8/22/2015 Collier Butte Fire Update

Fire Update

Saturday, August 22, 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 Collier Butte Fire incident command post is moving to the Gold Beach High School today.

The information center telephone number will remain the same.

Current Situation:

9,200 acres                           30% Containment            317 Personnel                    5 Crews                                    5 Dozers               

2 Helicopters                       8 Water Tenders               11 Engines

Firefighters will continue to secure the south flank by burning out from the Big Craggies area west toward the 1376 road system.  Helicopters and SEATs (single engine air tankers) will support the planned burnout operation, which will commence when favorable weather conditions allow.

Crews and engines will secure west containment lines with mop up operations to cool burning vegetation along the fire’s edge and burnout operations to remove interior pockets of fuel.   Firefighters will patrol the north flank to ensure the wildfire remains within completed firelines.

Secondary and contingency lines north from Forest Road 3318 to the Illinois River are compete.  The alternate containment line south along Forest Road 1376 to the Chetco River is also complete.  The fire continues to slowly spread to the east in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, but has not crossed the Illinois River.  Natural barriers with sparse vegetation are limiting fire growth to the east.

Nationally, the wildfire situation remains at a critical level with the majority of fire activity in the northwest states, resulting in a shortage of fire crews, helicopters and support personnel. On the Collier Butte Fire, managers are positioning the limited available resources to focus on holding and securing containment lines, and 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.  For information on closures on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, please see the Facebook page or the Inciweb page listed above.

Smoke from the fire may be visible throughout the remainder of the fire season.  With extreme drought conditions in southwestern Oregon, the public is encouraged to use caution outdoors.  Any type of spark or flame may ignite a wildfire.