Updated October 2, 12:25 p.m.
CALIFORNIA:
SMITH RIVER COMPLEX
Where: Near the Oregon-California border, north and east of Gasquet
Counties: Del Norte, Josephine, Curry
Size: 94,606 acres
Containment: 87%
Cause: Lightning
Current situation: Another day of sunny weather means good working conditions for the Type 3 organization’s final operational shift on Smith River Complex North. Management of the incident was turned over to local Type 4 incident commanders Gavin Mitchell (west) and Monty Edwards (east) today at 8 a.m. This will be the final update. If you have any questions about the fire, please contact Smith River Complex South at 707-383-9727. For more general information, please call the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Fire Info line at 541-646-9177.
The west side is anticipated to complete suppression repair work, including biomass processing and debris removal, by end of shift today. Two pieces of heavy equipment were demobilized this morning. On the east side, similar repair work efforts have progressed north and northeast. Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessment of road systems and severely burned areas to determine emergency stabilization are ongoing.
Evacuations: All evacuations have been lifted. Monitor the Rogue Valley Emergency Management site and also sign up for evacuation alerts, updates and an interactive Fire First Response Map with evacuation areas here: https://rvem.org/.
Closures: Closures remain in effect and will be regularly re-evaluated in order to reopen them as soon as safely possible for both firefighters and the public. However, until those closures are lifted, it’s important to respect restrictions. Don’t access closed roads or go onto lands or trails within the closure area. The Closure Order for Smith River Complex North: https://bit.ly/SRCNorthClosure. Closures on BLM land are in place as well. Visit https://www.blm.gov/orwafire for additional information.
Where to get more information:
Inciweb
Del Norte County Sheriff's Office
Del Norte Office of Emergency Services Office
Josephine County Emergency Management (Get Ready Rogue)
U.S. Forest Service- Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Rogue Valley Emergency Management
Smith River Complex North 2023
SIX RIVERS NATIONAL FOREST 2023 LIGHTNING COMPLEX
Where: Near Willow Creek, Hoopa and Orleans
Counties: Humboldt
Size: 49,428 acres
Containment: 20%
Cause: Lightning
Current situation: A warming and drying trend is occurring across the Complex. Firefighters continue to diligently respond to and address additional smokes as they present themselves. This written incident update will be distributed every other day. If fire conditions necessitate, this update will return to being distributed as often as necessary.
Crews continue to actively assess the conditions of the Pearch and Mosquito Fires. Prioritizing the safety of firefighters and the public is paramount, given that recent rainfall has heightened the risk of fire-weakened trees falling due to the saturation of soil. Continuous monitoring efforts have been extended to cover the remote Marlow Fire and the north side of the Mosquito Fire. Progress resumed on the mowing and mastication work along the Bluff Creek Road and Slate Creek Road. This work is intended to establish a fuel break for potential future needs. On the Pearch Fire, the process of backhauling pumps and hoses from locations where they are no longer needed is ongoing. Suppression repair has begun where appropriate.
Firefighters are closely monitoring the Highway 96 corridor and Salmon River Road for any signs of falling rocks, debris or fire activity. Both CalTrans and Siskiyou County crews remain on standby to clear roadways if necessary. Special attention is being given to assessing and mitigating the risk posed by fire-weakened trees with root systems affected by wet soils before reengaging on fire control lines. Fire activity is expected to increase throughout the week. Several areas still contain heat sources and large diameter trees that continue to burn and generate smoke. Therefore, smoke may remain visible across all areas affected by the fires as warmer and dryer conditions return in the coming days.
Pearch Fire (12,126 acres, 31% contained) – Firefighters are holding and improving fire lines along the Highway 96 corridor and Butler Flat. Mop up work continues in and around structures. Continued efforts will focus on packing up and backhauling pumps, hose and other equipment.
Mosquito Fire (33,445 acres, 10% contained) – Crews and equipment have returned to the Bluff Creek Road and Slate Creek Road to resume mastication work, aimed at creating a fuel break along these routes. Several days of mastication work are anticipated to prepare these roads effectively. Fire managers will maintain vigilance regarding fire activity on the north side, which remains in a remote location. On the east and west sides of the fire, crews continue to secure control lines, mop up and address hot spots near the line.
Marlow Fire (1,988 acres, 0% contained) – Minimal activity is reported on the Marlow Fire, which is in a remote area. The fire is contained by indirect control lines to the east and south, as well as prior fire footprints where fuels are less dense. No values or structures are currently threatened by the Marlow Fire.
Monument (2 acres, 100% contained), Let er-Buck (96 acres, 100% contained) and Hancock (1,729 acres, 100% contained) Fires – A confinement strategy has been employed for these three fires due to the limited values at risk and the challenging, remote and steep terrain, which presents safety concerns for firefighters. Natural fire barriers such as rock outcroppings and old fire footprints with sparse fuels are being used to contain fire growth until the arrival of season-ending precipitation. Regular monitoring ensures that both fires remain within an acceptable perimeter, all are now considered 100% contained.
