Single Publication

Diamond Complex

• Size: 11,141 acres
• Containment: 78%
• Personnel: 956
• Location: 18 miles SW of Chemult, OR
• Start Date: July 19, 2024
• Cause: Undetermined

Middle Fork Fire

• Size: 5,282 acres
• Containment: 46% 
• Personnel: 23
• Location: Crater Lake National Park
• Start Date: July 17, 2024
• Cause: Undetermined

Visitor and Firefighter Safety, Fire Restrictions and Closures

For your safety and ours, do not enter closed areas. Falling trees, heavy equipment operations, road grading and firefighter traffic makes passage through these areas dangerous. Yesterday, several vehicles drove around barriers to get into closed areas endangering themselves and disrupting firefighters’ work. National park and national forest closures are in place for both visitor and firefighter safety. 

Throughout the Labor Day holiday weekend, expect heavy traffic including cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, heavy equipment, fire trucks and engines, and other firefighting equipment. Please be patient, keep your eyes on the road and be aware of your surroundings. Drive defensively and avoid areas where firefighters are working.

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

Yesterday’s hot, dry weather increased fire activity, exposing interior hotspots of several fires in the Diamond Complex including the Lemolo, Ooya, Pine Bench and Potter Fires. Some instances of active surface fire occurred with isolated tree torching. Most of this activity occurred within established fire perimeters in unburned pockets of fuel. Helicopters dropped water to cool these areas as firefighters mopped up and secured firelines on the ground.

Middle Fork Fire

Crews have constructed line around the entire fire and are working to suppress areas of heat along containment lines to ensure the fire stays within its current footprint. Firefighters will continue mopping up and patrolling the fire’s edges. They also will continue suppression repair and heavy road work on the 228, 227 and 230 Roads. 

Diamond Complex

• Pine Bench Fire (north of Hwy. 138 near Dry Creek, 3,976 acres, 65% contained): Scattered smoke was visible throughout the fire yesterday. Due to the heavy presence of snags from previous fires, firefighters are carefully focusing mop-up on hotspots threatening containment lines. They are relying on aviation resources to tackle areas of heat in the fire’s interior where it is unsafe for firefighters. Crews will reinforce containment lines to ensure they hold through this continued drying period. They will also grade roads. 
• Potter Fire (north of Hwy. 138, 2 miles southeast of Potter Mountain, 3,428 acres, 38% contained): Yesterday, the fire’s east side actively burned within control lines. Firefighters found heat in other areas of the fire as well and helicopters dropped water on hot spots. Today, they will continue to secure the fire’s edge, seeking possible heat in interior unburned islands and using helicopters to cool hotspots. Firefighters will continue suppression repair, grading roads, chipping fire-damaged limbs and trees, and spreading those materials on firelines where possible. 
• Lemolo Fire (north of Lemolo Lake, 1,246 acres, 100% contained): Firefighters found some smoke and flare ups in the needle cast yesterday. Active fire was well interior and not a threat to containment lines. Helicopters dropped water to cool hotspots while firefighters on the ground used gridding to carefully search for and extinguish heat sources. 
• Ooya Fire (east of Bug Lake, 373 acres, 100% contained): Dry weather exposed hotspots in the fire’s interior. Helicopters dropped water to extinguish them. Crews will continue patrolling to make sure the fire stays within containment lines. 
• Watson Fire (at Watson Saddle, 237 acres, 100% contained): Firefighters patrolled and used gridding to carefully search for heat. In the afternoon, smoke from the fire was visible. Air attack flew overhead and confirmed that burning was in the fire’s interior and posed no threat to containment lines.  
• Multiple fires near the center of the complex: Firefighters will continue patrolling and mopping up hotspots.  Where possible, crews are repairing areas disturbed by wildfire suppression including chipping, brushing and installing water bars to minimize future soil erosion.

Weather and Fire Behavior        

Today will remain warm and dry. Although temperatures will be cooler, they will still exceed seasonal norms, with highs in the 80s. Winds will be out of the south-southwest with gusts up to 18 mph on ridgelines. Isolated dry thunderstorms are possible with frequent lightning and gusty outflow winds up to 40 mph across the Diamond Complex. On Monday, temperatures will decrease as relative humidity and a chance of thunderstorms increases. 

Fire activity will be similar to yesterday with flare ups possible. Dry lighting and gusty winds could start new fires.

Smoke Outlook

Local smoke has increased from yesterday’s fire activity. For more information, visit outlooks.airfire.org/outlook and fire.airnow.gov.

Evacuations

No evacuations are in place.

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/detail/umpqua/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1202470. 

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.

All Umpqua National Forest Ranger Stations are closed on Monday, Sept. 2, in observance of Labor Day.

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 will remain open until 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Fire operations may necessitate temporary closures or delays along the North Entrance Road. 

Traffic at park entrances will be busier than usual throughout the holiday weekend. Long lines and waits of up to 2 hours are expected at both entrance stations. Arriving before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m. may reduce wait times. If you are not visiting the park, consider avoiding Hwy. 62. 

At 6 a.m. on Tuesday, September 3, and continuing until further notice, the North Entrance will be closed to all traffic to allow hazard reduction work related to the Middle Fork Fire to resume. During this time, access to the park will be limited to the South Entrance. Check the latest conditions and road status before your visit 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).