Southwest Oregon Wildfire Information Center

South Obenchain Fire Update

September 29, 2020

Update: Yesterday, the red flag warning and easterly winds tested the brush and oak in the area, but no active flames flared up and there was no threat to containment on the South Obenchain Fire. Crews are actively engaged in mop up and suppression repair work in Division U on the southeastern flank, ensuring no heat exists within 300 feet of the established fire perimeter. Hose lays are still being used in this section, and crews are breaking up dozer berms that were put in to control the fire early on during the incident. Smokes are still found in the deep interior of the fire.

Weather: Very warm temperatures and dry and unstable conditions are expected over the burn area through much of the week, with little day-to-day variation in the forecast. Winds will be light and mostly terrain/diurnally driven. Temperatures and humidities will vary slightly and gradually moderate by the end of the week. There are no precipitation chances through the weekend and low humidity levels. Temperatures will be in the 90s today.

Resources: 380 total resources. 12 type-2 crews, one light helicopter, two medium helicopters, one fixed-wing air tanker, one air attack, 21 engines, four dozers, eight water tenders, and three skidgens.

Evacuations: Properties east of North and South Obenchain Roads within the burn area are reduced to Level 1. All other areas impacted by the Obenchain fire are no longer under an evacuation order. Visit the Jackson County Emergency Management page: https://jacksoncountyor.org/emergency/News/News-Information for a map of evacuation levels and updates.

Evacuee Resources: The evacuation shelter remains located at the Jackson County Expo Center, 1 Penninger Rd. in Central Point, Oregon where some services are available. Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARC) are now open in Medford with smaller satellite offices operating in Talent, and Phoenix. MARC locations will be available from 8 am – 8 pm, seven days a week.

Medford: Central High School, located at 815 S. Oakdale Avenue (541) 842-3669

Talent: Talent Elementary School, located at 307 Wagner Creek Road (541) 535-1531

Phoenix: Phoenix Civic Center, located at 220 N. Main Street (541) 535-1955 ext. 303

Temporary Flight Restrictions: The footprint of the TFR has reduced in size and height. It remains in place for the safety of the firefighters and aircraft fighting the South Obenchain fire. Please consult the Notice to Airman for specifics.

Closure: All Bureau of Land Management lands within the fire perimeter remain closed. The public must not enter closure areas and closed recreation sites. Maps of the closure areas are available on the Bureau of Land Management’s website: http://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions