Single Publication

Smith River Complex North
Update for Monday, September 11, 2023

Size: 86,347 total/ 10,276 in Oregon                                             

Start Date:  Aug 15, 2023

Location: Grants Pass, OR

Containment: 21%

Total personnel: 1,844 for Complex

Cause: Lightning

Resources:
52 crews  
10 helicopters  
87 engines  
16 bulldozers  
29 water tenders  
19 masticators  
2 Skid Steers  
 

Yesterday: Crews began to establish a camp in Harbor, near Brookings. Heavy equipment and personnel have been moving into the area for the last couple days to put equipment and firefighters closer to their work site to minimize drive times and safety risks. While there is not a forecast threat from a Chetco wind event, fire managers understand the community concerns and catastrophic consequences of past wildfires in the area. Work on a secondary control line along Forest Road 1106 has begun. Warm and dry conditions contributed to successful burning operations to reduce fuel on the north end of the fire. Most fire activity remains minimal as crews search for and extinguish pockets of heat. Containment line was added along the northeast edge of the fire perimeter, bringing containment to 21%.

Today’s activities:  Crews are working closely with resource advisors to brush along Forest Road 1106 to create a secondary control line. Burning operations will continue in the northern portion of the fire today. Along the northeastern edge of the fire, firefighters are monitoring fire activity, and continuing to search for and extinguish any remaining heat in the Monkey Ridge area.

Public Meeting: A community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening in Brookings. Details will be announced on social media and in Tuesday’s update. The meeting will also be available to view online.

Evacuations: Monitor Rogue Valley Emergency Management site and sign up for evacuation alerts and updates at rvem.org. An interactive Fire First Response Map with evacuation areas can also be found there.

Smoke: An increase in smoke yesterday resulted from burn-out operations in the Smith River Complex South carried by breezes along the US-199 corridor. Smoke Forecasts are available at oregonsmoke.org

Closures: The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Bureau of Land Management Coos Bay District have issued area and road closures for the Smith River Complex. A campfire ban remains in place for BLM and forest lands, and the Wild section of the Rogue River. Visit bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts or www.blm.gov/orwafire for additional information.

Hazards from fire damage remain along US-199. Expect intermittent delays. Please use extreme caution; firefighting efforts are ongoing. The Del Norte Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to refrain from any unnecessary travel along that route. If you must travel, please do not follow mapping systems that direct you to leave the US-199 corridor; alternate routes are in a fire closure area creating safety risks to you and fire personnel. For additional information on road conditions, please see the roads.dot.ca.gov and Oregon Department of Transportation's tripcheck.com.

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 tfr.faa.gov.