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Wind and hot weather could trigger 'very active fire behavior' A night view of the Chetco Bar fire glowing on the horizon, taken on Aug. 20. [Photo from Inciweb] Saturday Aug 26, 2017 at 6:07 PM Aug 26, 2017 at 6:39 PM Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune @VickieAldous With 20 mph wind gusts predicted along ridge tops, the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Chetco Bar fire area near Brookings. The warning is in effect through Saturday night, followed by a Fire Weather Watch alert through Sunday for the fire that was sparked by lightning in the Kalmiopsis Wildnerness in mid-July. "The thermal trough over the area will contribute to very active fire behavior late into the evening on Saturday and early Sunday morning. During short crown runs, the potential exists to cast embers up to half a mile ahead of the fire," officials said Saturday in an update on the InciWeb Incident Information System website. Firefighters got a break Friday, when winds that were forecast failed to blow strongly through the area. Whenever smoke cleared enough to improve visibility, pilots dropped water and fire retardant along containment lines to slow the spread of the fire — which had grown to 105,518 acres as of Sunday. Throughout Friday night, crews worked to build direct and indirect containment lines, prepare structures, patrol fire activity near homes and scout contingency lines, officials said. This weekend, a mix of Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation notices remained in effect for the Brookings area. Those under a Level 1 notice should prepare to evacuate, those under Level 2 must be ready to leave at a moment's notice and people under a Level 3 notice should evacuate immediately. As of Saturday, the city of Brookings was under a Level 1 alert. Areas closer to and in the fire area were under Level 2 and 3 alerts. For updated information, check inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5385/. The fire has been declared the nation's top wildfire priority. Gov. Kate Brown met with firefighters, local officials and residents in Brookings on Friday. "The Level 1 Evacuation Order means the people of Brookings need be ready to leave at a moment's notice," Brown said. "Conditions can change extremely quickly. Thanks to all of the firefighters, first responders, police officers and everyone doing everything they can to keep the town of Brookings and the surrounding areas safe." A task force of Rogue Valley firefighters has been aiding the effort for a week, working mainly to protect homes and buildings during night shifts. Closer to the Rogue Valley, firefighters are preparing for an increase in Miller Complex fire activity in the Applegate Valley due to warm, dry weather. The group of fires has burned 14,066 acres, officials said Saturday. A Level 1 "be ready" evacuation notice has been issued for: Palmer Creek Road at Upper Applegate Road to the 1090/1095 split West of Upper Applegate Road and east of Applegate River from Palmer Creek Road to Jackson Campground Boulder City at 11425 Upper Applegate Road Carberry Creek Road at Applegate Road to Steamboat Ranch Joe Bar area Jackson and Josephine county residents can sign up for emergency alerts at www.rvem.org. The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has closed three areas, including Forest Service land between Kinney and Palmer creeks, the Grayback Mountain area and the areas south of Applegate Lake. Local residents will be allowed to access their property. They should carry proof of residence. See fs.usda.gov/detail/rogue-siskiyou/home/?cid=fseprd555085. The Bureau of Land Management has closed the Grayback Mountain Trail system near Williams. For Miller Complex fire updates, see inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5514/. Officials are warning people to be familiar with wildfires and closures from the High Cascades Complex of 17 fires in Crater Lake National Park and the High Cascades Ranger District. As of Saturday, significant fires in the complex included the 7,113-acre Blanket fire seven miles east of Prospect; the 5,288-acre Spruce Lake fire on the west side of Crater Lake National Park; the 77-acre Sherwood fire six miles west of Diamond Lake and the 1,232-acre Broken Lookout fire six miles west of the junction of Highways 62 and 230. For Forest Service closure information affecting the area, see fs.usda.gov/detail/rogue-siskiyou/. For Crater Lake area trail closures, visit nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/conditions.htm. Heavy smoke continues to obscure views of the iconic lake. To see views from the national park's webcams, visit nps.gov/crla/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm. The Umpaqua North Complex of fires, burning 50 miles east of Roseburg, has consumed more than 14,000 acres and is listed as only 7 percent contained. Highway 238 remains closed between mileposts 43 and 58, near Horseshoe Bend. As with the Chetco Bar fire near Brookings, firefighters on fires farther inland are expecting hotter temperatures and potential wind gusts, especially over ridges, through the weekend. Smoke continues to affect the Rogue Valley, with air quality readings fluctuating between moderate and unhealthy in Medford, Ashland and Grants Pass. For air quality readings updated hourly, see deq.state.or.us/aqi/. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality alert through Thursday that covers southwest Oregon from the Coast the the Cascades, as well as for Central Oregon, which is dealing with its own wildfires. Pollutants in smoke can cause burning eyes, runny noses and aggravate heart and lung diseases, as well as other serious health problems. Limit outdoor activities and keep children indoors if it is smoky. Follow medical advice if you have a heart or lung condition, DEQ advises. The National Weather Service recommends staying inside an air conditioned building or home equipped with high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) filters. Reach staff reporter VickieAldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous.