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  • wildfire Wildfire
  • prescribed fire Prescribed Fire
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Rum Creek Fire

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Unit Information

Medford District 
Oregon 
Oregon 
0 
Medford District 
Oregon 
Oregon 
0 

Incident Contacts

  • Public Information
    Email:
    2022.rumcreek@firenet.gov
    Phone:
    541-625-0849
    Hours:
    10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • BLM Grants Pass
    Phone:
    541-471-6500

Rum Creek daily update for Tuesday, Aug. 30

Rum Creek Fire
Publication Type: News 08/30/2022

Rum Creek Fire community meeting tonight

MERLIN, Ore. – A community meeting for the Rum Creek Fire will be held at 6 p.m. today at North Valley High School, 6741 Monument Dr., Grants Pass. It will also be broadcast live at www.facebook.com/rumcreekfire2022. 

Firefighters will continue to work on containment lines around the Rum Creek Fire. In the area south of Grave Creek, dozer lines are being constructed along ridgelines, tying to handlines completed yesterday. To the southeast, brush is being cleared along roads and dozer lines are being constructed to hold the fire west of Stratton Creek and north of the Rogue River. To the west, control lines are being constructed between Bear Gulch and Rocky Gulch. Besides the primary lines being constructed near the fire, personnel are working on an alternate line near Hog Creek as a contingency line if the fire crosses Stratton Creek.

Additional personnel are arriving to increase both wildland and structure capacity, including California engines working with OSFM resources on structure protection. OSFM will have five groups patrolling, assessing structures, and expanding structure protection plans for homes east of the fire from Hog Creek County Park north to Grave Creek. National Guard troops have arrived to help with traffic control and security for the fire.

On Monday, heavy smoke retarded fire activity by moderating temperatures and increasing humidity. The fire continued to spread through burning debris rolling downhill and made uphill pushes, gaining 1,924 acres. The southeast edge of the fire near Stratton Creek was most active. Firefighters successfully held the fire to the west side of Stratton Creek. Wildland firefighters made good progress toward establishing fire lines west and northeast of the fire, and near Galice. There were no air operations due to the heavy smoke.

 Today, fire personnel will be monitoring the weather closely. If the skies clear, the fire is likely to become more active due to improved air circulation and higher temperatures. Increased fire activity may lead to torching trees, with the potential for fire runs, large column growth, and spot fires up to two miles ahead of the fire. Temperatures are also expected to be higher for the next few days before moderating toward the end of the week.

Evacuations: The only change to evacuation levels is the addition of a small area south of the fire as a Level 1.  The updated area is:  North of the Rogue River and Gunnell Road. South of Lower River Road and the Rogue River. East of Riverbanks Road and the Rogue River. West of Lower River Road.  An interactive map showing evacuation levels according to address can be found at https://tinyurl.com/JOCOEvacMap. For the most current evacuation information and resources, go to https://www.facebook.com/josephinecountyEM or Josephine County Incident Information (rvem.org)

River status: The Rogue River is closed to boating from Hog Creek through the Wild section today. A temporary process is in place to allow existing permit holders to access the river when conditions allow. For details, go to https://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/rogue/rogue_river.php No new boating permits will be issued until fire closures are lifted.

 Closures: The Bureau of Land Management Grants Pass Field Office has expanded the fire closure area to include the area west of Interstate 5 and north of Taylor Creek Gorge west of Stratton Creek. southwest to the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest boundary and west to East Fork Big Windy Creek and Bunker Creek. The northern boundary is the Rogue River from Grave Creek Boat. Bear Camp Road is open at this time. The full closure order and a map can be viewed at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8348/
Related Information:
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