Single Publication

Special Statement
Smoke from new wildfires will continue to impact communities within the forecast area.

Fire
Firefighter and public safety continue to be the highest priority when suppressing wildfires. Once safety concerns are mitigated, firefighters then prioritize structure protection. On this incident, great effort has been made with landowners to assist in protecting at-risk homes and businesses from the advance of the Smith River Complex. This includes digging multiple fire lines, using fire to remove fuels through burn-out operations, and placing hose-lays to stop fire spread and help mop up hot spots. This strenuous and dangerous work continues day and night. The safety record of the crews has been tremendous and few structures have been lost. After the brief rain showers Thursday night, forest fuels dried and fire behavior has become more active. The fire size is 67,097 acres.

Smoke
Stable air conditions and a morning inversion are contributing to elevated air quality values in the valleys this morning. The  inversion is forecasted to break around noon, which will lead to better air quality early afternoon in general for the forecast area. Winds from the west will then push smoke into the I-5 Corridor communities, which will increase air quality values in the afternoon and into the evening. Smoke from the Umpqua fires is modeled to move into the I-5 corridor communities and the Crater Lake area overnight.

Road Closure
US 199 remains closed south of Cave Junction at Lone Mountain Rd until further notice.