Single Publication

Size: 94,508 acres (12,460 ac. in Oregon); Location: Grants Pass, OR; Cause: Lightning

Containment: 84%; Start date: August 15, 2023; Total personnel: 1,246

Resources: 26 crews   6 helicopters   33 engines   8 dozers   22 water tenders  5 masticators   1 Skid Steer 

Yesterday: With the completion of control lines across the northern side of Smith River Complex, fire personnel shifted efforts into full suppression repair mode. Contingencies for the forecast inclement weather were approved, as the safety of firefighters, contractors and support staff remain the highest priority for the incident management team.

Today’s Activities: The current operational focus of fire suppression repair and backhauling operations is ongoing. Chipping operations have concluded along the northwestern perimeter, with dozer line repair work underway at the northeastern point of the fire footprint. Construction of the secondary control line along the FS 1106 road toward Brookings has approximately two miles of work remaining. The predicted storm is still expected to bring scattered showers throughout the day, strengthening into significant rainfall in the evening and Monday. Flood warnings and a wind advisory will be in effect. Fire personnel will be directed to stand down for safety for up to 24 hours until weather conditions mitigate on Tuesday. 

Evacuations: The Josephine County Sheriff has set the evacuation status to Level 1-BE READY. Levels will be reevaluated on a recurring basis. This includes the area west of US-199 in Josephine County, including the community of O’Brien and to the Oregon-California border. 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/.

Smoke: Southerly to southwest winds will usher smoke northward and inland into Sunday. Smoke from active fires in northern California will contribute to reduced air quality before arrival of rains. The most impacted communities will be along and east of the US-101 corridor of Curry County, inland to Grants Pass and the US-42 corridor. Early smoke in drainages should begin to dissipate by early afternoon. Check current conditions at: https://bit.ly/SWORsmoke 

Area 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/.