Rough Patch Complex/Jack Fire update for Saturday, Aug. 14

GLIDE, Ore. – With critical anchor points in place, a new swing shift began strategic ignitions Thursday night around the Jack Fire and Rough Patch Complex.

“We started burn operations today and our goal is to continue to bring those around to reinforce indirect lines and secure containment lines in key locations,” said John Spencer, operations section chief for Northwest 13 Incident Management Team.

Ground resources continued battling spot fires and holdover ignitions around both fire footprints, as well as building, holding and patrolling containment lines.

Military support personnel have joined the firefighting efforts, with three wildland firefighting crews from the Oregon Army and Air Force National Guard deployed to the incident.

WEATHER:  Medford National Weather Service is forecasting a Red Flag Warning for the region today. Highs are expected to peak around 100° again today, with humidities as low as 10 percent. Temperatures will drop into the 90s for the weekend, reducing the potential for extreme fire behavior.

SAFETY: Heavy smoke can significantly reduce visibility during daylight hours. Motorists are encouraged to turn on their headlights and slow down when traveling around forested areas and keep an eye out for engines, heavy equipment and firefighters on foot.

CLOSURES:  Thursday, the Umpqua National Forest announced a forthcoming closure order that will encompass South Umpqua Falls to ensure safe access and egress for fire crews and equipment responding to the Jack Fire, Rough Patch Complex, and Devil's Knob Complex. Existing closures are in place for Steamboat Campground, Steamboat Falls Campground, Canton Creek Campground, Musick Guard Station and Mineral Campground.

Roseburg District Bureau of Land Management has expanded its closure area to include the Scaredman Recreation Site. Francis Creek Road from the junction with Canton Creek Road north to the district boundary has been closed since Aug. 5. Copies of all closures and maps can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7758/   

GLIDE, Ore. – Firefighters are working to strengthen primary, alternate and contingency lines around the Rough Patch Complex and Jack Fire footprints.

“Most of our indirect containment lines, including dozer, hand line and road systems, are in,” said John Spencer, operations section chief for Northwest 13 Incident Management Team. “Currently, we are brushing, masticating and utilizing feller bunchers to remove vegetation and widen those indirect lines.”

Brushing is when ground crews cut and remove brush, small trees and low-hanging branches along a containment line. Falling teams are also removing hazard snags to protect firefighters from falling timber and prevent burning trees or branches from crossing established fire lines. Fire managers also continue to assess and prioritize opportunities to secure lines utilizing strategic ignitions if conditions allow and it is safe to do so.

Aviation resources were grounded Wednesday due to smoke. High temperatures and low humidity stimulated fire activity in several areas of the Rough Patch Complex and kicked up two new fires in the Jack Fire area thought to be holdovers from last week’s storms.

Weather: A Red Flag Warning is in effect through Friday, with the potential for large fire growth.

CLOSURES:  The Umpqua and Willamette National Forests have closed Steamboat Campground, Steamboat Falls Campground, Canton Creek Campground, Musick Guard Station and Mineral Campground. Copies of all closures and maps can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7758/   

Roseburg District Bureau of Land Management has expanded its closure area to include the Scaredman Recreation Site. Francis Creek Road from the junction with Canton Creek Road north to the district boundary has been closed since Aug. 5.  

The Umpqua National Forest is now under Industrial Fire Precaution Level 4, which prohibits all commercial timber operations. Public Use Restrictions (PUR) remain at Level 3, which bans any open flame, smoking, operation of internal combustion engines and motorized travel off designated roads and trails. 

GLIDE, Ore. – Ground resources are putting the final touches on primary, alternate and contingency lines today in preparation for ignition operations Thursday, on both the Rough Patch Complex and Jack Fire.

“With the uptick in fire weather, it’s likely we will need to take action to secure portions of our containment lines,” said John Spencer, operations section chief for Northwest 13 Incident Management Team. “We will meet the fire where it pushes us with ignition operations if needed.”

Umpqua National Forest’s Wolf Creek Hotshots and other local resources will assist with firing operations. If fire activity remains moderate, burnout operations will proceed according to priority, based on values at risk.

In addition to line prep, crews have worked to create defensible space around forest infrastructure, such as bridges, lookouts, and trail shelters, by removing excess fuels from the surrounding ground and applying protective structural wrapping to deflect flame impingement and embers.

WEATHER:  Record high temperatures of 100° or more, with humidity in the teens, are forecasted through Friday.  

The Umpqua National Forest is now under Industrial Fire Precaution Level 4, which prohibits all commercial timber operations. Public Use Restrictions (PUR) remain at Level 3, which bans any open flame, smoking, operation of internal combustion engines and motorized travel off designated roads and trails.

CLOSURES:  Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed the North Umpqua and all tributaries to angling from the mouth to the marker below Soda Springs Dam, although the waterways remain open for other recreation.

