It's 'Groundhog Day' for wildland firefighters - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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It's 'Groundhog Day' for wildland firefighters Crews continue to work on containing the Flounce fire, burning north of Lost Creek Lake. [Submitted Photo, Oregon Department of Forestry] Thursday Aug 10, 2017 at 9:41 AM Aug 10, 2017 at 12:58 PM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil Jackson County has been the star of nature's worst version of "Groundhog Day" the last several days: lightning barrage, wildfire starts, repeat.  The static-charged mayhem is expected to linger another day or so, but National Weather Service officials expect the low pressure system that's been wreaking all the havoc to start moving on by Friday. Temperatures are also expected to temper slightly, down to the low 90s on Saturday and Sunday. "It’ll feel drastically cooler compared to 112 the other week," said meteorologist Misty Firmin. During a 24-hour period that stretched from Wednesday into today, Jackson County saw 79 more air-to-ground strikes. About 10 of those lanced down during the bustle of nighttime activity over the western portion of the county, with a majority leaping from cloud to cloud, Firmin said. As the storm clouds start to head for the exits, fire crews continue to work on extinguishing the flames they caused. The Flounce fire, burning just north of Lost Creek Lake, is holding steady at just under 700 acres following another round of rainfall on the flames, Oregon Department of Forestry officials said. The rain has been helpful in hindering the fire's growth, but crews will be taking a more cautious approach because of the moisture's potential impact on destabilizing the terrain. "They will still be working on the fire, but they will be taking a more slow and steady approach today," ODF public information officer Melissa Cano said. The blaze is 10 percent contained, and a Level 1 evacuation advisory — "get ready" — for dozens of residents living south of the fire remains in effect. The Blanket Creek and Spruce Lake fires, both burning near Crater Lake National park, are 39 percent and 31 percent contained, respectively. Updated acreages were not available, as cloud cover has hindered nighttime infrared reconnaissance flights the past two nights, public information officer Shane Rossbach said. Recent lightning also sparked several new blazes across southwest Oregon: • The Stratton Creek fire, which started seven miles northwest of Merlin in Josephine County, had grown to 30 acres by Wednesday night. It originated as three separate fires burning in terrain consisting of brush and timber on the north side of the Rogue River near the Hellgate Canyon Bridge, according to the ODF. Two of those fires merged, though crews have since completed a fire line around that portion and will be working on mop-up today, Cano said. The third fire has been knocked down. Air operations resume today. • The 10-acre Reuben fire, which started Wednesday about five miles north of the Grave Creek Bridge, has since been knocked down and lined. Crews continued mop-up operations through Wednesday night. • The Doe Spring fire, burning near the border of Josephine and Douglas counties north of Mount Reuben, was at just under 7 acres Wednesday night. ODF and the Douglas Forest Protective Association continue their work to beat back the flames. Agencies will monitor the region for additional smoke plumes today. — Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.