Firefighters report more significant progress on two Klamath County wildfires
(Update: New fire acreage, containment figures)
But 'Fire Weather Watch' and threat of 'abundant lightning' means more danger ahead
BLY, Ore. (KTVZ) – Firefighters report more significant progress Tuesday on the Sycan River and Yellow Jacket fires in Klamath County, near the town of Beatty.
The Sycan River Fire, burning about 20 miles north of Beatty, is now 30 percent contained and 100 percent lined. The total acreage is 615 acres, a reduction due to more accurate mapping.
Firefighters on all divisions are making have made good progress securing the fire’s edge and mop-up activities. Wednesday's day shift will have approximately 150 personnel. No aviation resources were used on the fire Tuesday. The South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SOFMP) Type 3 Team continues to manage the fire.
The evacuation on the Sycan River Fire has been lowered to a Level 1 (Get Ready) for the Sycan Estates by the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office.
The Yellow Jacket Fire, burning about 4 miles south of Beatty, is holding at 34 acres and is 50 percent contained.
Crews worked to mop up the fire’s perimeter and extinguish hot spots along the fire edge Tuesday. There are numerous state, federal and contract resources working on the fire.
There are no evacuations for the Yellow Jacket Fire.
For the latest evacuation information, visit https://www.facebook.com/KlamathCountyGov. To sign up for Klamath County alerts, visit http://alerts.klamathcounty.org.
Forest Road 27 remains closed from the intersection with Forest Road 30 north to the intersection with Forest Road 46. This closure is for firefighter and public safety. This is the only road closure associated with fire in the area. However, drivers should be prepared for increased fire traffic in the area and aware of their surroundings. This includes large equipment on narrow Forest roads and traffic on area highways.
The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a Red Flag Warning in effect Wednesday from 2 to 9 p.m. for abundant lightning on dry fuels in South Central Oregon. Thunderstorms are predicted to be moving from the southwest to northeast.
The South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership’s federal and state agencies are prepared to respond if the weather conditions happen as forecast. While there are two active wildfires in the area, wildland firefighting resources are available to respond to lightning fires across Klamath and Lake counties.
Human-caused wildfires are preventable! The public is asked to use extreme caution with anything that can spark a fire. Hot temperatures, dry fuels and high winds can quickly turn a small spark or ember into a large wildfire.
