8/20/2015 Collier Butte Fire Update

Fire Update

Thursday, August 20, 2015, AM

Collier Butte Fire – Gold Beach, Oregon

Location: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, 18 miles east of Gold Beach

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/

The Curry County Fairgrounds in Gold Beach will host the Fair August 27-30 as planned.

Current Situation:

8,300 acres                           25% Containment            397 Personnel             7 Crews                       5 Dozers               

3 Helicopters                       10 Water Tenders

According to fire managers, the majority of fire growth was the result of yesterday’s burnout operations and yesterday’s growth is estimated to be 1,000 acres, primarily from burnout operations.

Firefighters will progress with burnouts on the west and the south flanks in an effort to secure containment lines by removing unburned fuel between firelines and the main fire.  Fire Managers plan to burn the south line from the 460 spur road into the Big Craggies area.  Helicopters will assist burning with an aerial ignition device.  Crews will use water pumps and hoses on road systems.  As a precautionary measure, air tankers will be ordered to drop retardant along ridgelines to pretreat firelines.  Portable, self-contained water tanks will be flown in by helicopter and strategically placed in inaccessible areas to help support burnout operations.  In the vicinity of Collier Butte, firefighters will bring fire from Forest Road 3680 to the main fire to secure the remainder of the west flank.  

Elsewhere on the wildfire, crews will mop-up and hold the fireline to cool the fire’s edge by extinguishing burning materials.  The north contingency line from Forest Road 3318 to the Illinois River will be reinforced by removing excess fuels and hazard trees.  Additionally, the fire continues to slowly spread eastward in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in a remote, inaccessible area.

Nationally, the wildfire situation remains at a critical level.  All available firefighting resources are being called upon to assist, resulting in a shortage of fire crews, helicopters and support personnel.  Firefighters are being reassigned to more-critical incidents to protect lives, homes and infrastructure. On the Collier Butte Fire, managers are strategically positioning available resources to focus on holding and securing containment lines. Additionally, aviation managers are coordinating aircraft use with other fires in southwest Oregon.

Rugged, steep terrain and an abundance of snags present challenges to firefighter safety.  Due to a shortage of firefighting resources and limited wilderness access, management of this wildfire is likely to continue for an extended period.

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 has increased in the area.  The public is encouraged to use caution outdoors, as extreme drought conditions persist.  Fuels are receptive to any type of spark or flame.  For information on closures on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, please see the Facebook page or the Inciweb page listed above.