09-23-17 Chetco Bar Fire Update

The Pacific Northwest Type 1 Incident Management Team #2, will be assuming command of the fire today at 4:00PM.

Fire crews will continue patrols and identify areas for suppression repair, while securing fire lines and conducting mop up operations. Creeping and smoldering activity will be observed in the upper Pistol River, Emily Creek and Illinois River drainages.

Fire suppression repair is a major concern after every wildfire. Left disturbed, containment lines can affect natural drainages causing soil erosion, stunting natural vegetation recovery, damaging fish habitats, and reducing water quality. Repair crews work to limit these effects through a variety of techniques, including the installation of water bars. Water bars divert the flow of rain or run off and prevent the water from carving channels through the recently disturbed soil. Crews also use heavy equipment to backfill soil from trenches and dozer lines, while also recontouring disturbed surface areas. Once the natural contour has been restored crews spread tree limbs, slash, and stones across the site creating a natural forest floor effect that will aid in the recovery of area vegetation, and erosion mitigation.

Closures and Evacuations: No evacuation orders are in effect for both Curry and Josephine Counties. Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Bureau of Land Management Coos Bay District road and area closures remain in effect for all public lands adjacent to the Chetco Bar Fire area. These areas are closed to all uses. For further information visit:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/rogue-siskiyou/alerts-notices or call (541) 618-2200.

Weather: Warming and drying conditions and a coastal thermal trough will be present through mid-week and temperatures will gradually increase. Both daytime and nighttime relative humidity will gradually decrease, in the days to about 20%. 

Warming temperatures and lowering relative humidity will likely increase the amount of stump holes, snags and heavy fuels producing smoke. The continued warm weather will support suppression repair and recovery operations.

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) are in effect over the Chetco Bar Fire area. For more information see: http://tfr.faa.gov/