The Umpqua and Willamette National Forests have closed Steamboat Campground, Steamboat Falls Campground, Canton Creek Campground, Musick Guard Station and Mineral Campground. Copies of all closures and maps can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7758/  

Roseburg District Bureau of Land Management has expanded its closure area to include the Scaredman Recreation Site. Francis Creek Road from the junction with Canton Creek Road north to the district boundary has been closed since Aug. 5.

GLIDE, Ore. – New area closures are in place for the protection of the public and to provide firefighters with unrestricted access to the many fires scattered across the Rough Patch Complex and Jack Fire. 

“Our big success today on the Rough Patch Complex was catching a spot in the Steamboat drainage,” Northwest 13 Operations Section Chief John Spencer reported Monday evening.  

Spot fires are ignitions outside a fire’s perimeter caused by flying sparks or embers. This fire, which started late Sunday night, had spread to about 50 acres by the time crews, engines and heavy equipment working both flanks in very steep, rugged ground, were able to stop its forward progression.   

Fire managers are working to minimize the impact of wildfires within the drainage, which encompasses the 100,000-acre Frank and Jeanne Moore Wild Steelhead Sanctuary. One component of these efforts includes leaving some large diameter trees in cold water streams to provide spawning habitat for salmonids. 

WEATHER:  Calm winds and an inversion layer are preventing smoke from dissipating, which may keep temperatures lower than originally predicted for the coming days. 

CLOSURES: Roseburg District Bureau of Land Management has expanded its closure area to include all BLM public lands within T.24 S., R.01 W. sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 35 and also T.25 S., R.01 W. sections 1, 11, 14, 23, 24, and 25. This includes the closure of Scaredman Recreation Site. Francis Creek Road from the junction with Canton Creek Road north to the district boundary has been closed since Aug. 5.  

The Umpqua and Willamette National Forests have closed Steamboat Campground, Steamboat Falls Campground, Canton Creek Campground, Musick Guard Station and Mineral Campground. Copies of all closures and maps can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7758/   

WHAT’S OPEN? North Umpqua River, Steamboat Ball Field Group, Gravel Bin Boat Launch, Island Campground, Apple Creek Campground, Horseshoe Bend, Eagle Rock Campground, Boulder Flat Campground and Boulder Flat Boat Launch. Canton Creek Road (FSR 23) is open from the junction with FSR 38 to the forest boundary.   

The Umpqua National Forest is increasing Industrial Fire Precaution Levels (IFPL) to Level 4 which will go into effect at 00:01 a.m. on August 10th, 2021 until December 31st, 2021. These restrictions follow active management techniques based on scientific factors, weather conditions and preparedness levels. The sustained dry and very hot weather conditions combined with the current fire activity as well as limited initial attack resources are driving the need to increase precaution to an IFPL 4 on the Umpqua National Forest.   

Industrial Fire Precaution Levels are stages of restrictions that apply to work activities, including personal firewood cutting, on Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management lands to reduce the risk of a wildfire igniting. There are four Industrial Precaution Levels that begin at Level One at the start of the Closed Season and can go to Level Four, the current level. Each IFPL level adds to the restrictions applicable to all lower levels. At Level Four "ALL COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS ON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS ARE PROHIBITED."

• Few if any waivers will be issued
• Recreation activities on the Forest continue but are subject to Personal Use Restrictions

Fire danger remains EXTREME on all Ranger Districts across the forest. Similarly, the Public Use Restrictions (PUR) is currently set at Level 3.

For more information on this or other Umpqua National Forest alerts, please visit www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices.

For more information on IFPL, please visit IFPL Levels or call (540) 830-3806 or (541) 957-3200.

GLIDE, Ore. – Firefighters continue building line and fighting the fire directly where it is safe to do so in preparation for another extreme heat wave moving into the region.

“A lot of work has been put into building this framework,” said Eric Riener, incident commander trainee for Northwest 13 Incident Management Team. “It’s like a puzzle – you build the border first, then start filling it in one piece at a time.”

The first piece of the firefighting puzzle is always ensuring the safety of those doing the work, he said. “The greatest value at risk out there is our firefighters and we will do everything to ensure safe engagement occurs.”

Many aviation and ground firefighting strategies that slow or block fire movement and spread also serve a safety purpose. Besides removing potential fuels, cutting out snags protects firefighters from falling timber.

Alternate and contingency lines provide egress routes for firefighters to retreat. Lookouts are posted to observe the effectiveness of the work being done as well as any changes in wind direction, weather or fire movement.  Aviation drops of water to cool the fire’s edges and slow progression, allowing ground resources to work closer to the fire’s edge.

WEATHER: Frontal movement is bringing dry air into the region along with increasing temperatures. Today’s high is expected to be 90°.  A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for Tuesday through Friday, and burn periods are expected to increase from about 6 hours of active burning to 12 hours or more.

CLOSURES: The Umpqua and Willamette National Forests have closed Steamboat Campground, Steamboat Falls Campground, Canton Creek Campground, Musick Guard Station and Mineral Campground.  

