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L/FOG Temp: 45 °F Wind: SSE at 3 mph Saturday, November 23, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 23, 2002 Safety issues remove Biscuit crews By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune O’BRIEN — Officials have called firefighters off the Biscuit fire burning on the rugged eastern edge of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area. The firefighters were removed from the lightning-caused 1,400-acre blaze in the Siskiyou National Forest because of fear for their safety, said Forest Service spokeswoman Lori Cook. "We will continue to monitor those fires from the air until we are sure they (firefighters) have a safety zone," she said, referring to an area where they can retreat in the event the fire flares up. "Our No. 1 priority is firefighter and public safety," she added. "We won’t put the firefighters back out there until we feel comfortable they are safe." No structures are threatened by the fire burning in steep, rocky terrain. The nearly roadless area is filled with pockets of explosive brushy vegetation. One of several sparked by the July 13 lightning storm, the fire is located about 10 air miles west of O‘Brien in the southern tip of the Illinois Valley. No portion of the fire is contained by a fire line. The Biscuit fire, located in the Biscuit Creek drainage which flows into Baldface Creek, was expected to merge Monday afternoon with the smaller Sourdough fire burning near the mouth of Baldface. The firefighters were removed from the Biscuit fire on Sunday. The fire is moving north and is expected to enter the wilderness area, Cook said. But firefighters continue to battle the 3,400-acre Florence fire about 20 air miles farther north on the northeastern edge of the wilderness. That fire is about a dozen miles west of Selma. The Florence fire threatens several remote dwellings located on private parcels within the forest in the Oak Flat area, Cook said. The fire, which has jumped a road, is burning in a northerly direction, she said. Meanwhile, officials are requesting that people not drive on the mountain road leading west from Selma to the Oak Flat area. With fire equipment and crews moving in the area, there is potential for a bottleneck or accident on the narrow road, she said. Nearly 570 firefighters, 13 engines, five water trucks and three bulldozers are assigned to the Florence fire. Three helicopters armed with huge buckets also have been employed to douse hot spots. "Right now we have zero percent containment and no containment date set," she said. The fire is burning near the area where the Silver Complex fire was started by lightning late in August 1987. That fire, which leapt the Illinois River, burned more than 100,000 acres before it was declared controlled in November of that year. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S