BONANZA, Ore. – Fire behavior increased late Saturday afternoon with high temperatures, low relative humidity and variable winds impacting the fire area. Embers from burning fuels adjacent to the fireline spotted outside the control line in the southeastern area of the fire. Firefighters were able to stop these spot fires with minimal fire growth. Helicopters were used to drop water and cool the fire along the perimeter where unburned vegetation was burning, allowing firefighters to improve fireline in the area and extinguish burning material.
Fire crews expanded hose lays across the fire, increasing the available water for mop-up along the perimeter. Firefighters are mopping-up the area near the control line, extinguishing flames or heat to secure the perimeter. Hand-held infrared cameras and drones are being used to locate areas of heat near the fire’s edge and spot fires outside the fireline.
Reduced size of the fire reflects better mapping and intel gather of the fire perimeter. Today’s weather will continue to be hot and dry with the potential for isolated thunderstorms in the area.
Due to the increasing level of containment on the fire, lowering of level 3 evacuation levels and diminishing threat to homes, the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) will complete its last shift today. This will allow firefighters to head back to their local communities or be moved to emerging fires throughout the state. The firefighters and incident management team members of OSFM’s Red Team are grateful to the local community for their hospitality and support.
The Klamath County Sheriff has implemented evacuations around the fire. For the latest evacuation information, please visit: https://protect.genasys.com/search
A temporary flight restriction remains in place Federal Aviation Administration – Graphic TFRs.