Single Publication

Smith River Complex North

Update for Thursday, September 14, 2023

Size: 87,739 total/ 11,302 in Oregon                                             

Start Date:  Aug 15, 2023

Location: Grants Pass, OR

Containment: 32%

Total personnel: 1,715 for Complex

Cause: Lightning

Resources: 41 crews   11 helicopters   67 engines   14 bulldozers   26 water tenders   15 masticators   2 Skid Steers  
 

Yesterday: A Red Flag Warning was in effect yesterday afternoon until 8 am this morning for an area northwest of the Smith River Complex North. No new starts were detected and fire perimeter held with no expansions. An increase in smoke in the area was from fuel consumption within the fire perimeter.

Today’s Activities:  Hot, dry conditions will continue into the weekend, but with lighter winds. Fire activity may increase, consuming fuels within the fire area. West of the fire, masticators are working the secondary control line along Forest Road 1106 from both north and south. Crews on the fire’s northwest corner continue to make headway. They have just a half mile to go along Forest Road 112 in order to complete that stretch of line. Work will then focus on adding depth along the line to secure containment. Similarly, on the east side of the fire, crews have completed the line in Division K, bringing containment to 32%. Sections of line are considered “contained” only when work has been completed to remove fuels, mop up has begun, and fire managers have a high level of confidence that the containment line will hold if challenged by changing weather and fire conditions.

Road Closures and Delays: Starting today, Thursday, September 14, Caltrans in Del Norte County has issued a schedule of road closures and lane restrictions on US-199. 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 for alternate routes. For additional information on road conditions, please see the Caltrans QuickMap site https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ and Oregon Department of Transportation’s https://www.tripcheck.com/.

Closures: The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has issued an area 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 today, September 14 through October 31, 2023. The closure allows for safe operations related to the Smith River Complex North. Visit bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts or https://www.blm.gov/orwafire for additional information.

Evacuations: As of Monday, September 11, the Josephine County Sheriff issued a notice reducing evacuation status to Level 1-BE READY for the area east of US-199 from mile post 39 to the Oregon/California border. Monitor 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: Communities near O'Brien will continue to receive the bulk of surface smoke impacts today. Visible smoke columns will disperse down US-199 toward Crescent City again today, followed by a return to VERY UNHEALTHY surface impacts between O'Brien and Selma this afternoon. 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/.