7/23/2018 Sugar Pine Update

Fact Sheet: SUGAR PINE FIRES  July 23, 2018 10:00

Prospect, Oregon – Good progress has been made to access, assess and safely engage all the known fires. There are nineteen fires on the High Cascades Ranger District west of Crater Lake National Park (CLNP) managed under the collective name Sugar Pine, which is also the name of one specific fire. Approximately 886 total acres have burned on all fires combined. Highway 62 and residences are not threatened.

Yesterday, the Sugar Pine Fire saw increased activity and growth towards the south as a result of weather changes. Crews could not continue safe direct engagement and re-focused efforts on improving indirect containment lines. Burn-out operations are almost complete on the Round Top Fire. Mop-up and patrol continue on several fires that have been lined and in mop-up including the Union, Sunshine and Junction fires.

Today’s priorities include engaging heavy equipment such as dozers and masticators on the Sugar Pine Fire to build out containment line along power lines south of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (RRSNF). Northwest Incident Management Team (NWIMT) 13 is working with the Oregon Department of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management and Pacific Power to use and protect that power line corridor. Crews and heavy equipment continue to construct indirect containment SW of the Goodview Fire. Tomorrow, firefighters working east of Highway 62 will continue mop-up. Excess resources will join existing efforts on fires west of the highway.

Staff from NWIMT 13 and NWIMT 6 managing the South Umpqua Complex continue to coordinate activities on fires near each other between the Umpqua and RRSNF. The Sugar Pine Fire (NWIMT 13) is about 3 miles east of the Miles Fire (NWIMT 6) and the Goodview Fire (NWIMT 13) is 3 miles south of the Columbus (also called the Donnegan) Fire (NWIMT 6).

Resources: 703 people including 25 crews, 27 engines, 7 water tenders, 2 dozers and 2 masticators. Visibility has grounded three Type I, Type II and Type III helicopters until smoky conditions improve.

Weather: Smoke in the area kept overnight temperatures in the 60’s. Today, smoke is expected to clear later in the afternoon with higher temperatures and lower humidity expected. Winds will be from the W-NW with isolated thunderstorms potentially south of the area.

Safety: Please be aware of slow moving fire traffic, especially near the Hwy 62 entrances to Joseph Stewart State Park near Prospect and on forest service roads. Smoke can be heavy at times and more air quality information is available at http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com. Huckleberry pickers should avoid areas of fire fighting activity.

Closures: The Huckleberry Mountain camping area and roads in that vicinity are closed and blocked with barriers. Some roads and two areas along the boundary shared between the Rogue River - Siskiyou and the Umpqua National Forests between the Sugar Pine and Miles fires and between the Goodview and Columbus fires are closed. These closures affect portions of roads 68, 6640 and 800 and portions of roads 1610, 900, and 970.

Fire Summary

Sugar Pine - 337 acres. Using heavy equipment and crews to establish indirect line along power line right of way south of the fire.

Goodview - 265 acres. Continued work to plan and construct indirect containment line.

Round Top - 148 acres. Direct and indirect line construction complete. Burnout operations nearly complete.

The Union (104 acres), Junction (6 acres) and Sunshine (4 acres) fully lined and in mop-up.

The Hawk Creek (10 acres); North Top (1.5 acres); Kettle (0.1 acre); Buck Basin (1.2 acres); Gravel (3 acres); Spring 2 (0.2 acre); Alder (4.2 acres); Soldier (1 acre); Coplen (1.2 acres) fires are contained and in patrol status.