Winds Cause Significant Growth on Devils Knob Complex Fires

Two of the fires in the Devils Knob Complex grew significantly on Monday. The Smith Fire grew 1,554 acres and the Big Hamlin Fire grew 4,377 acres. Complex Total Acreage: 13,697 Complex Total Containment: 15% General Updates: Fire behavior increased significantly yesterday on two of the larger fires in the Complex – Smith and Big Hamlin Fires. Fires were impacted by the combined effects of full sun under clear skies, gusting west winds and low relative humidity coming into alignment during the peak afternoon burn window (see more details in the fire summary below). Meadow Spike Camp will be dismantled and all resources will be returning to the main camp at the incident command post today. The total number of active fires on the Complex has now been reduced to 11 as a result of containment and control efforts and the merging of larger fires. The following is a summary of the significant fire activity over the fire complex starting from north to south: Smith Fire – 2,805 acres – the fire made a significant run yesterday afternoon to the southeast. Much of the fire is still holding on Dumont Creek Road on the north and was pushed by west winds down to the South Umpqua River and spotted across to the east side of the river. Mule Creek Fire – 1,024 acres – all containment lines held the fire in its current footprint; mop up operations continue. Big Hamlin Fire – 9,383 acres – the fire made a significant run yesterday to the southeast and moved across the indirect containment lines on the south and southeast flanks towards the Roque-Umpqua Divide. The fire stayed within the indirect containment line to the east. Little Applegate Fire – 135 acres –contained and in patrol status. Wild Cat Fire – 215 acres – fire behavior was minimal, mop up operations continue. An unstaffed sprinkler system along the east flank of the fire continues to be effective and will continue to be operated in areas too hazardous for firefighters. Section 30 (Railroad) Fire – 76 acres – contained and in patrol status; no smokes. Dismal Creek (444) Fire – 40 acres – contained and in patrol status; no smokes. The firefighting resources on the Devil's Knob Complex are also responsible for conducting initial attack operations on the entire Tiller Ranger District and private land holdings. Firefighters are prepared to respond to any initial fire starts. Weather: Today will start out partly cloudy with light rain and turning to sunny in the afternoon. Maximum temperatures will be 76 - 83 degrees with relative humidity lows in the 35 – 40 percent range. Ridgetop winds will be north-northwest at 5-10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. Air Quality: Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/. Resources: 1-type 1 hotshot crew, 2-type 2 IA crews, 14-type 2 crews, 3-camp crews, 48-engines, 21-dozers, 18-water tenders, 135-overhead, 6-masticators, 1-heavy lift helicopter, 1-medium lift helicopter; 1- light helicopter; total resources – 753. Evacuations and Closures: For the most up to date information on evacuation conditions, residents are encouraged to visit the Douglas County Sheriff Department's interactive evacuation map at www.dcso.com/evacuations where they can enter their address to determine what level they may be in. Residents can opt in to receive emergency alerts based on their address by registering at www.dcso.com/alerts. The Umpqua National Forest has implemented an Emergency Fire Closure Order restricting public access to the majority of the Steamboat, North Umpqua, and South Umpqua drainages due to high fire danger and the safety of firefighting resources in the area. To view the Closure in its entirety, please see the Complex’s Facebook post of August 13, 2021. Temporary Flight Restrictions: For the safety of the firefighters and aircraft fighting the Devil’s Knob Complex, a temporary flight restriction remains over the fire area. Please consult the “Notice to Airman” for specifics. Wildfires are a “No Drone Zone.” Conditions in the forest remain 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”.