Friday wind will test Rum Creek Fire lines
Sep. 2—The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Friday for strong, gusty winds across the Rogue Valley that fire managers said will test the fire lines around the Rum Creek Fire.
The fire northwest of Grants Pass reached 16,583 acres as of Thursday night, up from 15,635 acres reported Thursday morning. Fire managers reported no new structures lost beyond a home and two outbuildings burned several days ago.
The red flag warning is in effect from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and affects almost all of Jackson and Josephine counties, including the Rum Creek Fire area. Any new fires that develop will likely spread rapidly, the National Weather Service said.
Rum Creek Fire managers said Thursday night that Friday winds will test fire lines.
"We're making progress," John Spencer, operations chief for Northwest Incident Management Team 13. "The next couple of days will be a test on all the work we've done, due to upcoming red flag weather for Friday's shift."
Firefighters have been working around the clock to build lines around the fire by using hand tools and bulldozers to scrape away vegetation to bare dirt. On multiple flanks of the fire, they've conducted burns to eliminate fuels around fire lines and the edges of the fire. That work will continue, fire managers said.
While wearing hot protective clothing, carrying heavy gear and breathing in dense smoke, firefighters also continue to extinguish spot fires around rural homes and buildings, set up sprinklers and fire hoses, and clear flammable debris and vegetation from around structures. More than 1,930 people are assigned to the fire, which is Oregon's top priority.
"Firefighters and contractors continue to work in very demanding and tough circumstances. When you think of the work they have to perform in stressful, challenging situations, rough terrain, add smoke to the equation and it is that more intense," fire managers said in a social media post Thursday night.
Fire managers added, "We would like to express our extreme gratitude for all the hard work, dedication and nerve-racking situations they continue to work during these hot, dry, windy and smoke-filled conditions."
On Thursday night, fire managers said the fire is likely to remain active overnight with uphill runs and single and group tree torching. During night operations, structural firefighters are patrolling residential areas and assisting wildland firefighters with water and hose lays.
As of Thursday night, a wide area around Galice and Rand remained under a "Level 3 — Go Now" evacuation order and all residents should have left the area. Many rural neighborhoods scattered between the fire and Merlin and Grants Pass remained under a "Level 2 — Be Set" to go at a moment's notice evacuation alert. Merlin remained under a "Level 1 — Be Ready" alert as of Thursday night.
In coming days, firefighters aim to connect fire lines between the southwest and northwest edges of the fire and also on the southeast to the northeast. Perimeter scouting and assessment of contingency and emergency lines to the south and east is complete and line construction has begun, fire managers said Thursday night.
The fire had not crossed the Rogue River north of Grave Creek as of Thursday night. To the east, it has become established in the McKnabe Creek area and crews are constructing lines to keep it within that watershed, fire managers said Thursday night.
For many, the red flag warning for Friday is bringing up memories of the destructive September 2020 Almeda Fire. Hot temperatures, dried out late summer vegetation and red flag conditions for wind set the stage for the fire that destroyed thousands of homes, mostly in Talent and Phoenix. Other September wildfires also raged across the state on and around Labor Day.
For updates on evacuation zones, the latest mapping of the fire's footprint, information about emergency evacuation shelter and more, see facebook.com/josephinecountyEM.
For air quality updates, see oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map.
For general information about the Rum Creek Fire, including operations and acreage updates posted each morning, see inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8348/.
To sign up for Citizen Alert evacuation alerts via phone, text or email, visit rvem.org.
Reach Mail Tribune reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or valdous@rosebudmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @VickieAldous.
