Oregon and the nation focus on helping fight the Chetco Bar Fire

August 24, 2017

About 125 Oregon National Guard members, along with support personnel, are scheduled to be activated today to support the Chetco Bar Fire. Gov. Kate Brown announced the mobilization yesterday.
 

Above: Steep terrain has made the Chetco Bar Fire
in southwest Oregon difficult for firefighters.
Moderate weather yesterday and today
 has helped slow the fire’s spread after it grew
 to just under 100,000 acres earlier in the week.

Guard members are expected to complete training and be supporting first responders at the Chetco Bar fire within a week. The activation brings to about 400 the number of Oregon National Guard members supporting firefighting efforts in the state. 


The Chetco Bar fire has so far destroyed five homes, 20 outbuildings, and 13 vehicles. It has damaged one home and eight outbuildings.
 
Located in Curry County, the Chetco Bar Fire has become the highest priority fire in the United States. More than 1,100 personnel from multiple agencies are now assigned to the fire, which is reported at 99,944 acres in size. 

There was reduced potential for fire spread yesterday and this morning thanks to higher relative humidity and decreased winds. Forecasts call for an increase in warm, dry winds from the northeast tonight through Saturday (these are locally known as “Chetco Wind”).

Last weekend, strong winds drove the fire south onto land protected by the Coos Forest Protective Association (CFPA). Several thousand acres of protected timber have been affected.
 

Significant progress has been made building direct fire line. This is continuing to progress north on the western flank and beginning to head east on the southern flank. There is also some indirect fireline to stop the spread of the fire. This work is focused primarily on private and Bureau of Land Management ground on the southwest corner of the fire where mandatory evacuations are in place.

 
Evacuation notices have affected 2,367 people, with 56 people in temporary shelters. The Red Cross has set up a shelter for evacuees at Riley Creek Elementary School in Gold Beach and there is a temporary shelter at the Tolowa Tribe Reservation at Smith River across the border in Northern California. While Highway 101 remains open, motorists are requested to avoid traveling the section north of the Brookings area if possible. The fire has reached as close as six miles from Brookings.

A Unified Command has been set up that includes Coos Forest Protective Association. A Type One Incident Management Team takes over command of the fire today. Deputy State Forester Nancy Hirsch is being joined at the incident command post by Fire Protection Division Chief Doug Grafe today. Numerous other personnel from ODF and Coos Forest Protective Association are also engaged on the fire.


Monday ODF sent two strike teams of engines that had come from Washington State to provide extra help during the eclipse. Two Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters have also been redeployed from the Whitewater Fire in the Cascades to the Chetco Bar Fire, bringing to six the number of helicopters working on the fire. However, heavy smoke has been limiting aerial attack on the fire.
 
As of this morning there were 56 wildland fire engines, 51 structural fire engines, 18 water tenders, 16 dozers and 25 hand crews engaged on the fire.
 
Lightning started the fire back on July 12 in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.


Archives