Document text
Reopening the river was the right call By Mail Tribune Editorial Board Aug 25, 2022 12:00 AM A A The Rum Creek Fire, burning uncontained in rugged terrain on the lower Rogue River, could have been an economic disaster for the boating and rafting companies that take customers through the Wild and Scenic Section every summer. But forest and fire officials had a change of heart, and lifted a river closure after just one day. It was the right call. August is a peak time for river guides, bringing in more than $60,000 a day in revenue. River guides are a resourceful bunch, and they are accustomed to running rapids during fire season, smoke or no smoke. The closure announced this week affected just five miles of the river, from the put-in point for permit holders at Grave Creek downstream to Russian Creek. The reason was safety, with the fire burning toward the river’s south bank near Rainie Falls. On Wednesday, after incident commanders and Bureau of Land Management officials conferred with outfitters about safety procedures, the river reopened. Safety is still paramount, and the reopening came with strict rules to protect rafters, kayakers and drift boaters and allow firefighting crews to do their work. All boats must launch or pass by the Grave Creek boat ramp by 10 a.m., and rafters must stay in their rafts for the five-mile stretch to Russian Creek. The aim is to get all rafts through the fire area by noon, because fire activity increases in the afternoon hours and helicopters need to dip water buckets in the river to fight the flames. Conditions will be reassessed every day, and the BLM could close the river again on any given day. The river status will be posted online at 6 a.m. daily. Permit holders who missed their launch date Tuesday may be able to get a permit for later in the season, and may be granted priority for next year’s draws. Those are reasonable accommodations, and officials deserve credit for working with outfitters to keep river access as open as possible under trying circumstances. The fire season is far from over. More fires could still ignite. And the Rum Creek Fire will be burning for some time. Fire officials estimate it will not be contained until the end of October. Be careful out there.