New, old wildfires roar to life in S. Oregon
(Update: Stukel Fire still at 750 acres; road closures, Level 1 pre-evacuation notice)
A new late-season wildfire raced across 750 acres Sunday on Stukel Mountain, in southern Klamath County near the California border, officials said. To the west, a large 2-month-old wildfire flared anew and prompted new evacuations and a Conflagration Act declaration.
South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership resources are on scene working to stop the spread of the Stukel Fire, located about 4 miles southwest of Olene, Oregon.
The fire was reported Sunday afternoon and was primarily burning on Bureau of Land Management (Klamath Falls Resource Area)-protected land, and some private land.
It was burning in grass and brush in fairly steep terrain on Stukel Mountain and was visible from Klamath Falls and surrounding areas.
Resources from the Oregon Department of Forestry, BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and Klamath Fire District No. 1 responded. Law enforcement also was on scene for firefighter and public safety. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
On the west side of Stukel Mountain, officials said 15-20 homes may be threatened if the spread of the fire cannot be stopped.
Firefighters were working to get containment lines in place to the best of their ability overnight and Monday morning. Initially, 11 engines, two bulldozers, water tenders and overhead were dispatched.
“Community safety and that of our firefighters is the No. 1 priority for all SCOFMP employees,” the organization said in its initial news release Sunday night.
Some road closures and a Level 1 (Be Ready) pre-evacuation notice were issued Monday, as the fire was still reported at about 750 acres.
With more crews, including two helicopters on the way Monday, one of the other main priorities for incident command will be protection of the communications site at the top of Stukel Mountain, officials said.
For more information, contact Angie Forbes at 541-219-0515 or get the latest updates online at https://scofmp.blogspot.com/ on Facebook at facebook.com/SCOFMPFireInfo and on Twitter at @SCOFMPFireInfo.
Meanwhile, in southwest Oregon, the Klondike Fire — which began exactly three months ago Monday and has burned more than 167,000 acres — roared back to life Sunday afternoon, sparking new evacuations in the small town of Agness.
The Statesman Journal reports warm temperatures and 30 mph winds rekindled the blaze, now 72 percent contained and burning in a rugged area between Grants Pass and Gold Beach. It breached containment lines in the northwest corner and was threatening several structures, prompting Level 3 evacuations along Road 33.
Gov. Kate Brown has declared the Klondike Fire a conflagration, the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office said Monday.
That has cleared the way for the state fire marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment to assist local resources battling the fire.
The Red Incident Management Team, led by Chief Ian Yocum, and five structural task forces from Lane, Rogue Valley, Linn, Benton, and Marion counties are due to arrive eaerly Monday afternoon.
