Single Publication

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has issued a closure order (06-10-28-23-62) for the entirety of the Grassy Knob Wilderness, including Forest Service Roads (FSR) #5105 (Grassy Knob Road), #5201-010 (China Peak), and #5201-011 (Pepper Ridge).

Flat Fire Activity

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

Containment: 70%           Total personnel: 347

Resources: 5 crews, 3 helicopters, 12 engines, 6 water tenders, 11 pieces of heavy equipment

Some interior pockets of vegetation continue to burn and show some smoke. Crews are addressing anything within a chain (66 feet) of the fire’s edge. Firefighters are patrolling and monitoring around the fire perimeter and keeping an eye on the eastern, uncontained side. Fire crews continue doing suppression repair and working with Resource Advisors around some culturally sensitive areas. Efforts are focused around Raspberry Mountain on the north perimeter and Game Lake on the eastern side. Suppression repair may include pulling in berms from heavy equipment lines with excavators and hand crews, installing water bars, re-seeding disturbed areas, chipping branches and small trees and other work. Initial Attack resources are staged and ready to assist the Forest if needed.

Anvil Fire Activity

Size: 299 acres               Start Date:  August 25, 2023      Point of origin: 8 miles east of Port Orford, OR                               

Containment: 0%           Total personnel: 125

Resources: 4 crews, 3 helicopters, 5 engines, 2 water tenders, 2 pieces of heavy equipment

Five helicopters dropped 48,230 gallons of water on the western edge yesterday to slow the fire spread. Fire managers were able to conduct further reconnaissance from the air and ground due to improved weather and increased visibility. Along the northwest side, they are looking at new options for direct attack (building fireline at the fire’s edge). Crews will begin improving Grassy Knob Road, which runs into the Wilderness, to use as a control feature. In other areas, fire managers are identifying indirect lines (creating fireline a distance from the fire’s edge with a higher probability of success and lower risk to firefighters) and developing an implementation plan. Firefighters continue reducing hazardous fuels around structures in the Elk River Subdivision and identifying additional needs, such as sprinkler systems with hoses and pumps. Firefighters will continue assessing Elk River and Sixes River roads to determine point protection implementation needs.

Weather: Slightly warmer temperatures and lower humidity are expected in the fire areas today. Conditions on Wednesday will be similar, while a weak cold front on Thursday will drop temperatures and raise humidity slightly.

Smoke: Visit https://fire.airnow.gov/ for the national wildfire smoke map.

Closures: U.S. Highway 199 has been reopened to all traffic using a pilot car system north of Gasquet to the Oregon border in California. Expect delays on this route. The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (RRSNF) has issued a closure order. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts

Evacuations: Level 1 “Get Ready” evacuation status is in place for areas near the Flat Fire. Level 2 “Get Set“ evacuation status is in place along the Elk River from about milepost 4 to the USFS Butler Bar Campground near the Anvil Fire. Sign up for Curry Co. Everbridge Notifications (emergency alerts) at https://bit.ly/CurryCoEM to receive evacuation alerts.

Restrictions: The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is decreasing the fire danger from Extreme down to High and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level from Level 3 to Level 2, effective September 5, 2023. Public Use Restrictions (PUR) remain at Stage 3 across the forest and on the Wild Section of the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River. Visit https://bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts for more information. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the fire areas. Please do not fly unmanned aircraft (drones) in the fire vicinity. If you fly, we can't.