9/21/2017 Miller Complex Update

Miller Complex Fire Update

Sept. 21, 2017

Northwest Incident Management Team 9 (NW9), Brian Goff, Incident Commander

Information Phone: 541-899-5302 Email: MillerComplex2017@gmail.com

Complex Size: 36,302 acres      Containment: 65%     Personnel: 225

Tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 22), Northwest Incident Management Team 9 (NW9) turns over management of the Miller Complex fires to a Type 3 command structure, signaling a reduction in the incident’s complexity.  Today, the Type 3 team will work with NW 9.  The Type 3 team will continue operations at the current incident command post location.  Some of the management and support staff from NW9 will continue with the Type 3 team, along with approximately 200 firefighters.  Personnel are expected to remain on the complex until a season-ending event, such as sufficient rain/snow, arrives to stop fire activity.

Current Situation:  Firefighter and public safety are the top priority.

The Miller Complex remains at 65% completed overall. The complex includes the portion of the Abney Fire that is north of the Pacific Crest Trail.  The east and west flanks of the Abney Fire make up about 35% of the complex perimeter.  Those east and west flanks are not contained today, but they pose little threat to high values such as infrastructure and private lands.

On the west flank, fire movement is restricted to the Red Buttes Wilderness.  Fire is compatible with wilderness management, and numerous natural barriers exist within the wilderness to limit fire spread.

On the east flank of Abney, firefighters have constructed fireline to the north and east of the open fire perimeter.  The ridge that includes the Pacific Crest Trail will be the containment feature to the south.  Those lines will contain the fire and prevent it from entering private lands.

Probabilities are high that season-ending rain/snow will occur before the fire reaches the containment boundary.  However, if future weather conditions allow the fire to spread toward those boundaries, a team will be in place to implement timely suppression actions and hold the fire within the identified containment area.

Today’s weather/fire behavior:  Cloudy, cool, damp weather prevailed over the incident yesterday.  Measurable rainfall varied widely from wet to dry, west to east, with 1.53 inches of rain northwest of the Creedence Fire, 0.36 inches at Carberry, and 0.2 inches at Squaw Peak to the east.  

Today will be cool, yet warmer than yesterday, damp and showery.  With the wet, cool and windy conditions, firefighters will adjust to changing weather conditions by watching for snags, burnt debris, washouts and slippery surfaces.  Little fire activity is anticipated due to the wetting rain.  Fire behavior is anticipated to be low. Drier and warmer weather starts Friday and will continue into next week.

Miller Complex Abney Fire, south of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT): https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5511/.

Closures: The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest closed areas  https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/rogue-siskiyou/alerts-notices.  The Bureau of Land Management has closed the Grayback Mountain Trailhead.   Klamath National Forest closures see https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices.

Website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5514/#   Joint Information Center Blog: http://swojic.blogspot.com/  

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