Today, crews saw continued active fire behavior. The Cougar Creek an Rattlesnake Ridge fires on the SW side of the Complex grew together last night and crossed Hubbard Creek Road. This combined fire is now known as the Cougar Creek Fire. Two task forces worked to protect structures in this area and line was established around five spot fires. No structures have been destroyed. The four fires in the Lighthouse area merged into two and showed some uphill runs and spotting. One task force completed structure preparation on Lighthouse Road and moved to the Tyee Mountain Fire east of Fanchin Lane. The Tyee Mountain Fire became active in the late afternoon and helicopters assisted by dropping water. To the north, efforts continued to hold and improve line on the Big Tom Fire.
Firefighters and equipment continued arriving today from around the nation with many national resources. Two additional Oregon State Fire Marshal structural task forces arrived from Clatsop County and Yamhill County. A total of seven task forces are currently engaged in structure
protection.
Night operations will focus on getting the relatively small fires controlled, including Big Tom and Tyee Mountain, and continued structure protection on Hubbard Creek Road. This will help keep resources available for any new fire starts and for ongoing efforts on larger fires. Challenges for firefighters include steep terrain, rolling material, snags, and limited road access. Dry fuels and topography are driving fire behavior. Twelve helicopters are in use, but heavy smoke and low visibility has not allowed for fixed-wing aircraft. Weather is expected to be in the high 70s tomorrow with continued heavy smoke. Winds will be 2 to 5 miles per hour from the NW.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office issued a new Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation notice for Tyee Road at the intersection with Rock Creek Road to Fanchin Lane to include all residences in between. All other evacuation notices remain unchanged. A total of 72 structures are under Level 3 (Go Now!) evacuation orders, 37 structures are at Level 2 (Be Set), and 38 are at Level 1 (Be Ready). An estimated 125 people have evacuated. Douglas County Emergency Management and the Red Cross have a shelter for evacuees at the Oakland Elementary School at 499 NE Spruce Street in Oakland. To shelter livestock, contact Douglas County Fairgrounds at 541-957-7010. Companion pets can be sheltered at Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center in Roseburg. To view the current evacuation information map, go to www.dcso.com/evacuations.
Community Meeting Scheduled: The Tyee Ridge Complex management teams will be holding a community
meeting tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023 at 7 p.m.
Location: Roseurg Country Club, 5051 Garden Valley Road, Roseburg; and
streamed on Facebook Live.