Milepost 97 Fire tops 13,000 acres; 30% contained

Firefighters have reached 30 percent containment on the week-old Milepost 97 Fire in southwest Oregon, officials said Thursday.

Successful burnout operations were conducted on the northwest and southern edges of the fire, with the southeast edge of the fire now fully lined with fire hose.

The fire grew by nearly 500 acres to 13,070 acres, mainly due to burnout operations to strengthen containment lines, officials said. Firefighters have used 23 miles of fire hose so far, with that number expected to grow to 36 miles by the end of Thursday.

“Crews will continue to secure and improve lines around the perimeter throughout Thursday, while evaluating unburned pockets within the fire area before expected warmer, drier weather arrives this weekend,” the update stated. “Patrols continue to monitor for spot fires while maintaining protection for structures and I-5.”

The fire, reported late Wednesday, July 24 a mile south of Canyonville, is believed to have started from an illegal campfire, officials said. More than 1,500 firefighters and support personnel are on the blaze, which has cost $8 million to fight so far.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/Milepost97Fire/