Miller Complex Daily Update

09-14-17 Miller Complex Daily Update

Current Situation: Firefighting operations continue to meet objectives using the resources available with public and firefighter safety as the top priority. Over the past few days, crews have made good progress with 47% overall containment on the complex.

Containment has been achieved on the Burnt Peak Fire and is near completion on the Creedence and Bigelow Fires. Firefighters continue to conduct patrol and mop-up operations around the perimeter of all of these fires. The public can still expect to see wisps of smoke and smoldering within the interior of these fires until a season-ending event occurs.

Meanwhile, crews on the Abney fire are continuing to improve and secure containment lines to the east and northwest and patrolling indirect handline on the west flank. Crews are securing the line on the northeast corner of the fire and back-hauling some of the hose from a complex sprinkler system. Fire activity on the Abney fire remains moderately active in some areas with smoldering and backing fire behavior. Firefighters have achieved containment objectives on the north line of the Abney Fire near the Joe Bar area where the fire continues to slowly back down the steep hill where it will eventually meet containment line. Because of this, crews will continue to monitor and patrol this edge of the fire and Joe Bar remains under an evacuation warning.

Although some fire suppression activities are winding down, crews will begin to engage and plan for suppression repair activities throughout the complex. Fire suppression repair is the next phase of the control effort, and is a series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair impacts to the land and minimize the potential for soil erosion and other issues that might arise from these activities. It usually begins before the fire is completely contained.

Repair work will focus on areas that were affected by the suppression activities such as hand lines, dozer lines, and helispots that were used to support the crews. Other work firefighters may complete include water bar construction on the hand and dozer lines. Water bars divert water from trails and roads to reduce soil erosion and prevent gullies from forming.

Before leaving the fire, crews may also construct berms,spread brush and rocks onto the cut lines and bare ground that were used to support suppression targets. Also, crews will remove refuse, flagging, and other equipment as 

part of their efforts to restore the land to a more natural condition.

Over the next few days, firefighters are expecting a dry, cold front to move through the Miller Complex with the potential for some light rain. Cooler day and nighttime temperatures have the potential to increase fuel moistures and decrease fire activity even more, giving firefighters increased opportunity to secure, mop-up and begin rehabilitation efforts.

Fire Statistics:  Start Date: August 14, 2017  Cause: Lightning   Complex Size: 34,535 acres   Containment: 47%  Personnel: 529

Creedence and Bigelow (Grayback) Fires (Seven miles south of Williams); Creedence: 2,089 acres; Bigelow: 71 acres

Burnt Peak Fire (Nine miles southwest of Ruch and three miles north of Applegate Lake); 4,147 acres

Abney Fire (South of Applegate Lake and north of Seiad Valley, CA): 27,760 acres.

Miller Complex Abney Fire (section located on the Klamath National Forest, south of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)). The Eclipse Complex, located in northern California on the Klamath National Forest, is managing the Abney Fire south of the PCT. Information is available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5511/.

Closures: The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has closed areas on the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District in each of the branches, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/rogue-siskiyou/alerts-notices. The Bureau of Land Management has closed the Grayback Mountain Trailhead. Closures are in place for the Klamath National Forest including a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. Refer to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices.

Information: Phone: 541-899-5302 Email: MillerComplex2017@gmail.com Website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5514/# Joint Information Center Blog: http://swojic.blogspot.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillerComplexFires/ or https://facebook/R6RRSNF   Twitter: #MillerComplex See where you are in relation to the fires: http://tinyurl.com/MillerComplex

09-15-17 Miller Complex Daily Update

NW Incident Management Team (IMT) 9, Brian Goff, Incident Commander

Fire Statistics:  Start Date: August 14, 2017  Cause: Lightning  Complex Size: 34,033 acres  Personnel: 601  Containment: 40%

Community Meetings: The team will host two community meetings this week to brief the public on the progress of the Miller Complex. The west side community meeting will be held today, Tuesday, September 12, at 6:00 p.m. at the Williams Elementary School located at 20691 Williams Hwy, Williams, OR 97544. The eastside community meeting will be held Wednesday, September 13 at 6:00 p.m. at the Applegate Valley Fire Station #9 1095 Upper Applegate Road Jacksonville, OR 97530.

Current Situation: Team operations continue to meet fire objectives, adjusting plans based on available resources and changing weather conditions. Due to national fire activity, resources are limited. Containment lines continue to hold with great success throughout the complex. Higher humidity, lower temperatures and moisture reduced fire behavior and assisted in securing containment lines on the Creedence, Bigelow and Burnt Peak fires. Crews on the Abney fire will continue to build, improve and secure containment lines to the east, north and northwest of the Abney fire. Firefighters continue to patrol and monitor secured line in all divisions of the complex.

Cooler weather and increased humidity has decreased smoke over the fire area. Dry air and some gusty winds may be present over the next burn period and cooler temperatures are predicted later in the week. Fuel moistures continue to be low to very low.

Although progress has been made, the public can still expect to see smoke and burning within the interior of the fires until a season- ending event occurs.

Creedence Fire and Bigelow (Grayback) Fire (Seven miles south of Williams; Creedence: 2,089 acres; Bigelow: 71 acres). Fire activity on the Creedence and Bigelow fires has been minimal over the last few days. Firefighters continue mop-up efforts. Given the dense fuel-type, the interior of the fire will continue to smoke and burn for some time. Firefighters will continue to maintain a presence on the fire as mop-up continues.

Burnt Peak Fire (Nine miles southwest of Ruch and 3 miles north of Applegate Lake; 4,147 acres). Although the fire has not grown in several days, residents may continue to see fire activity within the fire’s interior. Crews will continue to patrol the fire perimeter.

Abney Fire (South of Applegate Lake and north of Seiad Valley, CA; 27,257acres). Crews are working on the east and west flanks of the Abney Fire. Crews are beginning line construction and burn-out on the west side of the fire near the wilderness today.

Contingency lines are being constructed to the east of direct line efforts to reinforce containment efforts.

Miller Complex Abney Fire (section located on the Klamath National Forest): Containment lines on the north and the east side from Forest Road 46N50 north to the Pacific Crest Trail of the Abney fire have been completed. Crews are focusing efforts on the south side of the Abney fire Horse Creek and the southern portion of Forest Road 46N50 to secure containment lines and protect the Seiad Valley community.

Evacuations: The Joe Bar area, located in California near the north edge of the Abney Fire, remains under an evacuation warning. All other evacuations have been lifted.

Closures: The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has closed areas on the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District in each of the branches, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/rogue-siskiyou/alerts-notices. The Bureau of Land Management has closed the Grayback Mountain Trailhead. Closures are in place for the Klamath National Forest including a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. Refer to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices.

Information:  Phone: 541-899-5302   Email: MillerComplex2017@gmail.com

Website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5514/# Joint Information Center Blog: http://swojic.blogspot.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillerComplexFires/ or https://facebook/R6RRSNF Twitter: #MillerComplex See where you are in relation to the fires: http://tinyurl.com/MillerComplexEvacs