8/17/15 Collier Butte Fire Evening Update (Southwest Oregon)

Collier Butte Fire – Gold Beach, Oregon

Location: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Incident Commander: Doug Johnson

Information Center: 541-247-4447

Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4461

Email: collierbuttefire@gmail.com

Facebook: U.S. Forest Service-Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest

Oregon Smoke Information: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/

Current Situation:

The estimated 7,100-acre Collier Butte Fire is 25 percent contained and staffed with 494 personnel. The fire is burning in the northwest region of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and remote Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest System lands on the Gold Beach Ranger District. Fire managers have implemented direct and indirect containment lines to protect values at risk located to the south, west, and north of the fire while reducing firefighter exposure. Rugged terrain and abundant snags present a multitude of challenges to firefighter safety. Management of this fire is likely to endure for an extended period due to the shortage of firefighting resources and the limited access in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.

After starting out strong, winds on the fire subsided this afternoon as temperatures rose and humidity decreased. The warming and drying trend is expected to continue through the day tomorrow and will be coupled with an unstable atmosphere. This means there is a moderate to high possibility of a plume dominated fire. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Tuesday, for atmospheric instability and lower relative humidities over the fire.

Firefighters seized the opportunity to perform burnout operations along the west flank of the fire this afternoon, starting in the northwest and proceeding south along FR 3680 toward Collier Butte for approximately one mile until the relative humidity rose. The purpose of the burnout is to remove unburned fuels between containment lines and the main body of the fire, thereby strengthening those lines. Personnel also continued preparing alternate containment lines in the north along FR 120 toward the Illinois River and in the south toward Tolman Ranch. Managers continue to scout locations for additional containment lines and evaluate natural barriers on all sides of the fire.

One firefighter was transported to a nearby hospital today where he was treated and released after falling more than six feet while working in steep terrain on the western flank.

There are nearly 95 uncontained large fires in the nation resulting in a scarcity of resources. Crews, aircraft and qualified support personnel are in high demand and short supply. High-priority values at risk on other fires are in need of vast numbers of resources to protect lives and homes, and crews and aircraft are being reassigned and moved to protect these values. Collier Butte Fire managers are strategically positioning available resources to focus on holding and securing primary and alternate containment lines. Additionally, aviation managers are coordinating the sharing of aircraft with other fires in southwest Oregon.

Closures:  Businesses along the south coast and Rogue River remain open and welcome visitors. Residents and visitors to Gold Beach, Brookings and nearby communities are encouraged to drive carefully as firefighter traffic in the area has increased. Although the Event Center on the Beach is currently closed to the public, the Curry County Fairgrounds in Gold Beach will host the Fair August 27-30 as planned.

For information on closures on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, please see the Facebook page or the Inciweb

page listed above.