Single Publication

Fire Update Smith River Complex South 8/27

Start date: Aug 15, 2023

 Location: Six Rivers National Forest

Cause: Lightning

Acres: 67,079

Containment: 0%

Personnel: 2,520

Gasquet, Calif., August 27, 2023. The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Department, in collaboration with the Del Norte County Office of Emergency Services and California Interagency Incident Management Team 15, have lowered the evacuation level in Low Divide at Highway 197 from mile marker 1 to mile marker 13, to level 2. Residents are urged to remain vigilant as the evacuation level could be raised again if fire activity and conditions warrant such changes. Firefighters will remain in the area to continue prepping structures and lines, so please allow them the necessary space to complete their work.

Smoky conditions yesterday morning gave way to generally cool weather all around the fire area. Resources have been taking advantage of the favorable conditions by increasing containment on the fires throughout the complex. Crews were able to complete direct handline around a large portion of the Corral fire. Two days ago, a helicopter was able to land near the High Plateau on the Diamond fire. The plan is to insert helitack modules into the Diamond fire where they will complete containment lines around the fire.

Crews were able to continue firing operations down the Pacific Power line corridor to the hand line, just north of Gasquet at the base of Stony Creek. The plan is to continue this firing operation over the next several days, to secure this corner of the fire before adverse easterly winds arrive in the middle of next week. Crews also initiated firing operation along the constructed line that connects French Hill Road with Hwy 199. This operation is hoped to be completed today. These actions will make it less likely the fire will reach structures along French Hill Road.

Potential control lines have been placed from French Hill Road, using the 17N40 Road to the south to Craigs Creek. Today, a potential control line will be built on the south side of Craigs Creek where it will connect with the 2015 Coon fire. These historic fires have acted as barriers to fire spread and have been incorporated into the overall containment strategy of the Smith Rivers Complex. This is the main reason the Island and Prescott fires have seen minimal growth over the last several days as they are entirely burning in the 2017 Oak fire and are holding at 315 and 589 acres, respectively.

Evacuations

All evacuation orders are issued by the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office. If you are in the Del Norte County, area please sign up for their Community Alert System to receive emergency notifications. Evacuation levels as of August 27, 8:00 a.m., as follows:

Level 3 “Go Now”: Patrick Creek, Little Jones Creek, Copper Creek Drainage, Coon Creek/ 16n19 17n07, Washington Flat, Pioneer Road, Panther Flat Campground Area, all communities between Slant Bridge Road north to the Oregon Border along Highway 199, French Hill Road.

Level 2 “Be Set”: Low Divide, High Divide, Rowdy Creek, Big Flat/Rock Creek

Level 1 “Be Ready”: Hiouchi from Slant Bridge to the east end of North Bank Road

Closures

South Fork Road is open to residents only. Resident must provide proof of residency.

Rowdy Creek Road remains closed at the top of Low Divide.

Howland Hill Road (Residents Only)

County road 316, Shelly Creek,

County Road 315 Holiday Mine

County Road 311 Old Gasquet Toll Road

County Road 305 Weimer Road

Forest Service Roads 16N19 and 17N07

U.S. Highway 199 is closed in Del Norte County from Slant Bridge Road to Oregon Mountain Road (PM 16 to 31) due to the fire activity. A hard closure is in place on U.S. 199 at the Agriculture Station near the Oregon border. For the latest road conditions please visit quickmap.dot.ca.gov

Effective Sunday, August 20, 2023, the Six Rivers National Forest has issued a forest-wide closure order. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/srnf/notices/?cid=FSEPRD1096395

The American Red Cross has a shelter at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds (421 US-101 N, Crescent City, CA 95531) for those displaced by evacuations. Red Cross disaster workers are partnering with local officials to help ensure evacuees receive necessities, including food, water, and shelter.

More Information

Smith River Complex Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/casrf-smith-river-complex

Facebook

Six River National Forest: https://www.facebook.com/SixRiversNF

Del Norte Office of Emergency Services: https://www.facebook.com/DelNorteOfficeOfEmergencyServices     

Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office: https://www.facebook.com/DelNorteCountySheriffDepartment

Smith River Complex North: https://www.facebook.com/smithrivercomplexnorth

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest: https://www.facebook.com/R6RRSNF/

Josephine County Emergency Management: https://www.facebook.com/josephinecountyEM

For an interactive evacuation map please visit: https://rvem.org/.