Slater and Devil Fire Update, September 18, 2020

Slater Fire: Operations continued to implement direct and indirect fire strategies. Work included completing dozer line from Monkey Ridge to Highway 199. On the northern side of the fire near Shepherd Hills, crews were able to tie a small spot fire back into Forest Road 4803. Priorities for firefighters in the south zone today are to ensure that private properties in Thompson Creek are protected. Isolated pockets of fuel continue to burn as the Slater Fire backs down in that drainage. A secondary priority for today is to mop up along the mostly cold fire edge near Highway 96 so that fire operations can move out of the road corridor. Mop-up continues around the town of Happy Camp, while the Grayback Road will be closed this morning for power pole repair. Construction of indirect fireline along the north side of Seiad Valley continues. Along the Slater Fire’s west flank, there has been very little growth in the past several days below Kelly Lake. With increased visibility, air operations may be better able to assist firefighters on the ground today, and the public may be better able to see fire activity.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal has 11 structural task forces assigned to the Slater Fire. Their primary mission is to protect citizens, their property, and the environment from fire. They are working in conjunction with wildland crews.

Devil Fire: Resources are engaging the fire as it wants to spread toward Applegate Lake. The Devil Fire continued to hold along its eastern edge at the Pacific Crest Trail. Crews are working ridges just off the northeastern edge of the fire to meet crews working in the north zone. They have worked up the east edge of the fire and are looking for a way to hook the fire across the north side of the Devil Fire. The Devil Fire is at 7, 144 acres.

Gasquet Area: Firefighters held the fire at the Knopki Road to protect the town of Gasquet. They will work to complete operations to secure the fire edge at the intersection of Highway 199 and Knopki Road. Structure protection activity continues from Knopki Road to the town of Gasquet.

A community meeting will be held today at 5:00pm at the Smith River Ranger District located in Gasquet.

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Fire Vocabulary of the Day - Direct attack is made directly on the fire's edge or perimeter . The flames may be knocked down by dirt or water and the fire edge is generally treated by a follow-up fireline. Or, a fireline is constructed close to the fire's edge and the fuel between the fireline and the fire is burned out or the fire is allowed to burn to the fireline. Indirect attack is accomplished by building a fireline some distance from the fire edge and backfiring the unburned fuel between the fireline and the fire edge. Indirect attack takes advantage of using natural and human-made barriers as fireline and allows a choice of timing for backfiring. Indirect attack is generally used on hot fires with high rates of spread where direct attack is not possible.

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