Single Publication

Size: 92,914 acres (12,460 ac. in Oregon); Location: Grants Pass, OR; Cause: Lightning

Containment: 77%; Start date: August 15, 2023; Total personnel: 1,526

Resources: 37 crews   6 helicopters   45 engines   8 dozers   28 water tenders   10 masticators   1 Skid Steer 
 

Yesterday: The transfer of management from Alaska Incident Management Team to Northwest Incident Management Team 8 (NWIMT8) was completed as of 7 AM. The transfer of management went smoothly as suppression operations put into action by Alaska Incident Management Team continued under NWIMT8 management. Backhaul and suppression repair operations progressed on multiple divisions. Northeast winds were experienced over the fire area which moderated smoke in the surrounding areas. Fire crews worked diligently to gain more containment in division Golf (G).

Today’s Activities:  As containment objectives near completion, crews will continue to patrol and secure the north and northwest edges of the fire perimeter. Heavy equipment, such as masticators, feller bunchers, and chippers, will continue working the secondary containment line to the west along Forest Road 1106. Suppression repair will be ongoing near Monkey Ridge and Sanger Peak. Crews will be ramping up back haul operations by returning unneeded equipment and supplies back to fire camp. Northeast winds will continue today that will bring reprieve of the smoke from the surrounding areas. The wind forecast throughout the fire area will bring 30 to 40 mph gusts on the ridge tops. Fire managers and firefighters on the ground are prepared to hold the fire line where these impacts will be experienced. 

Evacuations: The Josephine County Sheriff has set the evacuation status to Level 1-BE READY. This includes the area west of US-199 in Josephine County, including the community of O’Brien and to the Oregon-California border. If you have internet access, you can monitor the Rogue Valley Emergency Management site. You can also sign up for evacuation alerts, updates and see an interactive Fire First Response Map with evacuation areas here: https://rvem.org/.

Smoke: An air quality advisory was issued by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for Curry and southern Josephine counties through Wednesday night due to smoke from the Anvil, Smith River Complex, Bedrock, and Lookout Fires. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather; check current conditions at: https://bit.ly/SWORsmoke 

Closures: A closure is in place on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest for Forest Road 1106 (South Elk Mountain Road), Forest Road 1205 (Lower Wheeler Road), and Forest Road 1983 (Mt. Emily Road) until October 31, 2023 or until rescinded. The closure allows for safe operations related to the Smith River Complex North. Closures on BLM land are in place as well. Visit bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts or https://www.blm.gov/orwafire for additional information.

Road Closures and Delays: Caltrans in Del Norte County issued a schedule of road closures and lane restrictions on US-199. Weekdays will have a combination of road closure and lane restrictions. Over the weekend, the road will remain open, but with lane restrictions and pilot cars. Expect delays. For specific information on road access, please see the Caltrans QuickMap site https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ and Oregon Department of Transportation’s https://www.tripcheck.com/. Local law enforcement cautions against any non-essential traffic along this route. Navigation apps and mapping programs have been routing travelers into active fire areas. Do not use forest roads as alternate routes.

Restrictions: Please respect the temporary flight restriction (TFR) established for the Smith River Complex. Keep drones away from firefighting operations and the TFR. If you fly, we can’t. Don’t be the reason a firefighting air mission has to divert! For more information on the TFR, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/.