Location:    Siskiyou County, CA                                                               Start Date:    Wednesday July 3, 2024 at 1:27 PM
      Size:    15,464 acres                                                                          Percent Contained:    21%
   Cause:    Under Investigation                                                                Personnel:    2,701
 

CURRENT SITUATION:

Personnel continue concentrated efforts to expand containment around the Shelly Fire. This includes engaging in mop-up operations along much of the north and east perimeters from upper Kidder Creek down to the Patterson Creek drainage areas, and further developing fire lines along the south and west perimeters in the vicinity of the Pacific Crest Trail. 

In the northwest near Mill Creek and in the south along the Right Hand North Fork Salmon River, where the fire remains a bit more active, crews have continued to go direct with air and ground resources. Along the east side, crews are beginning to work on suppression repair efforts in and around affected communities. 

Drivers in the area should remain alert for fire personnel and heavy equipment on or near the roadways, as both day and night crews continue working toward full containment.

WEATHER:

Increasingly hot and dry conditions with southwest terrain-driven winds will continue into next week, with a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms this evening.

EVACUATIONS:

For current evacuation status, visit www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff and www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountyOES. Additional evacuation information and a map can be found on the Genasys site at https://protect.genasys.com/search?z=14&latlon=41.550694%2C-122.905589.

SHELTERS:

RV Dry Camping/Parking West Webb St. and Hoag St. in Montague

Please note, at this time, there are no extra services (sewage/water/power hookups). This is currently set up for DRY camping.

Animal shelters are available at the following location(s) for those who have pets and animals displaced due to the Shelly Fire:

Dog Evacuation Shelter:

Rescue Ranch Yreka, 2216 East Oberlin Road, Yreka CA 96097

Contact: John Golay 541-698-7526

Livestock Animal Evacuation Shelter (horses, pigs, sheep, goats, birds):

Siskiyou Golden Fair, 1712 Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097

Contact: Tom Taylor 530-340-1038

Cat Evacuation Shelter:

Siskiyou Golden Fair - Armory Building, 1712 Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097

Contact: Becca 530-340-0656

CLOSURES:

An official forest closure around the Shelly Fire went into effect on July 4th. Hikers are not permitted and will be asked to leave the area. For details and a map of the closure area, please visit 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1187463.pdf. 

FIRE RESTRICTIONS:

Forest fire restrictions are currently in effect. Campfires and stove fires are restricted to those developed areas listed in the forest order at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/?aid=88596. Smoking, welding, and operating an internal combustion engine also have restrictions in place. 

Pacific Crest Trail Information: https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures

The weather conditions have been a big help to firefighters on the Speirs Fire the last few days. Cloud cover, which is favorable weather, and scattered showers helped, along with night recovery, which is when the relative humidity goes up and the temperature goes down. This slowed the fire spread to help crews on the line. Weather conditions are expected to turn dry and hot for the weekend and into the beginning of next week.

Fire containment has increased significantly since the Incident Management Team arrived, with the help of many resources. Firefighter safety remains a top priority. To ensure crews stay safe, spike camps were set up closer to the fire line. Now crews will have access to resources they need without having to hike in and out each day. Crews have been able to create five helipad locations around the fire’s perimeter. With the addition of the helipads, new crews arriving can be flown directly to the line and provide a much safer way to evacuate any injured crew members if the need should arise. Today, heavy equipment will be added to assist with creating line.

The initial attack team and the team currently suppressing the fire have done excellent work in establishing strategic boundary areas to mitigate the future spread of the fire. That, along with wetter conditions, have given

firefighters the upper hand. While good progress continues, the work is not done yet.

Closures:

Being on or within the following campgrounds, roads, and trails are prohibited on the Flaming Gorge Ranger District on the Ashley National Forest: Firefighters Memorial Campground, Greendale Group Campsite, Forest Service Road (FSR) 610, FSR 689, Lowline trail FST103 its junction with the Pipe Creek Trail, FST 003. Forest Service Trail 003 from the beginning at the junction with FST 103 to the junction of Forest Service Trail 004 and Forest Service Trail 004 to Greens Draw Road 049. For more information on existing closures, please visit the Ashely National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/ashley/alerts-notices

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in effect over the Speirs Fire area. Using uncrewed aerial systems (UAS)/drones is illegal within the TFR.

Special Statement

Isolated Storms possible this afternoon with a few lightning strikes

Fire

Successful management of The Horse Gulch Fire continues. Some limited burning continues in high wilderness areas mainly on the north side. Isolated burns and smoldering within the interior will produce some additional smoke. Containment was up to 52 percent late Friday.

