Single Publication

The Northern Rockies Incident Management Team - Team 3 (NRIMT-T3) assumed command of the Flat and Anvil Fires at 7:00 am, Friday, September 1, 2023.

Flat Fire Activity

Size: 34,242 acres             Start Date:  July 15, 2023                Point of origin: 2 miles southeast of Agness, OR

Containment: 58%           Total personnel: 427

Resources: 6 crews, 3 helicopters, 8 engines, 3 bulldozers, 9 water tenders, 12 pieces of heavy equipment

Fire managers continue to conduct reconnaissance flights to monitor the fire’s edge. Crews are posted at designated lookout points along the uncontained northeastern edge to watch for smoke and fire activity. Firefighters continue to patrol and monitor the fire’s perimeter, complete trail repair work and work with private landowners on any repairs due to suppression activities. Chipping of fuels continues along Forest Road 109 and will be completed over the weekend. The fire has not grown, but smoke will be visible as interior fuels burn out. Initial Attack resources are staged and ready to assist the Forest if needed. 

Anvil Fire Activity

Size: 135 acres                   Start Date:  August 25, 2023          Point of origin: 8 miles east of Port Orford, OR                        

Containment: 0%  Total personnel: 97

Resources: 2 crews, 5 helicopters, 3 engines, 3 water tenders, 1 piece of heavy equipment

The Anvil Fire is burning in the Grassy Knob Wilderness. Despite aggressive initial attack, steep slopes and rugged terrain have created safety issues, hampering efforts to fight the fire directly. Yesterday, Winema and Black Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crews hiked into the fire to evaluate potential strategies and safety issues. Fire managers are now assessing indirect, direct, and point protection strategies around the fire’s perimeter. In the coming days, crews will be doing structure assessments in the Elk River drainage to determine what point protection measures will be implemented. This could include removing vegetation and flammable materials from around houses and other structures and setting up sprinkler systems with hoses and pumps. Aircraft will continue to support firefighters as weather and smoke conditions allow.

Weather: Cooler temperatures, higher humidity levels, and rain showers will continue to moderate fire behavior through the weekend, but activity could increase as conditions dry out past Sunday.

Smoke: Smoke lingering within the area is moving north from the Smith River Complex and settling within some nearby communities, like Brookings. The smoke outlook for the Smith River Complex is available at https://tinyurl.com/smokeoutlook

Closures:  U.S. Highway 199 has been closed north of Gasquet due to fires on the Six Rivers National Forest, please use U.S. Route 101 to SR 42 for all travel to and from the Rogue Valley. Forest Service and BLM roads should not be used as alternate routes due to emerging fire activity. The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (RRSNF) has issued a closure order for the fire area including trails, roads, and a portion of the Illinois River. Visit https://bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts more information.

Evacuations: Sign up for emergency alerts with your county. Check the county emergency management website and follow local emergency services on social media for updates (county, sheriff’s office, fire agencies). Level 1 “Get Ready” evacuation status in place for areas in the vicinity of the Flat Fire. Level 2 “Get Set“ evacuation status in place along the Elk River from about milepost 4 to the USFS Butler Bar Campground near the Anvil Fire.

Restrictions: Fire danger is currently extreme; the RRSNF has implemented Level 3 Public Use Restrictions (PUR). Level 3 PURs on the Wild Section of the Rogue River have been implemented by the RRSNF, Medford BLM and ODF. Visit https://tinyurl.com/campfirerestrictions for more information.