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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Wildfires close Highway 230, along with Diamond Lake area trails, campgrounds, backroads ... Jackson County not enforcing GMO ban ... Ex-Cascade Christian coach convicted of sexual abuse ... Wildfires close Highway 230, along with Diamond Lake area trails, campgrounds, backroads ... Jackson County not enforcing GMO ban ... Ex-Cascade Christian coach convicted of sexual abuse ... NATIONAL CREEK COMPLEX Highway 230 closed at Highway 138 because of fires Fighting Crescent and National blazes means closing 12-mile stretch southwest of Diamond Lake Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 12, 2015 at 9:46 AM Updated Aug 12, 2015 at 5:17 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 12, 2015 at 9:46 AM Updated Aug 12, 2015 at 5:17 PM » Social News CRATER LAKE — Efforts to snuff two wildfires near the Crater Lake National Park boundary have prompted the closure of a portion of Highway 230 and put Diamond Lake visitors on evacuation alert. Park and Oregon Department of Transportation officials reported a 12-mile stretch of Highway 230 is closed between Highway 138 and U.S. Forest Service Road 6560 — also called Hamaker Meadows Road. Two wildfires, the Crescent fire and National fire, make up the National Creek complex.  Those wanting to camp or fish at Diamond Lake, which is accessed off Highway 138, will have to choose one of several detours to get there because of the Highway 230 closure, ODOT officials said. The fires are burning about nine miles from the resort. The shortest way is through Crater Lake National Park, but you'll have to pay a $15 entrance fee.  The only other access to Highway 138 is through Roseburg or from Highway 97, which you can currently reach only by taking Highway 62 all the way south of Chiloquin. The fires have the "potential to trigger the evacuation of the Diamond Lake recreational facilities," officials said. The area is under a level 1 evacuation advisory, meaning people at the lake should be prepared to leave. Park officials said an area of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is also closed because of the fires. The closure starts at the junction of Highway 230 and U.S. Forest Service Road 6530, then follows the Jackson-Douglas county line to the park boundary. The forestlands closure could be in effect until Oct. 31, according to the wildfire information resource Incident Information System .  The Bald Crater Loop trail is closed between Boundary Springs and Crater Springs because of suppression efforts inside the park. Other Crater Lake National Park facilities and roads remain open. The Crescent fire is the larger of the two blazes, having charred about 2,020 acres. It's burning east of Boundary Springs, which is within 1.5 miles of Highway 230. The National fire had burned 116 acres as of Wednesday. Both lightning-sparked burns appeared Aug. 1 on the boundary between Crater Lake National Park and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest near Union Creek. The National fire is 60 percent contained, while the Crescent blaze has no containment so far.  The Stouts fire, which started 11 miles east of Canyonville on July 30 and continues to funnel smoke into Jackson County, reached 56 percent containment Wednesday. Still the largest wildfire burning in the state, it had scorched 23,388 acres by Wednesday morning.  Full containment is expected Aug. 22, officials said.  Jackson County air quality seems to be improving gradually. The state Air Quality Index listed Medford, Applegate, Cave Junction, Grants Pass and Shady Cove as "moderate" over a 24-hour period Wednesday. Shady Cove has been hit the hardest by the fires, enduring an eight-day stretch of unhealthy to hazardous air earlier this month. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil .   By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 12, 2015 at 9:46 AM Updated Aug 12, 2015 at 5:17 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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