Boze and Rainbow Creek Fire Updates 10-3-09
Incident: Boze and Rainbow Creek Wildfire
Released: 10/3/2009
TILLER, OR - October 3, 2009 - After two nights of cloud cover over the fire areas, clearer skies allowed an infra-red flight that created better mapping and revealed acreages not previously accounted. Although there has been no spread, the acreages on both fires have increase: the Boze Fire is estimated at 10,640 acres and the Rainbow Creek Fire at 6,085 acres, bringing the total for the two fires to about 16,725 acres.
Yesterday, firefighters continued to rehabilitate control lines, mop-up any hotspots near the control lines, and identify and fall snags and hazard trees. Extensive amounts of hazardous tree felling still remains to be accomplished before considering the area safe to the public.
A cold upper low moving into the area is expected to produce much cooler temperatures with gusty northwest winds and numerous showers over the area today through Sunday. Snow levels are expected to dip to 3,500 feet but accumulation should remain above 4,500 feet with amounts up to a few inches possible. These cool, moist conditions will continue to reduce the fire activity. The fire will put up smoke for weeks to come, still smoldering in heavy fuels but with little predicted chance of spread.
A large amount of excess firefighting resources were demobilized yesterday which leaves 151 personnel to manage the fires: 2 crews, 4 engines, 1 dozer, 88 overhead , and 2 camp crews.
The emergency road and area closure remain in place for public and firefighter safety. For a full description and map of the closure area see: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/umpqua/conditions/forest-orders/index.shtml
Hunters and recreationalists are asked to observe the closure area and respect the decisions made by fire managers. Equipment on the roads, firefighters working on or near the roads and trails and burned trees falling, are just a few of the safety hazards that exist in and near the fire area. The largest part of the closure area is around the portions of the fires that do not have established control lines. The closure will be enforced; the publics' cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
In other fire news, the Williams Creek Fire which started on July 28, 2009, has now been declared controlled. There is still the potential for a smoke to be visible within the fire area but the containment lines are now considered secure. The recent cooler weather also prompted fire officials to lower the Industrial Fire Precaution Level on Umpqua National Forest to a Level I with a low fire danger rating.
