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BONANZA, Ore. – Crews have been reinforcing the line and are removing remaining hot spots along the fire’s edge.  Tomorrow, crews will progress deeper into the burned area to cool down hot spots, so that heat that could threaten the security of the fire line is extinguished.  Crews continue to work around structures to mop up 50 feet and in some places up to 100 feet.

Incident managers are optimistic about the efforts and progress that have been made. However, they encourage people to stay vigilant and updated on conditions.

Lumen LLC will begin working along Highway 140 to replace approximately 25,000 feet of fiber optic cable between Bly Mountain Cutoff Road to Polar Bear Lane. The work will start at 9:00 A.M., Wednesday, July 26, and they estimate completion by 3:00 P.M., July 26. Crews replacing the fiber will have flag protection while conducting the work.  Replacing the fiber optic cable is critical work that will restore connectivity to many essential services in Lake County.

Weather conditions are expected to continue with a similar pattern as today, with the potential to be a little hotter and drier. Gusty winds are expected to be 20-25 mph.  Lower nighttime temperatures will assist with diminishing fire activity. The extended forecast predicted no real change in weather.

The Unified Command, of Oregon State Fire Marshal and Oregon Department of Forestry held a successful community meeting tonight at the Bonanza school and provided information on fire status and evacuations and answered follow-up questions.

Evacuations downgraded as of July 25th:  

• Level 3 (GO NOW)-evacuation area is now reduced to a quarter-mile perimeter around the fire and the interior of the fire. Evacuation is maintained along Hummingbird Drive and Sandpiper Drive.

• Level 2 (BE READY)-area follows west of Bechdoldt Flat Rd, south of Racoon Lane and Jaguar Lane. It also extends east of the Golden Fire, approximately 3-4 miles to the powerline corridor. 

• Level 1 (GET SET)-area now includes the west side of Hwy 140 to Golden Eagle Drive and north to Parrot Drive. 

For the most current evacuation information, call the Klamath County hotline at 541-205-9730, and sign up for Klamath County alerts at http://alerts.klamathcounty.org. American Red Cross and Klamath County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) have established an evacuation shelter at Bonanza School, 31601 Mission Street, Bonanza, OR 97623. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation and will be determined by fire investigators from Oregon Department of Forestry, detectives from the Klamath County Sheriff’s, and the Oregon State Police.

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