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Fire sends smoke over area Coolness could help snuff it By PAUL FATTIG While shifting winds filled the Rogue Valley with smoke Monday, firefighters say Mother Nature should help put a damper on the nearly 2,000-acre fire burning near Brookings. Taking advantage of increased humidity, firefighters are working to loop a fireline around the stubborn Repeater Fire in the Chetco Ranger District on the west side of the Siskiyou National Forest. And they are hoping for more natural reinforcements in the form of showers forecast for southwestern Oregon early today and Wednesday morning. Smoke blowing inland from the fire has filled the Rogue and Applegate valleys since Saturday, causing itching eyes and shrouding the hills. By mid-afternoon Monday, the sun was reduced to a round red ball as it made its way across the smoky skies and small flakes of ash drifted in the air in Medford. Yet for all the smoke, the air pollution index has remained in the moderate range in the interior valleys, said Kenan Smith, a field representative with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality office in Medford. "It really hasn't gotten into the range where there are special precautions," he said, adding, "If we get the wind and rain in here, it should clear all of this out." In addition to calling for a chance of showers in the region through Wednesday, the National Weather Service is forecasting a continuing cooling trend for the remainder of the week. That's good news to Dan Thorpe, Medford unit forester for the state Department of Forestry, whose firefighters protect private, county, state and Bureau of Land Management wildlands. However, Thorpe cautioned that the fire danger remains extreme because of the extended dry spell. The last measurable rainfall in the valley occurred Aug. 30. "We're hopeful but not overly optimistic," he said of fire season ending within a few weeks. It usually ends in mid-October. But fires in October, and even November, are not uncommon, he said, noting this month often finds more people camping in the woods because of deer hunting season. "We're always a little nervous about that many people camping in the woods when it's dry like this," he said. "But we flew Saturday morning looking for abandoned campfires and didn't find a single one." Meanwhile, the Repeater Fire, at 1,980 acres, remains the largest in Southern Oregon this year, officials said. The fire was first reported a week ago today. Its cause is under investigation. The fire is on Mount Emily, best known as the site where a submarine-launched Japanese plane dropped incendiary bombs during World War II. Named for a radio repeater tower located on the mountain, the fire is burning on the edge of the Wheeler Creek Research Natural Area, home to some of the few redwoods growing in Oregon. There are 1,031 firefighters battling the blaze, which has burned to within a mile and a half of several homes, said Mary Stansell, spokeswoman for the fire base. "We're still watching the homes, but I feel a lot safer about that now," she said, citing the change in weather. "The humidity has really increased at the fire," she said. "The fire crew is trying to take advantage of that." Heavy fog that is helping to slow the fire has also grounded the helicopters dipping water out of the nearby Chetco River, she said. Full containment is projected for as early as Wednesday. A fire is considered contained when it is encircled by a fireline. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA