I-5 Fire at 100 acres and 55% Containment, Mop-Up, Gridding Operations Continue
The I-5 MM 57 NB Fire remains at 100 acres and is 55% contained after firefighters made further progress yesterday. The Oregon Department of Forestry reports crews focused on systematically gridding the fire area Wednesday to locate and extinguish remaining hotspots. An infrared equipped UAS helped map lingering heat overnight, allowing firefighters to identify additional hotspots. Today, firefighters will build on this progress with extensive mop-up and gridding operations, working up to 300 feet into the fire perimeter and removing hazardous snags throughout steep, heavily timbered terrain. A reconnaissance flight is planned to help confirm any remaining areas of heat or concern, and aircraft are ready to support ground crews if needed. Resources assigned to the blaze include four 20-person hand crews, five Type 6 engines, one Type 3 engine, two water tenders, two dozers, three skid units, one falling module, and a reconnaissance flight. Red Flag Warnings remain in effect, as well as a Level 1: BE READY Evacuation Warning for Zones GRA-022, GRA-034, GRA-036, JCU-422-B, and JCU-422-C.
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JoCo Sheriff's Office Seeking Missing Person
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help in locating a missing person. Reid Litwack was last seen Tuesday, August 4th, at Wild Cat rapid in the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River while on a rafting trip. He was last seen wearing a red long sleeve shirt with a hood and green pants. He is described as a 65-year-old white male standing 5'4" tall, weighing 140 lbs, with reddish gray hair, and blue eyes. If you have any information as to his whereabouts, please contact the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, 541-474-5123. Reference Case # 26-21169.
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East Evans Creek Fire 95% Contained, Transition to Local ODF Team Saturday
The East Evans Creek Fire has reached 95% containment thanks to firefighter efforts. In the final update on the fire from the Oregon Department of Forestry, unless conditions change, the fire remains at 15,580 acres. Crews completed backhauling operations Tuesday, removing hose, equipment, and other resources from the fireline. The focus now is completing suppression repair, restoring impacted areas, and continuing mop up in locations where isolated heat remains. Infrared reconnaissance and routine monitoring continue to identify occasional hotspots within the fire perimeter. Yesterday, a helicopter completed a bucket drop to cool a small area of residual heat along the north side of the fire. While firefighters continue extinguishing remaining hotspots, light interior smoke will remain visible at times as heavier fuels continue to smolder well within the established containment lines. On Saturday, the Florida Complex Incident Management Team 1 will complete its deployment and transition management of the East Evans Creek Fire to a local Oregon Department of Forestry Type 3 Incident Management Team.
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