Document text
Fires that continue to rage across southwest Oregon have resulted in the closure of a section of the Pacific Crest Trail and new evacuation advisories for some Jackson and Josephine county residents. Hendrix fire Officials at the lightning-sparked Hendrix fire, burning southwest of Ashland, have issued a closure on the PCT from where the trail meets Observation Gap to the Grouse Gap shelter, according to fire officials. Several road closures are also in effect: • National Forest Road No. 20 from the junction with Bureau of Land Management Road 39-2-32 to where Road 20 crosses the National Forest boundary. • National Forest Road No. 22 and all associated spur roads from Wagner Gap to its junction with NFR No. 20. • National Forest Road No. 2250 and all associated spurs in its entirety. • National Forest Road No. 2230 and all associated spurs in its entirety. • National Forest Road No. 1099 and all associated spur roads from the junction of 1099500 to its terminus. The broader area closure starts at the junction of National Forest Road No. 20 and Bureau of Land Management Road 39-2-32 and follows the National Forest boundary east to Wagner Gap, then heads south and east along the ridge, ending at the Ashland watershed boundary, then heads south along the watershed boundary to Wagner Butte and McDonalds Peak. It then heads south until it meets the National Forest boundary, then south again to the junction of National Forest Road No. 20 at Siskiyou Gap, then follows that road southwest to Jackson Gap and northwest to the junction of BLM Road 39-2-32. As of Friday morning, the Hendrix fire had grown to 830 acres and was 10 percent contained. The fire's southeastern flank continues to be the most problematic spot, mostly due to the growth of recent spot fires. "That's where you've seen the growth, is where the spot fires are growing together," said Hendrix fire public information officer Julie Knobel. The fire's western flank has continued to hold, and crews continue to work on extending and bolstering containment lines. Garner Complex The Grave No. 3 fire, one of the dozens of blazes that is part of the Garner Complex, has prompted the Jackson County Sheriff's Office to issue new evacuation notices for residents of northwestern Jackson County. Seven remote homes on Graves Creek Road north of Ditch Creek are under Level 2 "be set" evacuation advisories. Sheriff's deputies hand-delivered evacuation notices to all residents in the affected area overnight. "Because the area is isolated and communications are limited, deputies urge nearby residents to be alert to changes in fire behavior, and to leave if they don't feel comfortable," a sheriff's office bulletin reads. Addresses on Pleasant Creek Road between 5047 and 7948 remain under a Level 2 “be set” advisory because of the Garner complex. Seven individual addresses in the 6500 and 6600 blocks of that road received Level 3 -- "go" -- notices in person Wednesday due to their proximity to the fire, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Department said. As of 11 p.m. Thursday, the complex had grown to 1,700 acres and was listed at 8 percent contained. The Grave No. 3 fire is the most active one within the complex as it continued to burn toward the south. Kalmiopsis Wilderness fires The two fires burning in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness are 0 percent contained, and one saw significant growth overnight Thursday into Friday. The Klondike fire surged from nearly 600 acres to 1,062 overnight, according to fire public information officer Alan Hoffmeister, who said the blaze is "now a big, big concern." He added that residents in the Oak Flat area in Josephine County will receive level 2 evacuation advisories. The Granite fire is at 233 acres. Crews working to contain those fires are also overseeing containment operations on the Natchez fire, burning about 15 miles southwest of Cave Junction. It has grown to 1,048 acres and is also 0 percent contained. "We're putting a high priority on those fires to limit their spread," Hoffmeister said. "It's very difficult, dangerous ground to put people on." Wagner Creek Complex On Thursday evening, the 250-acre Wagner Creek Complex in Jackson was listed at 50 percent containment. Air quality Smoke from the numerous fires in and around Jackson County continued to push smoke into the Rogue Valley, dropping air quality to measurably "unhealthy" levels for Ashland, Medford and Shady Cove, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's Air Quality Index. Applegate, Grants Pass and Cave Junction stations were reporting "good" air quality Friday morning. The area's fire danger surged to "extreme" today, meaning the use of power saws, cutting, grinding and welding metal, the mowing of dry or dead grass or the operation of any other spark-emitting internal combustion engine is prohibited. Debris and barrel burning are prohibited. Smoking is prohibited while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water or at designated locations. Earlier this week, Gov. Kate Brown declared a fire emergency, noting that an estimated 200 wildfires were burning statewide. The largest in the state is the 70,421-acre Substation fire, which started on private land southeast of The Dalles. Fire officials had it 15 percent contained Friday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal funds to assist with firefighting costs, and Oregon National Guard helicopters and personnel are expected to join the fight, too. Reach web editor Ryan Pfeil at [email protected] or at 541-776-4468. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.