06/15/2015 Buckskin Fire PM Update

June 15, 2015, PM

Buckskin Fire – Cave Junction, Oregon

Incident Commander Doug Johnson

Information Center – 541-597-2223

Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4286/

Email: Buckskinfire2015@gmail.com

A Public Meeting to provide information on the Buckskin Fire is planned for Tuesday, June 16th at 6:00 PM at the Cave Junction Community Building.

Current Situation:

There was no significant fire growth today and is estimated at 2,008 acres. Smoke production was down significantly, but Cave Junction experienced some smoky conditions. Relative humidity increased to 50% as marine air moved into the fire area, resulting in a decrease in fire intensity. The area burned by the fire’s movement to the east on Sunday was considerably cooler today, producing very little smoke.

Excellent progress was made by crews building line today along the northeast flank of the fire. Progress was also made along the southeast side of the fire, where potential to spread is greatest considering fuels, topography, and anticipated winds. Three sets of fallers and three crews nearly completed fireline construction along the south line, located just north of Cedar Springs.

Success was achieved by crews working on the spot fires to the southwest of the main fire. Using bladders bags along with water bucket drops, the crews contained the spot fires and are now moving to work on spots that are closer to the fire.

The fire is not spreading along the western flank due to the sparse fuels. A contingency line, however, is being constructed along the west and northwest sides of the fire in anticipation of a possible burnout operation on Thursday.

In preparation for the planned burnout, air tankers will be utilized on Wednesday to pretreat the lines improved by crews over the last several days.

Towns in the Illinois and Rogue Valleys may continue to be impacted by smoke to varying degrees due to shifting winds, which are expected to persist for the next several days.  Detailed air quality information can be found on Oregon Smoke Information at http://OregonSmoke.BlogSpot.com.

Closures:

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest issued a Fire Area Closure Order closing access to land surrounding the fire for public health and safety. The Order in its entirety can be viewed on the Buckskin Fire Inciweb site (see the web address above) and Buckskin Fire Facebook web pages.

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFRs is in place over the Buckskin Fire. Please check the NOTAMs for current information.

The public is urged to drive cautiously on Highway 199 and nearby areas due to the increase of fire traffic. Forest visitors are encouraged to use caution when using public lands due to the current fire danger.

Start Date - June 11, 2015

Cause - Lightning 

Resources - Crews – 12   Dozers - 4     Engines – 5   Water Tenders - 11        Helicopters – 10   

Total Personnel -481

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