Five helicopters carrying big buckets of water dumped thousands of gallons onto the Berry Rock Fire today. More than 120 firefighters stirred the wet stuff into the burning limbs and logs, resulting in a significant reduction of open flame within the burned area. Crews also continued digging a fresh fireline, and had 70 percent of the fire ringed by mid-afternoon.
Two airtankers dropped several loads of retardant along the fire’s flanks to slow its spread.
Portable water tanks were flown to the top of the fire area, and the night crews will roll out a network of hoses.
Elsewhere on ODF’s Medford Unit today, crews working on the 15-acre Sprignett Fire reported the fire has a good line all the way around it and that they completed mop-up. Another fire-fighting crew was flown by helicopter to Wilcox Peak to check several small lightning-caused fires. No smokes were reported.
Brian Ballou
Oregon Department of Forestry