Umpqua North Complex Update
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Recorded Information: (855) 419-2349
Community Meeting in Glide, 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 22, 2017
The Umpqua North Fire Complex fire officials will hold a community meeting in the Glide Community Center, 20062 N. Umpqua Highway. Agency representatives and fire managers will present current fire information and answer questions from community members.
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: 10,793 acres estimated total of complex from Infrared flight overnight.
Containment: 1%
Current Resources: Crews: 19, Helicopters: 4, Engines: 66, Dozers: 10, Water Tender: 15, Masticator: 2
Total Personnel: 804
Closure Notice:
Highway 138 East from Mile Markers 43 to 54 remains closed due to concerns with falling debris and fire activity. Road shoulders and pullouts between Mile Markers 31 to 35 of the highway are also closed to provide for public and firefighter safety.
The North Umpqua River remains closed from Boulder Flat Raft Launch to Susan Creek Campground to boaters and anglers due to falling trees and rolling debris.
Evacuation Notices: No changes from Sunday
Level 1 Evacuation Notice – “Get Ready” (threat in the area) – the Clearwater area, along Highway 138 East from Mile Marker 53 to Mile Marker 61, the Susan Creek residential area and the BLM Susan Creek Campground, HWY 138 E from Mile Marker 28 east to the Forest Service/BLM.
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.
Current Situation:
Fire activity increased substantially on Sunday as the smoke inversion lifted over the complex. Fire managers focused suppression efforts on the two most western fires, Fall Creek and Happy Dog. On the Fall Creek Fire, the Wright Creek Road, FS Road 4711, along the east flank remains the anchor point. In the afternoon increased fire activity required crews to initiate a burn out operation along this road and worked south securing the road. Crews held the line overnight and today will continue with the burnout as condition allow. The fire has crossed Fox Creek to the west, but still remains east of private land. Helicopters dropping buckets of water supported the burnout as well as checking the fire’s spread on the west flank. Monday, efforts will continue to hold and improve firelines.
The nightshift crews on the Happy Dog Fire completed burnout operations around the Dry Creek area preventing fire from reaching homes. Sunday, crews held and improved the line to secure the structures. Crews also worked around the structures in the Illahee area patrolling for new spot fires. Today, the structure protection group will continue patrolling and improving the line surrounding the homes. West movement of the fire has been halted, but it continues to move east along the north side of HWY 138 E. The north flank of the fire is moving north toward Steamboat Road, FS Road 38, and the Ragged Ridge Fire. No structures were reported lost overnight.
The Oak Nob Fire and Fire #320 in the Devils Canyon area to the east have lines surrounding them. Limited resources will focus on line improvement and extinguishing interior hot spots that could challenge the containment line. Other fires within the complex were active into the evening and overnight as well.
Weather Conditions:
Aircraft missions will cease shortly before totality and resume as daylight returns. Today will be sunny, with smoke holding in the valleys until about 2:00 pm. Temperatures will be in the high 80’s with west to northwest ridge top winds, 10 to 14 mph, in the afternoon. Light valley winds will be terrain driven and variable in speed, causing the fires to move and spot in multiple directions. Today will be another day of active fire behavior when the inversion lifts. Spotting up to a .25 mile is possible. Tuesday will be sunny with a slight chance of afternoon dry thunderstorms and associated erratic gusty outflow winds. General ridge top winds will be light out of the northwest.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality listed air quality for the Umpqua North Complex as “Moderate to Unhealthy” for Monday. For further information, go to: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.
Flight Restrictions:
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) has been established over the fire complex. Pilots looking for additional 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/
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