NEWS RELEASE
Closures Lifted on the Middle Fork Fire; Public Ad
(Lonesome Complex) Middle Fork Fire - High Cascades Ranger District Closures Lifted on the Middle Fork Fire; Public Advised to Use Caution when Traveling the Area MEDFORD, OR, October 9, 2008, -... more
Approximate Location
42.723 latitude, -122.265 longitudeSummary
(Lonesome Complex) Middle Fork Fire - High Cascades Ranger District
Closures Lifted on the Middle Fork Fire; Public Advised to Use Caution when Traveling the Area
MEDFORD, OR, October 9, 2008, - Effective on Thursday, October 9, 2008 the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest will lift all trail and road closures associated with the Middle Fork Fire. These closures went into effect in September 2008.
Currently, the 21,175-acre Middle Fork Fire is 90 percent contained.
With the fire closures lifted, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest fire managers are urging the public to use caution when traveling near the Middle Fork Fire area on the High Cascades Ranger District due to weakened and/or dead trees in the area as well as firefighting crews with equipment traveling on the roads. With firefighters still working in the area, the Forest Service asks that recreationist and motorists observe their surroundings and exercise caution by driving slowly and using their head lights.
There are also dead and/or weakened trees in the area that pose a safety hazard to the public. These weakened live trees or dead snags could fall down at a moment's notice. As these trees fall down the tree tops can break and downed tree limbs and branches can accumulated on the ground and potentially across local roads or trails.
The Middle Fork Fire was part of the Lonesome Complex and one of a number of fires ignited by lightning storms that swept through the southern Oregon area from August 16 through August 18.
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Closure Map for Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest
Credit: Rogue River Siskiyou NF
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildland Fire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | Saturday August 16th, 2008 aprox 03:00 PM |
| Location | 12 Miles East of Prospect, OR |
| Incident Commander | Dick Booth |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 115 |
|---|---|
| Size | 21,175 acres |
| Percent Contained | 90% |
| Estimated Containment Date | Wednesday October 15th, 2008 aprox 12:00 AM |
| Fuels Involved | Timber (litter and understory); Heavy dead and down. |
| Fire Behavior | Low fire behavior with burnout of interior fuels. Creeping and smoldering in the ground fuels. |
| Significant Events | Wetting rain received on the fire last night and today, much cooler and moister weather aided in reducing fire activity. Mop-up is complete. Equipment is being pulled and fire suppression impacts are being rehabilitated where weather permits. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Continue rehabilitation fire suppression activities. Retrieval of excess equipment. Type III organization is in place. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Low |
| Terrain Difficulty | Extreme |
| Remarks | Weather forecast for 10/5 promises an increase in rainfall and snow levels dropping to 5200 feet. Mop-up activities are complete. Rehabilitation plan has been developed and rehabilitation efforts are ongoing. Costs in this report are for the entire complex, however, acres and containment figures reflect the Middle Fork Fire only. The breakdown of acres by ownership is: Crater Lake National Park – 2,017; Rogue River Siskiyou NF – 18,569; Fremont Winema NF - 539. |
Weather
| Current Wind Conditions | 15 mph SW |
|---|---|
| Current Temperature | 57 degrees |
| Current Humidity | 85 % |
