Single Publication

Diamond Complex

• Size: 11,141 acres
• Containment: 78%
• Personnel: 1,143
• Location: 18 miles SW of Chemult, OR
• Start Date: July 19, 2024
• Cause: Undetermined

Middle Fork Fire

• Size: 5,286 acres
• Containment: 52% 
• Personnel: 38
• Location: Crater Lake National Park
• Start Date: July 17, 2024
• Cause: Undetermined

Change to Update Schedule  

After today, updates will be distributed every other day. The next update will be Thursday, September 5, 2024. InciWeb and Facebook will be updated daily with operational videos, quick facts and any other available information. 

Visitor and Firefighter Safety, Fire Restrictions and Closures 

The North Entrance to Crater Lake National Park is closed to all traffic to allow Middle Fork Fire-related hazard reduction work to resume. The park remains open and can be accessed through the South Entrance. 

Drivers on Hwy. 230 on the park’s northwest side should be especially cautious. Firefighters are using heavy equipment to remove downed and dead wood in this area. Slow down when approaching firefighter activity. 

Monday’s minor car accident near where firefighters were working serves as a reminder for everyone to drive carefully. Please be patient, minimize distractions and stay focused. Enjoy the beautiful outdoors after reaching your destination.  

For your safety and ours, do not enter closed areas. Barriers may not block entire roadways to allow for firefighter traffic. However, do not drive around barriers. Areas are closed because of fire activity, falling trees, heavy equipment and road grading. Entering closed areas endangers drivers and firefighters and disrupts important fire-related work.   

The Umpqua and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests and Crater Lake National Park have different fire restrictions in place. Crater Lake National Park has a fire ban whereas the national forests have Level 2 fire restrictions. Know where you are and follow information posted on their websites. 

• Crater Lake National Park: https://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm 
• Umpqua National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/umpqua 
• Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/rogue-siskiyou  

Current Fire Situation 

Monday’s storms did not bring much rain. However, they did produce some lightning on the northern area of the Diamond Complex. Initial attack resources will look for any new fires in the area. Weather trends hotter and drier for the next several days which could bring increased fire activity. So, crews continue to secure containment lines and safely mop up interior pockets of heat before the weather changes.  

Middle Fork Fire 

On Tuesday, containment on the Middle Fork Fire increased to 52%. Firefighters continue to patrol the fire’s north and east sides where heat is scattered in the interior. Crews will continue suppression repair on trails and along Hwy. 230 where they are hauling timber cut during suppression operations.  

Diamond Complex 

• Pine Bench Fire (north of Hwy. 138 near Dry Creek, 3,976 acres, 65% contained): Fire activity remains low. Firefighters continue to patrol around Camel Hump after successfully eliminating heat there on Monday. They are also monitoring and securing edges on the fire’s south side.  
• Potter Fire (north of Hwy. 138, 2 miles southeast of Potter Mountain, 3,428 acres, 38% contained): On Monday, firefighters monitored the fire’s west side but did not find much heat. Crews continued repairing areas disturbed by suppression activities. On the north side, where heat has been a concern, fire activity was low. Firefighters continue to monitor this area to ensure the fire stays well within its current footprint. On the fire’s southeast side, crews did not find any heat and started suppression repair work including road grading. On the southwest side, due to concerns about the possibility of fire moving into dead timber within an old fire scar, firefighters are working on a fuel break plan. Crews completed suppression repair on the south end of the fire.  
• Lemolo Fire (north of Lemolo Lake, 1,246 acres, 100% contained): Firefighters continue to patrol and monitor.  
• Ooya Fire (east of Bug Lake, 373 acres, 100% contained): Firefighters found some heat in the interior that does not pose a threat to containment. Crews will patrol and monitor. 
• Multiple fires within the complex: Heat remains in the interior of several of the smaller fires including the Lost and Trep Fires. Containment lines are holding, and firefighters continue patrolling and mopping up hotspots. They also are doing suppression repair including chipping and road work. 

Weather and Fire Behavior  

Tuesday will be cool and dry with temperatures in the 70s and winds out of the northwest. A warming, drying trend begins on Wednesday. These conditions could increase fire activity and potential, and new starts from Monday’s storms could reveal themselves as temperatures increase and relative humidity drops.  

Smoke Outlook 

Smoke from neighboring incidents may be visible, but smoke from the Diamond Complex and Middle Fork Fires has been minimal. For more information, visit outlooks.airfire.org/outlook and fire.airnow.gov. 

Forest Closure and Fire Restrictions 

Umpqua National Forest has decreased Public Use Restrictions to Level 2. The forest remains in High Fire Danger and Industrial Fire Precaution Levels are at Level 2. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices/?aid=88996.  

Umpqua National Forest’s current closure order allows access to specific roads, trails and campgrounds, which are listed as exemptions in Forest Order 06-15-24-07. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umpqua/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1202210. 

A closure is in place on Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest for the area north and west of Crater Lake National Park along Hwy. 230 south to the intersection with Hwy. 62. The closure order and a map are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/rogue-siskiyou/alerts-notices. 

Park Closure and Fire Restrictions 

Crater Lake National Park remains open. However, several closures are in effect. For details, visit  https://www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/conditions.htm. 

The North Entrance to Crater Lake National Park is closed to all traffic to allow hazard reduction work related to the Middle Fork Fire to resume. The park remains open and can be accessed through the South Entrance.  

Know before you go. Check the latest conditions and road status before you arrive at your destination to ensure a smooth, enjoyable visit. Updates are available on the park website at https://www.nps.gov/crla and on Oregon Tripcheck at https://www.tripcheck.com. 

REMINDER: The Pacific Crest Trail between the Lightning Springs and Rim Trail Intersections, Bald Crater Loop, Bert Creek and Boundary Springs Trails are closed until further notice due to potentially hazardous conditions created by the Middle Fork Fire. Hikers and bikers may not use the North Entrance Road to enter or leave Crater Lake National Park. 

Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) 

TFRs are in place over the Middle Fork Fire https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_8387.html (6 a.m. to 9 a.m. local time to accommodate uncrewed aircraft systems work) and https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_7055.html (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time). TFRs are also in place over the Potter and Pine Bench Fires https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_7055.html (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time).