8/11/15 Collier Butte Fire Update

A community meeting to provide information about the Collier Butte Fire will be held in Agness tonight, August 11, 2015 at 6 pm. The meeting will be held in historic Agness at the Community Hall. An additional community meeting will be held in Brookings Thursday, 6pm, August 13, 2015 at the Brookings-Harbor High School gymnasium.

The Curry County Fair will proceed as planned August 27-30. Management of the Collier Butte Fire will move to an alternate location prior to the beginning of the fair.

The Collier Butte Fire continues to burn in the northwest portion of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and remote Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest System lands on the Gold Beach Ranger District. Aerial infrared sensors indicate the fire is 3,931 acres. The fire is 5% contained and poses no immediate threat to communities along the coast. There are no highway closures and businesses remain open to the public.

The full suppression strategy of this fire was determined through a complexity analysis completed by the Rogue-River National Forest. Fuels in the area are extremely dry due to prolonged drought. The fire area has varied fuel types, including the green, moist fuels near creeks, old growth in the wilderness, and large areas of heavy brush and burned vegetation from the Biscuit Fire. Fire managers utilize fuels, topography, and weather factors when considering tactics to contain the fire. The current weather pattern in the area has directed the fire toward the northeast, and is forecasted to continue through Friday. Incident meteorologists periodically launch weather balloons from the fairgrounds to obtain the most relevant weather data for producing forecasts. These balloons may be visible in the morning and pose no threat to aircraft.

Burnout operations commenced yesterday afternoon, as crews ignited 1.5 miles of containment line with drip torches along Forest Service Road 420 in the north. These operations will continue today and fire managers plan to begin burnout operations along the western and southern perimeters as firefighters complete construction and reinforcement of containment lines. Helicopter support is invaluable during these actions, providing a means to cool any hot spots with bucket drops.

The cabin and communications infrastructure at Snow Camp Lookout are wrapped in fire-resistant foil for protection.

Botanists, fish and wildlife biologists, and archaeologists work daily with the team as advisors, to provide resource-sensitive suppression options. In addition to wilderness values, Coho salmon, northern spotted owl, and marbled murrelet habitats are at risk.

Also at risk is the spread of Port Orford cedar root rot disease. Although present on the Forest, the disease has not been found in this area. Resource advisors provide specific measures to mitigate the spread of this disease by treating potentially contaminated water with bleach. Additionally, a “weed wash station” to clean vehicles going to and coming from the Forest, has been implemented to reduce the spread of invasive species to lands in and around the fire.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to drive carefully, as firefighter traffic in the area has increased. Hunter Creek Road is the main access route to the fire, therefore residents will continue to see increased traffic. Sharp corners and narrow roads with few turnouts limit sight distance, and create hazardous driving conditions. The helicopter base of operations is located in Agness, so roads into and around Agness have also seen an increase in traffic.

Smoke from the Collier Butte Fire and other wildfires may be visible along the south coast. The majority of smoke coastal residents witnessed yesterday is believed to have originated at the Gasquet Complex in northern California. Detailed air quality information can be found on Oregon Smoke at http://OregonSmoke.BlogSpot.com.
Closures:
The Curry County Fairgrounds and the Day Use Area behind the fairgrounds are temporarily closed to public access. The facilities are currently being used as an Incident Command Post for the Collier Butte Fire.

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has issued a Fire Emergency Road and Area Closure for Public Health and Safety. This closure is effective as of August 7, 2015. Specific information for the closure is available on the Collier Butte Inciweb site listed above. The order, in its entirety, can be viewed on the Collier Butte Fire Inciweb site (see web address above).

For information on other fires and closures on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest please see the Facebook page listed above.

Start Date - August 2, 2015

Location - 18 miles east of Gold Beach on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

Size– 3,931 acres

Containment– 5%

Cause- Lightning

Resources – 14 Crews, 6 Helicopters, 10 Engines, 2 Dozers, 3 Heavy Equipment, 13 Water Tenders

Total Personnel- 597

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): A TFR is in place over the Collier Butte Fire. Please check the NOTAMs for current information.