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A community meeting will be held tonight for the Anvil Fire at 6:00 p.m. at The Grange (44556 Highway 101) in Sixes. It will also be broadcast Live on the Flat and Anvil Fires Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/flatfireoregon2023

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: 325

Resources: 6 crews, 3 helicopters, 12 engines, 7 water tenders, 10 pieces of heavy equipment

Fire crews continue to work with resource advisors to repair impacts to the landscape caused by suppression efforts. 

This includes installing water bars, seeding and mulching to prevent erosion. Other suppression repair activities may include reducing berms created by heavy equipment with excavators and hand crews and chipping branches and small trees. A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team arrived yesterday. This team will determine the need for emergency treatments to minimize threats to life or property resulting from the effects of the fire. They are also tasked to stabilize and prevent degradation of the natural and cultural resources because of the fire. Visit https://bit.ly/44H7nRe for more information on the BAER program. While fire activity remains minimal, interior pockets of vegetation will continue to burn and show smoke. Initial Attack resources are staged and ready to assist the Forest if needed.

Anvil Fire Activity

Size: 313 acres               Start Date:  August 25, 2023      Point of origin: 8 miles east of Port Orford, OR                   

Containment: 0%           Total personnel: 152

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

The objective of the Anvil Fire is to keep it as small as possible. Fire managers are planning and implementing strategies to fight the fire as close to its edge as feasible and safe. Yesterday, air resources were used on the west side to slow the fire’s spread. Four single-engine air tankers (SEATs) and one large air tanker (LAT) dropped water on the fire, along with four helicopters, totaling 108,540 gallons of water. Two Wildland Fire Modules are camped near the fire to monitor fire behavior and construct lines along the western and northwestern edges. Firefighters continue to improve the Grassy Knob Road, removing vegetation in case it needs to be used as a control line. Additionally, crews are clearing hazardous fuels along Elk River Road. Two structure protection groups were established to work at residences along Elk River Road and Sixes River Road. Fire managers continue to formulate alternative plans for lines further from the fire if they are needed.

Weather: Temperatures remain warmer, and humidity levels drier. However, a weak cold front may bring slightly cooler temperatures and higher relative humidities in the afternoon, particularly in the Anvil Fire area.

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. Local law enforcement cautions against any non-essential traffic along this route. Expect 20-40 minute delays. The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (RRSNF) has issued closure orders in the areas of the Flat and Anvil fires. 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.