8/19/2015 National Complex Fire Update

Crater Lake National Park has closed the north entrance road between State Highway 138 at the park’s north boundary and the Crater Lake west rim drive at north junction.  This precautionary closure facilitates fire operations and provides for the safety of firefighters and park visitors.  A segment of the Pacific Crest Trial is also closed from the park north boundary to the junction with Lightning Springs Trail.

Yesterday’s Activities: Firefighters continued scouting for contingency line locations to the south of the fire.  Forest Service roads west of the National Fire are prepared and completed for containment lines. Fire crews continued to reinforce and add fire depth south of Highway 230. Along the Crater Lake North Entrance Road fallers have removed dead trees to the Pumice Desert. The Crescent Fire increased 793 acres yesterday. 

Today’s Activities: Weather permitting, firefighters are ready to invoke a burnout operation along the prepared dozer line between Highway 230 and Highway 138. Fire crews are monitoring and patrolling the Highway 230 burn-out, gaining depth to the south, improving it effectiveness as a containment line. Firefighters remain poised to respond to any spotting north of Highway 230. Work continues today along the North Entrance Road to improve and strengthen the containment line and prepare for burn out operations.  The structure protection group has completed hose lay, setting pumps and sprinklers south of Diamond Lake. Crews are improving forest road 3703 on the Umpqua National Forest as a contingency line. Scouting for contingency line opportunities to the south of the fire will continue today. If conditions are right for burnout, a short segment of State Highway 138 East, between mile posts 84-86 may be closed or pilot car escorted for safety reasons during fire burnout activities.

Weather: Yesterdays weather system is expected to pass over the fire today creating a moderate potential for large fire growth. Temperatures remain warm and dry in the 80’s todays with relative humidity at 20%. North west winds are10 mph on the ridge tops. The passing weather system over the fire will continue to bring erratic shifting winds.  If the smoke layer rises and with better air ventilation, an increase in fire behavior will occur. The potential for fire spotting remains high in the lodgepole pine areas and firefighters remain poised to respond.

Closures & Evacuations: Crater Lake National Park has closed the north park entrance and a larger section of the Pacific Crest Trail, north of the lake.  The remainder of the park is open.  Area closure orders have been issued for the Rogue River-Siskiyou and Umpqua National Forests near Diamond Lake.  There are trail closures in the National Park and on the Rogue River-Siskiyou and Umpqua National Forest. Maps and descriptions of the trail and area closures are online at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4463/.

State Highway 230 is closed (ODOT Tripcheck). Diamond Lake Area is under a Stage 1 Evacuation Notice; the “ready” stage in “ready, set, go”.