Single Publication

Size: 34,242 acres

Start Date:  July 15, 2023

Point of origin: 2 miles southeast of Agness, OR

Containment: 58%

Total personnel: 415

Resources: 11 crews l 3 helicopters l 17 engines l 3 bulldozers l 16 water tenders l 4 masticators 

Highlights: More favorable weather conditions over the next few days should help limit fire activity, allowing crews to productively continue toward full suppression efforts. An Initial Attack (IA) group continues to support the forest with three fires, Cedar, Anvil, and Barklow Fires, which are burning north and northwest of the Flat Fire. 

Today’s Activities: Crews focused efforts again near the north and northeast sides of the fire, conducting suppression repair work along trails, within culverts and other significant areas of importance. Resources also started chipping operations there as part of overall suppression efforts. On the eastern flank, and due to extreme terrain, aircraft continues to fly daily, providing intel and observing for any lingering heat or smokes. An overnight Infrared (IR) flight picked up some heat signatures well within the interior of the fire. But that remaining heat is not a threat to the containment line or any control features. On the south and west sides of the fire, resources are patrolling line to ensure line stability and checking for any interior smokes. Suppression repair work to dozer line continues along with the backhauling of any excess equipment and supplies back to camp. 

Weather:  Mild temperatures prevail again along with higher humidity. A dry cold front will bring slightly cooler temperatures Monday and Tuesday along with a slight increase in northwest winds. 

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://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/en/a20da242

Closures:  U.S. Highway 199 has been closed north of Gasquet due to fires on the Six River 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 Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest - Alerts & Notices (usda.gov) for more information.

Evacuations:  Level 1 “Get Ready” evacuation status in place for areas in the vicinity of the Flat Fire. Link to more information:  Welcome to Curry County, OR

Restrictions: Fire danger is currently extreme; the RRSNF is implementing Level 3 Public Use Restrictions (PUR). Level 3 PURs on the Wild Section of the Rogue River have been implemented by the RRSF, Medford BLM and ODF.  More information: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest - News & Events (usda.gov)