Single Publication

The Chilcoot Fire is currently 1,777 acres with 10% containment. The Ridge Fire is currently 239 acres with 75% containment.

There will be a Virtual Community Meeting for the Chilcoot and Ridge Fires tonight, September 7th at 7:30 pm on the Chilcoot and Ridge Fires 2023 Facebook page.

In addition to going direct where possible and performing extensive mop up, suppression repair will soon begin to break down berms and restore natural drainage on the landscape to reduce sediment into local streams. Weather conditions are shifting into a forecast for warmer and drier temperatures. Lower relative humidities in the 30% range will allow moss and lichen to ignite and cause light smoke in those areas.

Chilcoot Fire: There was no further growth on the holdover lightning fire discovered on Tuesday. Firefighters are brushing all around the fire perimeter and are making good progress. Handline along the southeast corner, by the Hipower Bluff, is coming along well. The large, unburned area on the east side’s 3806 Road remains unburned and in patrol status due to the wet and boggy terrain. Gridding (firefighters detecting heat sources that remain in the black area) is underway in the northeast corner. Tuesday night’s infrared aerial flight discovered possible hot spots that were evaluated yesterday and mopped up.

The air operations managers are waiting for fuels to dry over the next few days before planning aerial burning operations to fully secure containment lines in some areas. Aerial assets will use plastic sphere dispensers (PSD) that are designed for rapid, low-cost ignition of fine fuel over long fire lines. This work is done in tandem with firefighters on the ground who have prepared hose lays and are ready to dig line.

Ridge Fire: Containment remains at 75% as firefighters continue work on the remaining open fire line in the rugged, rocky north terrain. As temperatures rise and fuels dry out, firefighters are increasingly able to reach smoldering sections along that north flank. They are mopping up the smoldering embers in the blackened areas and beginning suppression repair work to restore areas damaged during firefighting operations.

Closures: There is a forest closure for portions of the Umpqua National Forest in response to fire activity in the area to protect public and wildland firefighter safety. A Closure Order for the Canton Creek area has been issued by Bureau of Land Management (BLM): Chilcoot Ridge Fire Emergency Closure Order BLM Roseburg District. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction over the fire area