August 19, 2017, 11:00 a.m.
Umpqua North Complex Update
Fire Information Line (541) 378-6944
Incident: During the week of Aug. 9, lightning started dozens of fires across the northern Umpqua National Forest, along both sides of Highway 138 East, east of Roseburg in Douglas County, Ore.
Incident Command: Unified Command – Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team; Tom Kurth, Incident Commander, Douglas Forest Protective Association; Dan Thorpe, Incident Commander.
Current Size: 6,878 acres estimated total of complex, partially obscured by smoke, from an infrared flight.
Containment: 1%
Current Resources: Crews: 18, Helicopters: 4, Engines: 46, Dozers: 8, Water Tender: 10, Masticator: 1
Total Personnel: 686
Closure Notice:
Due to concerns with falling debris and fire activity, Highway 138 East from Mile Markers 43 to 54 is closed. Road shoulders and pullouts between Mile Markers 31 to 35 of the highway are also closed to protect public and firefighter safety.
Evacuation notices for the following:
Level 1 Evacuation Notice – “Get Ready” (threat in the area) – the Susan Creek residential area and the BLM Susan Creek Campground. This covers the area along Highway 138 East from Mile Marker 28 east to the Forest Service/BLM boundary due to increase fire activity.
Level 2 Evacuation Notice – “Get Set” (threat is increasing) – Moore Hill Lane.
Level 3 Evacuation Notice -- “Go”(threat is imminent) – Dry Creek and Illahee areas.
The North Umpqua River is closed from Boulder Flat Raft Launch to Susan Creek Campground to boaters and anglers due to falling trees and rolling debris.
Weather Conditions:
Temperatures are expected to be in the high 80s. Ridge top winds will be from the northwest to northeast, with gusts to 30 mph possible. At the morning briefing fire managers prepared crews for very active fire behavior with spotting up to a .25 mile this afternoon. Sunday’s outlook is for similar temperatures and winds.
Current Situation:
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) will be scouting the steep and inaccessible areas to gather intelligence for strategic planning efforts while providing for firefighter and public safety across the fire complex. The west side of the Happy Dog Fire, north of Highway 138 East, has been holding as fire managers look for opportunities to slow the easterly spread. A structure protection group remains focused on firefighting efforts in the Dry Creek and Illahee areas. A portion of the Happy Dog Fire, south of Hwy 138 E, has grown to approximately 250 acres. Crews are opening roads and scouting for potential indirect fireline locations.
The Fall Creek Fire lines held along the 4711 Road and crews continue to build and improve indirect lines toward the North Umpqua River drainage and westerly to connect with the contingency fireline constructed by Douglas Forest Protective Association crews.
Night shift crews provided structure protection in the Dry Creek and Illahee areas as well as patrolling the Fall Creek Fire. Resources continue to arrive and will be assigned to fires in the complex.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality listed air quality as Good Saturday. For further information, go to: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.
Flight Restrictions:
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) has been increased over the fire complex. Pilots looking for more information on the TFR go to: http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.
Umpqua National Forest Closure Orders: The Umpqua National Forest remains closed in areas of the North Umpqua and Diamond Lake Ranger Districts. For current closure information please see Public Notices at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/
Recreation Sites: Apple Creek, Bogus Creek, Boulder Flat, Canton Creek, Eagle Rock, Island, Steamboat Falls and Wright Creek campgrounds are closed as well as the Mud Lake Shelter and Camas Creek Dispersed Site. Horseshoe Bend/Deer Flat and Steamboat Ballfield group sites are closed. The Gravel Bin and Horseshoe Bend raft launch/takeout sites are also closed.
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