My son, Alex, has been working the night shift since Friday. Terrain is extremely difficult as you can see from the ODF photos. The closeups are courtesy of Alex
Alex Fett
July 29, 20139:00 am
Special Message: Josephine County issued an evacuation order for residents living along Poorman Creek. Eight homes have been affected. Residents that have been evacuated can go to the American Red Cross Shelter that has been established at the Glendale Elementary School.
Oregon State Fire Marshal Office is managing the fire jointly with Oregon Department of Forestry. Structure protection task forces mobilized through the Oregon State Fire Marshal kept busy yesterday on the Dad’s Creek Fire working among homes located along Reuben Road at the north end of the fire and to the south accessed from Mt. Reuben road. Structure protection crews worked in conjunction with helicopters and a bulldozer, building line to protect homes in the area.
Current Situation: The Douglas Complex has been divided up into three branches – Milo, on the east side of Interstate 5; Rabbit Mountain/Union Creek, on the west side of Interstate 5, northwest of Glendale, and Dad’s Creek/Panther Butte, west of Glendale. Fire continues to burn actively on the east side of the interstate. An advisory for dry vegetation is in effect. This has contributed to the significant fire growth on the Complex. Other hazards, like falling boulders and trees, are affecting access into some of the fire area. All fires have been staffed, with private industrial landowners and eleven aircraft assisting firefighters in suppression. There are no reports of homes burned. One minor injury has been reported.
MiloMilo Branch is a group of smaller fires, all less than 20 acres in size. Firefighters will begin mopping up hot areas of each fire. Minimal fire activity is expected today for this branch.
ODF
ODF
Rabbit Mountain/Union Creek Fire has grown in all directions. This branch is expected to burn actively again today. Firefighters will continue building fire line on the east flank of the fire, working towards the north.
Dad’s Creek/Panther ButteThe larger fire in this branch grew significantly to the south yesterday afternoon, growing on the east and west sides of Poorman Creek approximately 2-3 miles in either direction. Overnight, crews were able to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and higher humidity to build fireline and suppress any spot fires found in the area. State Fire Marshal Office will evaluate the fire situation to the south and west of this fire, determining what impact there will be to structures. The fire is expected to burn actively again in the afternoon when temperature increases and winds start to affect fire movement. Smoke and erratic winds may impact air operations. Areas around Glendale will see more smoke in the area, mostly during the morning hours.
Weather: Daytime temperatures will be a few degrees warmer than yesterday. Winds will shift to a west/northwest direction. A marine influence is expected to influence the fire area the next few days, resulting in cooler conditions with higher humidity during the day. Evacuations and Closures:
• Cow Creek Road from Riddle into the fire area and from Glendale into the fire has been closed. The public is asked to honor the road blocks and not interfere with firefighters working in the area. • Evacuations have been ordered for McCullough Creek Road, Reuben Road, and Mt. Reuben Road in Douglas County, and Poorman Creek Road in Josephine County.• An additional four hundred residences are considered threatened. This means evacuations could be necessary at some point in the future. Any official evacuation orders would be issued by the Douglas County or Josephine Sheriff’s Offices.
Fire Information Meetings: A community meeting is scheduled tonight at the Glendale Elementary School Gym at 6:30 p.m., Monday, July 29, 2013.
Yesterday, a public meeting was held at the Glendale Elementary School with approximately 400 people in attendance. Updates were provided by the Glendale Fire Chief, Douglas County Sheriff, State Fire Marshal Office, and the teams managing the Complex.
Fire Statistics: Location: 7 miles north of Glendale, ORPercent Contained: 2%Complex Size: 13,400 acresCause: Lightning Start Date: 7/26/13Total Personnel: 1024 Resources Include: 38 Type 2 hand crews, 29 engines, 2 dozers, 8 water tenders, and overhead personnel
Air Resources: 3 Type 1 helicopters, 5 Type 2 helicopters, and 3 Type 3 helicopters
