Devils Knob Complex Grows to 4,000 Acres, Now 5% Contained

Here is the latest update on the Devils Knob Complex for Tuesday morning August 10. Complex Total Acreage: 4,000 Complex Total Containment: 5% General Updates: Planned suppression efforts include extensive mopping up of small fires and portions of larger fires as well as containment actions on larger fires within the Complex. The priority continues to be taking suppression actions on larger fires that are near private property and homes. As high priority fires become contained and mopped up in the southern portion of the Complex, resources will be moved to the central and northern portions of the Complex to other priority fires. To also improve the effectiveness of existing firefighting resources, suppression activity included sharing scarce resources between the three incident complexes, such as aircraft, engines and hand crews. A new heavy equipment group was created with resources coming from the Skyline Complex and other sources to increase the effectiveness of containment operations. Fire behavior is expected to increase with a forecasted very hot and drying weather trend as the week progresses. Firefighters will be very vigilant for extreme fire behavior on the fireline. The following is a brief summary of the significant fire activity over the fire complex starting from north to south: Smith Fire – 412 acres - bumping up against the prepped containment of Dumont Creek road and hoses have been laid. Some roll-out of burning material has been crossing the road and starting new spots. Firefighters have been quickly extinguishing these spots. A new equipment group is improving roads for line to the west. Mule Creek Fire – 985 acres – staying within established contingency lines, mop up and holding. Top Off (446) Fire – 662 acres – is moving on both flanks and backing into the Beaver Creek area. Two burn out operations were conducted to secure 446 to the Big Hamlin fire. Big Hamlin Fires – 600 acres – The fire is on both sides of Beaver Creek; the southwest edge of the fire is moving toward the west but continues to burn within containment lines. 495 Fire – 802 acres – active downhill burning toward Jackson Creek, the fire may push against containment lines with the increased hot and dry conditions. Burn out operations to secure containment lines were completed to keep the fire off private lands. Little Applegate Fire – 135 acres – currently holding in the existing footprint, containment line is nearing completion. Hotshot crews have constructed a check line below the cliff rock band on Red Mountain and line improvements. Retardant drops are planned to reinforce containment lines. Wildcat Fire – 215 acres – containment line has been constructed on the west side to the private land on the north and mop up operations are in progress, containment efforts are focused on the south and east flanks to hold the fire. Section 30 (Railroad) Fire – 74 acres – mop up continues on the entire perimeter. The unnamed, smaller fires make up the remaining acres and continue to be mopped up and monitored. The firefighting resources on the Devil's Knob Complex are also responsible for conducting initial attack operations on the entire Tiller Ranger District, including private land holdings. Weather: Very hot and dry conditions are forecasted today and will continue through at least Saturday. A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for today (Tuesday) and a Red Flag Warning issued for Wednesday. An Excessive Heat Warning has been posted starting today through Saturday for all of southwest Oregon. Maximum temperatures may reach the high 90s to more than 100 degrees in areas below 1000 feet. Winds will be from the northwest at 5 – 10 mph with gusts up to 15 mph. Relative humidity will range between 17 – 22 percent. Air Quality: Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/. Resources: 4–type 1 hotshot crews, 2-type 2 IA crews, 11-type 2 crews, 3-camp crews, 38-engines, 16-dozers, 16 -water tenders, 134–overhead; total resources – 695. Evacuations: On August 8, Douglas County Sheriff's Office issued a Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuation advisory for the following locations in the Days Creek and Milo areas: all addresses located on Ferguson Lane, Moore Ranch Road, and Devils Knob Road.Level 1 “Be Ready” means: Residents should be aware of the danger that exists in their area, monitor emergency services websites and local media outlets for information. This is the time for preparation and precautionary movement of persons with special needs, mobile property and (under certain circumstances) pets and livestock. If conditions worsen, emergency services personnel may contact you via an emergency notification system. The Douglas County Sherriff’s Office has determined the following homes will remain under a Level 3 “GO!” Evacuation Notice: All homes on Upper Cow Creek Road with addresses starting at 20039 through 20700, and three residences in the Burnt Creek area. Level 3 “GO!” means: LEAVE IMMEDIATELY! The following homes will remain under a Level 2 “Be Set” Notice: All homes on Upper Cow Creek Road with addresses starting at 18300-20000.Level 2 “Be SET” means: YOU MUST PREPARE TO LEAVE AT A MOMENTS NOTICE. Residents can opt in to receive emergency alerts based on their address by registering at www.dcso.com/alerts. Residents are encouraged to visit the interactive evacuation map at www.dcso.com/evacuations where they can enter their address to determine what level they may be in. Temporary Flight Restrictions: For the safety of the firefighters and aircraft fighting the Devil’s Knob Complex, a temporary flight restriction has been placed over the fire area. Please consult the “Notice to Airman” for specifics. Wildfires are a “No Drone Zone.”Conditions in the forest are very dry. Any spark has a very high probability of starting a new fire so the public is reminded to be extra careful while enjoying the out-of-doors. ”One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire”. Devils Knob Complex on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7771/