7/21/18 Natchez Fire Update

 Natchez Fire Update

Summary: The Northwest Incident Management Team 10 is in charge of the management of the Natchez, Poker, Klondike, and Granite Fires. This management area will be referred to as the Natchez Fire.

Current Situation: On the Natchez Fire (15 miles SE of Cave Junction, OR), crews continue to make good progress establishing indirect lines on the fire using heavy equipment and hand crews. The terrain is rugged and crews continue to work on widening existing roads to use as containment lines. Aviation resources will continue to be used as long as weather conditions are favorable.

Klondike and Granite Fires (9 miles NW of Selma, OR) are continuing to grow. This area is very rugged and has been unsafe to put members into the fire area. A strategy is being developed to limit the growth of the fires using air resources and old fire lines and existing roads in the area. A team of fire experts is being assembled to develop a long term strategy for controlling these fires. A strike team of engines is being deployed to the Oak Flats area, east of the fires, to conduct structure protection.

The Poker Fire (14 miles SE of Cave Junction, just north of Natchez Fire) is contained and remains in patrol status.

Weather: Today will continue to be warm and dry in the afternoon, with winds coming from the N to NE at 4 to 8 mph and gusts up to 15 mph. Possible isolated thunderstorms are forecasted today through Monday.

Closures and Evacuations: Josephine County Sheriff’s office have issued a level 2 evacuation for the residents of Oak Flats near Selma, OR. For more information about the evacuation, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5948/44152/ or call 541-597-4784.

The Rogue River-Siskiyou and the Klamath National Forests has issued an emergency area closure in the area surrounding the Natchez Fire. For more details go to:

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5948/44133/

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5948/44085/