In a turn of events, a change in wind direction on Tuesday provided much-needed relief to the Illinois Valley as smoke cleared from the region. This development allowed aviation resources to fly into action, supporting ground crews as they battled to protect homes, businesses, and the vital powerline corridor along Lone Mountain Road and US199 from encroaching flames.
Suppression efforts received a timely boost with the recent announcement of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek. The governor issued a conflagration declaration, setting into motion an increased effort to tackle the wildfire threat. This declaration mobilized the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Incident Management Blue Team, alongside five structure protection task forces hailing from Marion, Polk, Lane, Benton, and Klamath counties.
To enhance the effectiveness of the operation, the Blue Team joined forces with Northwest Incident Management Team 13 on Tuesday, forming a unified command. After thorough in-briefing, the combined teams integrated into operations. Their focus remained on executing surface preparations around homes and various structures, reinforcing the lines of defense against the encroaching blaze.
The presence of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s task forces proved pivotal. With their support handling structure protection duties, wildland firefighters could redirect their efforts toward the primary task of suppressing the fire itself. Aided by well-coordinated aerial retardant drops, firefighting crews undertook aggressive tactical firing operations. These measures aimed to fortify primary containment lines, particularly along US199 and the western stretch of Lone Mountain Road.
Weather conditions, however, posed a complex challenge. While a northeasterly wind offered a glimmer of assistance by pushing the fire back onto itself, it brought with it two critical elements of fire weather – fierce winds and poor overnight relative humidity recovery.
Amid the ongoing battle, evacuation orders remained in effect, reflecting the seriousness of the situation. Residents of the US199 area south of O’Brien, ranging from milepost 38 to the state line, were placed under a Level 3 – GO NOW evacuation. Those in O’Brien and the Takilma area faced a Level 2 – GET SET evacuation, while a Level 1 – GET READY evacuation notice was issued for areas extending north to Cave Junction.
For those seeking assistance, the American Red Cross set up an evacuation shelter at Rogue Community College in Grants Pass. Livestock can be brought to the Josephine County Fairgrounds.
As of this morning, the #SmithRiverComplex has scorched 76,857 acres and is at 7% containment. The lightning caused fire has approximately 3,035 personnel working the blaze.
You can track these fires through our 2023 Wildfire Season partner’s Wildfire Aware app.
Source: OSFM
