Archie Creek Fire Update For Sunday, Sept 20th: Fire Now 38% Contained

(Incident Command) Fire Update: The Archie Creek Fire has burned 131,591 acres and is 38 percent contained. There are currently 1,121 personnel assigned to the fire. Yesterday an infrared flight showed that the fire had grown along its southern edge above E-Mile Creek and down by Little River Road sometime before the low front arrived, probably on Friday. Today’s acreage increase reflects better mapping of the fire in that area. Special Note: Areas within the fire perimeter are CLOSED to the public. Only residents and fire personnel are allowed in the area. Fire behavior has been minimal for the past few days, but is expected to pick up today. Entry into the fire area is dangerous and can affect firefighters' ability to do their jobs. Hazards include not only hot spots and fire, but heavy equipment and falling trees as the organic layer around tree roots has been burning for several days. Rain totals from the past two days of a half-inch to an inch have helped firefighters make good progress on containing the fire by getting as close to its edge as possible with hand crews and heavy equipment. Today brings sunnier, warmer and drier weather, which will begin to dry live and dead vegetation. As a result, firefighters expect to see more smoke and active fire. Conditions are expected to allow aircraft to fly today and helicopters are ready to support suppression efforts, if necessary. Areas of focus continue to be on the south, east and northern edges of the fire. In the south, this includes areas around Little River and Thunder Mountain roads to Highway 138. In the east, containment and mop up continues in three areas where the fire burned over containment lines in the Panther Creek (4714) Road area along the 110 Road. Along the northeastern edge of the fire, bulldozers, logging equipment and crews will continue working to connect old logging roads for firelines to protect threats to timber. Fire mop up and improvement of firelines continues throughout the fire, including mop up around structures in Glide, Idleyld Park and Rock Creek. Fire hose continues to be placed around the fire to help cool areas near containment lines. Hand crews are helping build and fortify firelines in steep areas that are inaccessible to heavy equipment. Focus areas today will be in the Gassy Creek and Hinkle Creek areas in the northwest, in the upper drainages of Rock Creek down to Rock Creek Road and in the Trapper Creek area on the eastern edge. The fire has backed down to the river on the east side of the fire and firefighters are monitoring it there. A fire scar from a 2017 fire is helping check fire progression in the southeastern edge of the fire and firefighters are using old timber sale roads (600 series) to contain the fire in that area. Firefighters continue to take actions to keep the fire from spreading to structures and will work into the night to ensure structures are safe. They are protecting homes and other buildings from fire in all areas of the fire, including along Little River Road and are assessing structure protection for the Bar L subdivision. Other areas of special protection include the Wolf Creek Job Corps, Susan Creek Bridge, communications equipment on Scott Mountain and the Big Tree area. Firefighters will continue to remove live and dead vegetation around the Job Corps to reduce fire risk. North of Highway 138E, in the Steamboat area, firefighters and heavy equipment continue to work along Canton Creek Road to Trapper Creek to build contingency firelines in case the fire crosses primary firelines. Highway 138E remains closed to all traffic except for firefighters and residents from Milepost 21 through Milepost 83. Crews from the Oregon Department of Transportation, Douglas County Public Works Department, Pacific Power and their contractors continue to work along Highway 138E, Rock Creek Road and other county-maintained roads within the footprint of the fire. Personnel and Equipment: 22 Type 2 hand crews, 6 helicopters, 1 fixed wing air attack platform, 61 engines, 49 bulldozers, 48 water tenders, 9 masticators and 6 skidgeons. Archie Creek Fire Donations: At this time, the Archie Creek Fire management team does not need donations. To help firefighters and their families, please contact the Wildland Firefighters Foundation at wffoundation.org/or 208-336-2996. The following agencies and organizations are helping those who were affected by this fire and are accepting donations. • Glide Revitalization Committee: https://gliderevitalization.com/ • Glide Helping Hands: 541-733-6860 • Glide Baptist Church: https://www.glidebaptist.org/ • Greater Douglas United Way: https://gduway.org/campaigns/fire-relief-fund/ • Roseburg Rotary: https://www.facebook.com/RoseburgRotary/ and https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr… • Douglas Timber Operators / Umpqua Fisheries Enhancement Derby: https://donorbox.org/2020-archie-creek-fire-relief-fund • Saving Grace: www.savinggrace.info 541-672-3907. • Red Cross: Located at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Check for current needs. • Oregon Department of Human Services: Check for current needs. Food items will not be accepted. Donations can be dropped off this week at the Roseburg Department of Human Services building at 738 W Harvard, Roseburg OR M-F, 9am-4pm through 9/18/20 Evacuations, shelter areas: An interactive map of the current evacuation area can be found at www.dcso.com/evacuations. For more evacuation information, visit the Douglas County Sheriff website www.dcso.com/evacuations and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCoSO The Red Cross has services and a shelter at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Call 541-672-6581 The Western Oregon Expo Fairgrounds in Cottage Grove has space for evacuees, livestock and tents. Contact Skye Hefner at 541-556-2727 for more information. Air quality: See the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality at http://www.oregon.gov/deq Closures: • Roads –Highway 138E remains closed to non-residents at Idleyld Trading Post and will remain closed throughout the weekend. See www.tripcheck.com for updates on highway closures. • Bureau of Land Management – All lands east of Interstate 5, within the Swiftwater Resource Area are closed. • Umpqua National Forest – Maps and closure orders can be found on Inciweb at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7176/ . Additional information on the Forest Service closures are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices Managed lands east of Interstate 5, within the Swiftwater Resource Area are closed. • Temporary Flight Restriction: There is a temporary flight restriction in effect for the Archie Creek Fire. #ArchieCreek Archie Creek Fire Update Sunday, September 20, 2020 Unified Commanders Mike Dueitt and Tim Keith For printable version of the update, visit Inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/…/relate…/pict20200820-105009-0.pdf