MERLIN, Ore. – The number of acres burned by fires in the Garner Complex increased by more than 2,000 since yesterday to reach 17,369 acres this morning. The number of personnel engaged on the fire has also grown, to 2,311 people, with 102 fire engines, 45 water tenders, 35 dozers, 18 aircraft and 76 hand crews.
Overnight, firefighters made progress on building and extending control lines. Today, firefighters will work to secure and hold those control lines by strengthening hand-built and dozer lines, placing water hoses, and continuing to mop up.
Weather permitting, firefighters expect to set fire between control lines and actively burning areas of the fire. This is done to stop the fire’s advance by consuming the fuel available to the fire.
The largest fire in the Complex is the Taylor Creek Fire, which is reported at 9,642 acres. That fire is burning on both private and BLM land as well as parts of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. As smoke conditions allow, air support will be dropping water and retardant on the south and west sides of the Taylor Creek, Pleasant Creek and Grave Creek fires. Firefighters have been successful in hold the Spencer Creek Fire within control lines. Mop-up on that fire continues.
The Office of the Oregon State Fire Marshal has stated that no structures have been lost in the fire, but hundreds of primary residences as well as other structures are considered threatened. Structural crews are continuing to assess and create defensible spaces around homes and other structures on the Grave Creek and Taylor Creek fires. Level 3 evacuations have affected almost 400 people. Current evacuation information can be found by contacting the Joint Information Center in southern Oregon at 541-474-5305 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. A Red Cross shelter is set up for evacuees at Grants Pass High School at 830 N.E. 9th Street. The number for the shelter is 541-474-5710.
A public meeting about the fires is scheduled for today at 6 p.m. in Wimer at the Evans Valley Education and Community Center, 8205 East Evans Creek. A public meeting held yesterday at North Valley High School in Grants Pass was attended by some 300 people.
Weather forecasts call for continued hot and dry conditions. Smoke will gradually lift today, resulting in higher temperatures and lower humidity at the fire. As a result, firefighters will likely see elevated fire activity today.