Southwest Oregon Wildfire Information Center

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

South Obenchain Fire Update

September 30, 2020

Update: Some deep interior smoke was visible on hillsides due to the increase in temperature yesterday and previous wind events. Engines continue to work on the South Obenchain Fire, completing mop up on the final section on the southeastern flank. The suppression repair team follows after a section is mopped up, improving the landscape and knocking down dozer berms. Repair work can be laborious and take time to get into these areas and leave them in a better state.

Weather: Today is sunny with temperatures in the 90s and humidity in the low teens. Smoke from fires to the south are drifting in over the area.

Resources: 392 total resources. 13 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 two skidgens.

Evacuations: Properties east of North and South Obenchain Roads within the burn area remain at 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 open in Medford with smaller satellite offices operating in Talent, and Phoenix. MARC locations are 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 (TFR): The TFR 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 continue to be updated and 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