Smoke

Smoke levels around the area are becoming less associated with the Horse Gulch Fire. Regional fire activity in Montana and bordering states will keep MODERATE AQ conditions in place, however some improvements in AQ are possible by early next week depending on fire activity. Blacktail Canyon smoke will become a bigger player depending on management success in the near term.

Roadway Visibility

Roadway visibility of one mile or greater is expected today and tonight in communities around the Horse Gulch Fire. The growing Blacktail Canyon Fire south of Butte will locally reduce visibility in smoke near and south of Butte overnight.

Start Date: July 11, 2024

Cause: Under Investigation

Size: 2,427 acres

Percent Containment: 8%

Helicopters: 3

Scooper Planes: 2

Engines: 14

Crews: 11

Total Personnel: 395

Aviation resources, including water scoopers, have been successful in slowing down the Bench Lake Fire to allow on-the-ground firefighters an opportunity to make progress securing the fireline. While progress is steady, it will take time to bring the fire to full containment. 

The weather pattern in the area remains unchanged. Hot and dry conditions, coupled with current fire behavior may cause smoke from the fire throughout the weekend. This will largely occur after the inversion breaks in the afternoon. Today, similar to yesterday, Stanley, Idaho may get a break from most of the smoke impacts as it rises and travels east toward Challis. 

Community members and weekend visitors should expect increased traffic with additional firefighting resources, including heavy equipment, in the area. Please be mindful of activity on roadways. 

Structure protection efforts at Redfish Lake Lodge and adjacent facilities will continue. Pumps, hose, and sprinklers remain active. Crews working north of the fire continue proactive monitoring for anything that could cross the fireline. Crews along the southern edge of the fire are taking advantage of natural features to secure the fireline. 

There is now a dedicated air resource advisor assigned to the incident to give daily smoke-related information. Visit InciWeb for the Saturday, July 20, 2024 outlook.

Restrictions: The Sawtooth National Forest has initiated Stage 1 fire restrictions within the National Forest System lands boundaries on the Sawtooth and Cassia zones. Under these restrictions, campfires are allowed only in recreation sites within metal or concrete fire pits. Fires of any kind are not allowed in any dispersed camping areas.

Closures: Sawtooth National Recreation Area officials issued an expanded emergency closure for the Bench Lake Fire (0414-04-148) July 18 for the Redfish Lake recreation complex, including the lodge and associated buildings, roads, trails, trailheads, and campgrounds in the area. Highways 75 and 21 remain open. Visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/idstf-bench-lake-fire for a map and more details on the closure order. 

Battle Mountain Complex Community meeting scheduled for Saturday evening 

UKIAH, Ore. – Firefighters continue to battle the heat and extreme fire conditions on the Battle Mountain Complex, successfully catching and lining a spot fire south of the North Fork Owens fire. Tonight, crews will continue to construct and try to tie key portions of lines together with existing roads and features.

Firefighters had success keeping both the North Fork Owens Fire and Snake Fire away from structures, but risks remain. Firefighters from a structure task force are building defensible spaces around homes to mitigate risks. 

Fire officials and public partners invite the public to attend an in-person community meeting at the Ukiah community park tomorrow, July 20, at 7:00 p.m. The park is located at West Main Street and South Camas Street. Fire officials will update the current fire status, firefighting efforts and take questions from the public. The meeting will be recorded and uploaded to the incident’s Facebook and YouTube channels. 

The Battle Mountain Complex consists of the 2,000-acre North Fork Owens Fire and the 1,750-acre Snake Fire. Both fires were among the 17 fires in northeast Oregon that started in the late afternoon and evening of July 17, 2024, as a result of the recent lightning event. 

Closures: A road closure remains in effect for Highway 395, between mile posts 50 through 90, beginning 35 miles South of Pilot Rock. 

Evacuations: Level 1 (Be Ready) , Level 2 (Be Set) and Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations are in effect. For updated evacuation information, visit the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, www.facebook.com/UmatillaCountySheriff, or sign up for the Umatilla County  Emergency Alert System at https://member.everbridge.net/index/2590041373147145.

ODF’s Northeast Oregon District is currently in Extreme (red) fire danger and there are additional restrictions for industrial forest operations on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Current fire restrictions can be found at www.bmidc.org or by calling the Northeast Oregon Fire Prevention line: (541) 975-3027. 

For current fire info, go to http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/
ODF NEO Facebook: www.facebook.com/oregondeptofforestryNEO/. To report a fire, call Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch at (541) 963-7171 or dial 9-1-1. 

Lone Rock Fire Community Meeting 

Facebook Live Stream will be on NW 2's Page: https://www.facebook.com/pnwteam2

When: Saturday July 20, 2024 

Time: 6:00 

Where: Fossil Grade School Gym (next to Elementary)

392 Main Street Fossil, OR 97830

All are welcome