8/23/2015 Collier Fire Update

Fire Update Collier Butte Fire - Gold Beach, Oregon Fire 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/

Sunday, August 23, 2015, AM

There will be a public meeting Monday, August 24, 2015 at 6 pm in the old gymnasium of the Gold Beach High School. The Collier Butte Fire incident command post is now located at the Gold Beach High School. The information center telephone number will remain the same. Current Situation: 9,400 acres 35% Containment 277 Personnel 4 Crews 2 Dozers 2 Helicopters 8 Water Tenders 7 Engines 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 in that direction. Yesterday’s operations focused on monitoring and securing the perimeter on the fire’s west and south flanks. Firefighters detected a 6-8 acre area where the fire crossed containment lines in the Big Craggies vicinity. A group of heli-rappellers were inserted, secured the area and were extracted before smoke in the area reduced the pilot’s visibility. Additional actions included chipping and brushing the alternate line to the Illinois River in the north and began rehabilitation of certain dozer lines. The lines where “rehab” occurred were originally installed as safety precautions for firefighters performing burnouts along secure containment lines. Today, managers plan to continue with burnout operations along the south flank, proceeding west from the Big Craggies area toward the 1376 road system. Helicopters and SEATs (single engine air tankers) will support the planned burnout operation, which will commence when weather conditions allow. Rugged, steep terrain and an abundance of snags present challenges to firefighter safety. The wildfire situation remains at a critical level, resulting in a shortage of fire crews, helicopters and support personnel. Due to this shortage of firefighting resources and limited wilderness access, management of this wildfire is likely to continue for an extended period. Smoke from the fire may be visible throughout the remainder of the fire season. For information on closures on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, please see the Facebook page or the Inciweb page listed above. 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. 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. Please follow local fire restrictions and remain mindful of fire prevention.