Tuesday, October 6, 2020; 9:00 a.m.
Forest management agencies and Northwest Incident Management Team
7 need your help! There have been
reports of several near-miss vehicle accidents on roads around the fire,
especially in the Holland Loop Road and Takilma areas. Please be patient. There
are numerous fire vehicles on the road, increasing local traffic. Please drive
defensively and remain mindful of the current situation. There are lots of
moving parts and we want to keep all firefighters and residents safe. Thank you
for your support.
Slater Fire – 155,287 acres and 65% containment
Most of the fire has remained within the same “footprint” for several days, with only minimal growth on the inaccessible eastern flank. On all perimeters, the strategy is to strengthen containment lines where access permits, and monitor unlined portions of the fire (primarily the eastern flank) for fire movement that could potentially expand the burned area. Smoky conditions have inhibited air operations, but ground crews are patrolling accessible areas and attacking hotspots where needed.
The most likely area to challenge firefighters in the days ahead is the southwest portion of the fire in the Knopki and Chicago Creek drainages, where firefighters are working to keep it contained east of Chicago Creek. Additional crews are being assigned to this area to strengthen containment lines against the incoming period of warmer, drier weather.
Crews are felling hazard trees that are likely to fall onto the road from steep slopes along both sides of the Grayback Road (also known as Happy Camp Highway) between Takilma and Happy Camp. This high-priority work is required to provide safe, reliable access for firefighters, residents, and those working to restore power to Happy Camp.
Devil Fire - 8,693 acres and 30% containment
Mop up and patrol continue along the northern and southern areas of the fire, with lines holding along the Butte Fork of the Applegate River, 1040 Road, and Pacific Crest Trail. Crews will patrol the southeast flank, building fire line into the Fort Goff Creek area. Firefighters must hike for several hours to reach the fire’s edge there.
On both the Devil and
Slater Fires, the public can expect to see smoke from strategic firing
operations, as well as fuels that continue to burn and smolder in the interior
of the fire. Interior burning is expected to continue until a season-ending
weather event occurs.
Weather and Fire Behavior
Today will mark the warmest and
driest day of the week, with very low humidity.
Winds will be from the east in the morning, switching to southwest, west
and finally northwest in the afternoon. High pressure over the area is expected
to create a smoke-trapping inversion. Smoke from fires to the south will likely
accumulate in the valleys.
Evacuations
Anyone interested in accessing their home or property should contact the local sheriff’s office.
Siskiyou County information: (530) 841-2900 or www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff/
Del Norte County information: (707) 464-7213 or www.facebook.com/DelNorteOfficeOfEmergencyServices and www.preparedelnorte.com/
Closures: The Klamath, Six Rivers, and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests have issued fire area closure orders in effect for the Slater and Devil Fires. The Pacific Southwest Region is under emergency fire restrictions, although the use of gas stoves is allowed in open developed recreation sites. Find updated closure orders and maps at: www.fs.usda.gov/klamath, www.fs.usda.gov/rogue-siskiyou, and www.fs.usda.gov/srnf.
Portions of both the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest’s Wild Rivers Ranger District and Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District have reopened for use. Some areas remain closed for emergency crews’ safety and to allow for fire suppression and burned area recovery. Find updated closure orders and maps at: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/rogue-siskiyou/alerts-notices.
The Bureau of Land Management Medford District has public lands closures in effect near the Slater Fire and South Obenchain Fire. Find closure area maps at: www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions.
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