Evacuations: For information, visit Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/emergencyservices
Weather: A weak system will pass to the north of the fire Monday through Tuesday morning bringing increasing clouds, but no precipitation is expected. Temperatures will continue to warm with highs reaching the upper 70s to mid-80s in the valleys and upper 50s to upper 60s on the mid-slopes and ridges. Gusty northerly winds are expected on Tuesday with speeds up to 25 mph on the ridges. Afternoon humidity values will trend downward through this period with valleys seeing readings generally in the 20s with lower 30s to lower 40s on the mid-slopes and ridges. Mid-slopes and ridges will see only moderate overnight recoveries with values holding in the upper 30s to mid-40s.
Closures: Area and campground closures are in effect on portions of Six Rivers National Forest. They can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/srnf/notices/?cid=FSEPRD1096395.
Where to get more information:
InciWeb
HAPPY CAMP COMPLEX
Where: Multiple locations across the Klamath National Forest
Counties: Siskiyou
Size: 21,725 acres
Containment: 86%
Cause: Lightning
Current situation:
UFISH FIRE: 7,850 acres at 98% containment
ELLIOT FIRE: 13,875 acres at 74% containment
Resources will continue to actively patrol and monitor all containment lines and seek out opportunities to address any heat near the fire perimeter, where safe to do so. Suppression repair will continue where it is safe to do so.
Significant moisture over the fire area during the last week in September reduced the ability for live and dead fuels to carry fire. The fire has not moved out of its perimeter in the last two weeks. Minimal fire behavior is expected.
Command of the Happy Camp Complex transitioned back to the Klamath National Forest on October 1 at 6 p.m. to be managed by a local ICS organization.
Evacuations: All Evacuation Warnings around the Ufish and Elliot Fires have been dropped. View current Siskiyou County evacuation area status by visiting https://community.zonehaven.com.
Closures: A closure order has been implemented in the Klamath National Forest. Find more information at https://bit.ly/KlamathNFAlertsNotices. As hunting season continues, please be aware of area closures within our national forests. Contact local Forest Service offices for specific information. One-way traffic control is on Highway 96 at various locations, from 5 miles east of Seiad to Klamath River.
Where to get more information:
Inciweb
OREGON:
FLAT FIRE
Where: The Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest, 15 miles from Gold Beach, 2 miles southeast of Agness
Counties: Curry, Josephine
Size: 34,242 acres
Containment: 88%
Cause: Human caused, under investigation
Current situation: Excavators have arrived to assist with the repair of suppression lines on the northern perimeter of the fire. Crews are working to mitigate hazard trees and repair roads. Helicopter operations will begin to drop straw bales within the Flat Fire for erosion control.
Weather: There is a slight chance for a trace of rain this afternoon as a front passes to the north. Temperatures will warm through the rest of the week.
Closures: Forest closures remain in place in both fire areas. Recent precipitation across the forest allowed for the lifting of Public Use Restrictions, which allows campfires on areas of the forest that are not currently under a closure order. Lifting Public Use Restrictions for campfires does not rescind closure orders. Forest staff are working closely with fire managers daily to re-evaluate closures and look for opportunities to reopen them as soon as safely possible for both firefighters and the public. For current closure information and maps, please visit: https://bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts or https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/orrsf-anvil-fire.
The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest lifted all Public Use Restrictions on Forest Service lands and moved to “moderate” fire danger. The Industrial Fire Precaution Level was reduced to Level 1. Public Use Restrictions on the Wild Section of the Rogue River are at Stage 1- campfires must be in a fire pan below the high-water mark.
Closures: The RRSNF closure on the Flat Fire remains in effect:https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/xx1002-flat-fire.
Where to get more information:
Inciweb
Flat and Anvil Fires Facebook Page
ANVIL FIRE
Where: 8 miles east of Port Orford, OR
Counties: Curry
Size: 22,173 acres
Containment: 43%
Cause: Undetermined
Current situation: Crews made significant progress yesterday constructing containment lines on the north and west side of the fire. Suppression repair work began along the Sixes River Road, and a structure group has been cleaning up around residences along the Elk River. On the southeast perimeter of the fire, firefighters continue work to establish contingency lines south towards Milbury Mountain.
Today, crews will work on completing containment lines on the west side of the fire. Work is ongoing to identify and begin construction of secondary and contingency lines for uncontained areas of the fire that are burning in inaccessible and problematic terrain. Large timber and heavier fuels still have below average moisture levels and will continue to hold heat. Burning will become more active as temperatures rise and humidities drop. Additional smoke will be visible as warmer temperatures and strong ridge-top winds contribute to an increase in fire behavior over the next few days.
Evacuations: Curry County Sheriff’s Office has identified evacuation zones near the Anvil Fire: Zones 1, 2, and 4 are in Level 2 “Set” status. Zone 3 is in Level 1 “Ready” status. Conditions may change quickly. Monitor for updates in evacuation levels. View the interactive evacuation map at https://bit.ly/AnvilEvacs. Sign up for Curry Co. emergency alerts athttps://bit.ly/CurryCoEM.
Closures: For the safety of firefighters and the public, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Coos Bay District Bureau of Land Management have issued closure orders for the Anvil Fire area. Find maps and closure information at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/orrsf-anvil-fire.
Where to get more information:
Inciweb
