8/18/2021 Devil's Knob Complex Update

 

The Devil's Knob Complex is a group of lightning-caused fires with the majority burning on the Tiller Ranger District, Umpqua National Forest and on private lands protected by Douglas Forest Protective Association. The Devil’s Knob Complex is situated between the Rough Patch Complex and Jack Fire to the north, which is being managed by Great Basin Team 2. 
Fire Information: (541) 900-6133 (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
E-mail:  2021.DevilsKnob@firenet.gov 
Information Websites: Facebook page “2021 Devil’s Knob Complex” Inciweb - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7771/ Oregon Smoke Information - http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/ Douglas County Sheriff’s Office - https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCoSO/ 

Complex Total Acreage: 15,694 

Complex Total Containment: 15% 
General Updates:   Fire activity on Tuesday was moderate, due to light morning precipitation, decreased temperatures, and lingering humidity.  Clearing skies in the afternoon allowed firefighters to assess Monday’s fire growth on the Smith and Big Hamlin Fires as well as identify areas of additional spotting.  Control lines are generally holding well on the north and western portions of these fires.  Fire officials are scouting opportunities for additional locations to catch and suppress the fires in advance of the fire perimeters to the east and southeast, as well as directly creating line around spots and the fire perimeter where possible.  On Tuesday, transition of management of the Devil’s Knob Complex was transferred to Great Basin Incident Management Team 2.

The following is a summary of the significant fire activity over the fire complex starting from north to south: Smith Fire – 2,805 acres – Following yesterday's west wind push on the fire, much of the fire is still holding on Dumont Creek Road on the north and is now down to the South Umpqua River and spotted across to the east side of the river.  Heavy equipment was mobilized to work on the spot which is approximately 100 acres.  Fire crews are assessing and scouting opportunities for containment to the east and south of the fire. 
Mule Creek Fire – 1,024 acres – all containment lines held the fire in its current footprint; mop up operations continue.
 Big Hamlin Fire – 9,383 acres – Yesterday, the fire crossed indirect containment lines on the south and southeast flanks towards the Roque-Umpqua Divide. The fire is staying within the indirect containment line to the east.  The west flank is holding and good progress was made on mop up operations. Firefighters continue to work on spots created from Monday’s growth as well as identify additional locations for containment. Little Applegate Fire – 135 acres –contained and in patrol status.  
Wild Cat Fire – 215 acres – fire behavior was minimal, mop up operations continue. An unstaffed sprinkler system along the east flank of the fire continues to be effective and will continue to be operated in areas too hazardous for firefighters. 
Section 30 (Railroad) Fire – 76 acres – contained and in patrol status; no smokes.
 Dismal Creek (444) Fire – 40 acres – contained and in patrol status; no smokes. The firefighting resources on the Devil's Knob Complex are also responsible for conducting initial attack operations on the entire Tiller Ranger District and private land holdings. Firefighters are prepared to respond to any initial fire starts. 

Weather:  Wednesday’s weather is forecast to be moderate with mostly sunny skies in the afternoon and a slight increase in temperatures from Tuesday to the mid-80’s. 
Air Quality: Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/. 

Evacuations and Closures: For the most up to date information on evacuation conditions, residents are encouraged to visit the Douglas County Sheriff Department's interactive evacuation map at www.dcso.com/evacuations where they can enter their address to determine what level they may be in. Residents can opt in to receive emergency alerts based on their address by registering at www.dcso.com/alerts.

The Umpqua National Forest has implemented an Emergency Fire Closure Order restricting public access to the majority of the Steamboat, North Umpqua, and South Umpqua drainages due to high fire danger and the safety of firefighting resources in the area.  To view the Closure in its entirety, please see the Complex’s Facebook post of August 13, 2021. 

Temporary Flight Restrictions: For the safety of the firefighters and aircraft fighting the Devil’s Knob Complex, a temporary flight restriction remains over the fire area.  Wildfires are a “No Drone Zone.” Conditions in the forest remain very dry.  Any spark has a very high probability of starting a new fire, so the public is reminded to be extra careful while enjoying the out-of-doors. ”One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire”.