9-20-12 Wildfire Update for Klamath National Forest
Incident: Fort Complex Wildfire
Released: 9/20/2012
Fire Information Phone: 530 841 4451
Wildfire Update for the Klamath National Forest
Red Fire: The Red Fire, discovered Tuesday afternoon in the Marble Mountain Wilderness is currently 53 acres in size and 60% contained. Located 11 miles west of Ft. Jones, CA the fire is about 1/4 mile inside the Wilderness boundary. Over 100 firefighters worked around the clock on initial attack and have made good progress with fire suppression efforts. Favorable weather conditions have aided firefighting efforts-including laying of fire hose for reinforcement of the containment line. Four helicopters, 5 hand crews (20 people each), 4 engines (5 people each), and 3 water tenders are currently involved in fire suppression efforts. Cause of the fire is under investigation. See attached photograph below of lead plane guiding air tanker drop during initial attack on Red Fire.
Goff Fire/Fort Complex: An additional hand crew joined the existing two Wildland Fire Module crews to help wrap up fire suppression repairs and removal of excess equipment along the containment line on the northwest corner of the Goff Fire. The Type 3 Incident Management Team, headed up by Incident Commander Mike Powell transitioned Thursday morning at 8:00am to a Type 4 team lead by Incident Commander Damon McCartney. Assuming no major changes occur with weather conditions the crews are expecting to complete their tasks by Friday evening, September 21, 2012.
Forest visitors are urged to be extra careful with any activity that has the potential to start a fire. Visitors need
to be aware that Fire Restrictions are in affect. Check the Forest websites below for more information (Klamath National Forest website at: www.fs.usda.gov/klamath and the Rogue-River Siskiyou National Forest website at: www.fs.usda.gov/rogue-siskiyou. Or check with local Forest Service offices.
The following trail and road closures, as well as fire restrictions, will stay in place for the safety of firefighters and forest visitors: On the Klamath National Forest Lily Pad Road (47N80) and Bug Creek Road (18N02) are closed. Mutiple trail closures are in effect including portions of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), Boundary National Recreation Trail, Fort Goff Trail, and Portuguese Creek Trail. On the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest four trails remain closed due to fire operations near Azalea Lake in the Red Buttes Wilderness. These trails are #957 Butte Fork Trail between the junctions of #954, #955, and #956 trails, #954 Shoofly Trail, #955 Fir Glade Trail, and #956 Goff Butte Trail. People using the lower Cook and Green trail #959 should use caution in the Lick fire area and watch for hazardous conditions along the trail including burned trees and holes adjacent to the trail.
Please check the closure and fire restriction information posted on InciWeb at: www.inciweb.org/incident/3117/
