Single Publication

Smith River Complex North

Update for Friday, September 15, 2023

Size: 88,970 total/ 11,811 in Oregon                                             

Start Date:  August 15, 2023

Location: Grants Pass, OR

Containment: 38%

Total personnel: 1,601 for Complex

Cause: Lightning

Resources: 42 crews   11 helicopters   67 engines   11 bulldozers   25 water tenders   13 masticators   1 Skid Steer  
 

Yesterday: In the western portion of the Smith River Complex North, work progressed on the secondary control line along Forest Road 1106. A forest road closure went into effect yesterday to allow the work of large tree removal, brushing, and road improvement to continue safely. Fire activity increased with the hot, dry weather and consumed fuels within the fire perimeter.

Today’s Activities:  The northern edge of the fire is contained and crews are beginning mop up. In the Taylor Creek area on the northwest edge, crews are monitoring fire behavior to find and extinguish remaining heat with support from air operations and bucket drops. On the east side of the fire, Divisions I and K are being combined and crews will focus on suppression repair—chipping excess debris and water-barring dozer lines. Hot, dry conditions continue today and resources are available for initial attack in case of any new starts.

Closures: The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest issued an area and road closure for a 400-yard-wide corridor centered on Forest Road 1106 (South Elk Mountain Road), Forest Road 1205 (Lower Wheeler Road), and Forest Road 1983 (Mt. Emily Road) beginning yesterday, September 14 through October 31, 2023. 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: Starting yesterday, Thursday, September 14, Caltrans in Del Norte County issued a schedule of road closures and lane restrictions on US-199. 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.

Evacuations: The area east of US-199 from mile post 39 to the Oregon/California border in southwest Josephine County is at Level 1-BE READY; west of US-199 remains in Level 2-GET SET until fire conditions and hazards are further mitigated. Monitor the Rogue Valley Emergency Management site and sign up for evacuation alerts and updates at https://rvem.org/. An interactive Fire First Response Map with evacuation areas can also be found there.

Smoke: Area fires will continue to push smoke offshore and to locations southwest of the Illinois Valley. Increasing surface impacts are expected near O’Brien, Agness, and Cave Junction throughout the day with increasing haze and smoke moving inland in the early evening. Smoke outlooks for the area are available at https://bit.ly/SWORsmoke

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/.