, Myers Campground, Portions of Forest Roads 2500, 2509, and 2706.  See the forest website for specific information. http://www.fs.usda.gov/rogue-siskiyou/

Evacuation Notifications:

Level and Area
1              None
2              None
3              None

For More Fire Information

Phone:  541-471-7441
E-Mail:  onionmtfireinfo@gmail.com

Websites:

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4111/
www.swofire.com
 “Josephine County Emergency Preparedness” Facebook Page