8/24/2015 Collier Butte 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/

Monday, August 24, 2015, PM

Current Situation: 10,000 acres                       40% Containment            233 Personnel                  3 Crews                              2 Dozers              2 Helicopters                      7 Water Tenders              6 Engines A helicopter equipped with an aerial ignition device dropped small incendiary spheres to remove interior pockets of unburned fuel and add depth to burnout operations on the fire’s south flank.  Firefighters mopped up the fire’s edge along completed containment lines on the south and southwest portions of the fire. Crews and engines patrolled containment lines on the west and north flanks.  Chipping and brushing operations were completed along alternate lines.  Firefighters also repaired alternate containment lines that are no longer needed in the fire suppression effort.  As the wildfire continues to slowly spread in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, natural barriers with sparse vegetation are limiting fire growth to the east. With the south, west and north firelines secure, a transfer of command from Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 3 to a local incident management team will take place Wednesday morning.  The incoming team will shadow Team 3 tomorrowto gain insight on the fire suppression activities and tactics utilized. The south containment line prevents the fire from spreading into Mislatnah Creek and the Chetco River watershed.  Current water sources in the vicinity have been adequate to support the needs of the fire suppression effort.  To date, there has been no water withdrawal from the Chetco River, and none are anticipated. If absolutely necessary, however, the following measures will be taken: (1) tenders will be filled before leaving Gold Beach, (2) fish screens will be used in coho critical habitat, (3) no helicopters will dip from the Chetco River, and (4) no more than 12,000 gallons per day would be removed – an impact of 0.03% of the overall daily flow. Steep terrain, an abundance of snags and the potential for the fire to re-burn previously burned areas present challenges to firefighter safety.  Smoke may be visible along south coast communities and Agness for 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. With extreme drought conditions in southwest 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.