Umpqua North Complex Update Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017 Fire Information Line: 541-378-6944 Date Started: Aug. 11, 2017 Cause: Lightning Size: 39,448 acres Total Personnel: 1,157 Structures Destroyed: 0 Firefighter injuries to date: 1 Total Complex Containment: 36% Fire Resources: 25 crews, 5 helicopters, 67 engines, 16 bulldozers, and 28 water tenders. Current Information: Soldiers of Task Force Spearhead, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, completed their first day of training on the fireline Friday. The 200 active duty military personnel were requested to assist with wildfire suppression efforts because of the high level of fire activity across several western states. Organized into ten, twenty person hand crews, under the leadership of experienced firefighters, they spent the day in the Dry Creek, Illahee Flats areas and along the Highway 138 East corridor, learning fire suppression methods and procedures. On the Fall Creek Fire, crews are in their final days of suppression repair, which is fixing damage caused by firefighting efforts. This work entails pulling vegetation back onto control lines that was pushed aside by dozers. On slopes, “water bars” are being built to divert run-off in an effort to prevent erosion. This type of work has been started on Forest Road 38 along Steamboat Creek where crews had built containment lines for the Ragged Ridge Fire. Suppression repair work is also underway along Reynolds Ridge where contingency lines had been constructed along forest roads. There was very little active fire reported on the complex Friday after thunderstorms and rain showers, Thursday, covered most of the burned areas. Some isolated pockets of heat were detected in places where there are downed, large trees. Specifically on the eastern flank of the Ragged Ridge Fire, southeast of Steamboat Falls Campground, where two waterdropping helicopters worked to cool them down. On the western side of the Happy Dog Fire, south of Horseshoe Bend along Calf Creek, additional areas have been identified as still holding heat. These areas of concentrated heat are in very rugged country where access for firefighters is very difficult. Fire managers are considering control lines in safer areas for crews to work to be prepared should the fire start to move again. Firefighters continue to hold and improve their lines around Brokentooth and Devil fires. Lightning associated with Thursday’s thunderstorms is believed to be responsible for six new starts and three more on Friday in the Umpqua National Forest, outside the complex area. Local resources assigned to the complex responded to these fires, along with one crew and a water-dropping helicopter. Today will remain overcast but slightly warmer and dryer. A high-pressure system will start to build once again after the weekend bringing temperatures in the mid 90s on Monday along with relative humidity in the mid 20s. Evacuations: The areas of Dry Creek, Illahee, and Slide Creek along Highway 138 East from Mile Marker 53 to 56 have been lowered to a Level 1 Evacuation Notice “Be Ready.” The Clearwater area along Hwy 138 E, from Mile Marker 56 to 61, remains at a Level 1 Evacuation Notice. Road Closures: Oregon Department of Transportation is leading vehicles with a pilot car through the wildfire zone on Hwy 138 E, between Mile Markers 47-51. Be aware that conditions could change at anytime and could close the highway due to safety concerns. Drivers should expect delays. The Umpqua National Forest remains closed in areas of the North Umpqua and Diamond Lake Ranger Districts. The North Umpqua River remains closed to boaters and anglers from Soda Springs Dam to the Susan Creek Campground. The north shore of the North Umpqua River from FR 4714 (Panther Creek Road) to Susan Creek has been reopened to anglers only. For more information on forest closures see Public Notices at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/Umpqua/alerts-notices. The latest Umpqua North Complex Information can be found at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5505/