Roseburg District Bureau of Land Management has closed Francis Creek Road from the junction with Canton Creek Road north to the district boundary. Copies of all closures and maps can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7758/  

GLIDE, Ore. – Firefighters will be working to establish anchor points in several key locations today, fire officials said. 

The team will create anchor points to the west and south of the Chaos, Little Bend and Homestead Fires today, said Eric Riener, incident commander trainee for Northwest 13 Incident Management Team.  

Anchor points are areas active fire cannot move into, such as a road or previously burned ground, allowing firefighters to safely begin working directly along the edge of the fire using water or soil to extinguish flames and embers. Aviation resources will continue to support firefighters by dropping water near the fire perimeter. 

“We’ll also continue to evaluate the progressional spread of the Jack Fire and develop indirect containment lines around the TFR5 Fire to the south,” Riener said.  

Several additional fires combined with active burning Saturday increased the Rough Patch Complex footprint to 2,193 acres, with 3 percent containment. The Jack Fire is reported at 23,289 acres, with 54 percent containment. 

WEATHER: A high pressure system will begin moving into the region today, bringing upper 80-degree temperatures and lower humidities. An excessive heat watch has been issued for the coming days, with record temperatures expected in the 100s. 

CLOSURES: The Umpqua and Willamette National Forests have closed Steamboat Campground, Steamboat Falls Campground, Canton Creek Campground, Musick Guard Station and Mineral Campground.  

Roseburg District Bureau of Land Management has closed Francis Creek Road from the junction with Canton Creek Road north to the district boundary. Copies of all closures and maps can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7758/  

WHAT’S OPEN? North Umpqua River, Steamboat Ball Field Group, Gravel Bin Boat Launch, Island Campground, Apple Creek Campground, Horseshoe Bend, Eagle Rock Campground, Boulder Flat Campground and Boulder Flat Boat Launch. Canton Creek Road (FSR 23) is open from the junction with FSR 38 to the forest boundary.  

Rough Patch Complex/Jack Fire update for Saturday, Aug. 7

GLIDE, Ore. – Extreme heat will move into the area again early next week, with high temperatures of 100 degrees or more and humidity in the teens, fire officials said.

“The next three days are critical,” Dean Warner, fire behavior analyst for Northwest 13 Incident Management Team, said of the incoming heat wave. “Live fuel moistures are beginning to plummet and conditions will be ripe for large fire growth potential in the next few days.”

As green vegetation dries out at the end of the growth season, its moisture level decreases, making it more susceptible to fire. By the end of the day Friday, the Jack Fire had grown slightly, to 23,644 acres, while the Rough Patch Complex had grown to 1,529 acres. Reporting of acres will change in the next operational shift after all new incidents are incorporated into Rough Patch.

Across the Rough Patch Complex, firefighters and equipment operators are working on handline, brushing, mastication and dozer work. Aviation resources provided aerial suppression support.

WEATHER: Weather today will be warmer than yesterday, with high temperatures in the mid-80s. Humidity will be in the mid-30% range today. Warmer and drier weather is forecast for early next week, with highs over 100 degrees.

More Information

GLIDE, Ore. – Seasonal temperatures and higher humidities are expected to continue through the weekend, but temperatures will climb back into the 90s early next week, with possible Red Flag conditions Tuesday.

“We need to take advantage of this moderated weather,” said Incident Commander Brian Gales for Northwest 13 IMT, which is managing the Rough Patch Complex, Jack Fire and several smaller fires in the area. “We need to engage in the right place, with the right tactics to maximize the resources we have.”

For the safety of the public and firefighters battling the Rough Patch Complex and Jack Fire, several new closure orders are now in effect.

The Umpqua and Willamette National Forests have closed Steamboat Campground, Steamboat Falls Campground, Canton Creek Campground, Musick Guard Station and Mineral Campground. Roseburg District Bureau of Land Management has closed Francis Creek Road from the junction with Canton Creek Road north to the district boundary.

Copies of all closures and maps can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7758/

By the end of the day Thursday, the Rough Patch Complex has spread to 1,529 acres with containment of 3 percent. The Jack Fire has grown to 23,644 acres. Its containment percentage has dropped to 54 percent in recent days due to the addition of several lightning-caused starts outside previously built containment lines.

On the Rough Patch Complex, firefighters continue building an alternate line along the 650 Road across the fire zone and along the 651 Road. Prep is also progressing on a contingency line along the 3821 Road and the 100 Spur. To the west, crews are preparing the 23 road and 600 Road for mastication.

The western edge of the Chaos Fire has nearly reached the bottom of Canton Creek. Fire managers are evaluating potential strategies for containment if it moves into the Saddle Camp Creek drainage to the northwest.

Aviation support from five helicopters helped keep fires within the complex in check. Fire crews continue to build alternate and containment lines within the fire perimeters and mop up work including snag and hazard tree removal and mastication.  

Western spread of the Jack Fire will be checked using existing containment line backed up with firing operations to secure the line.