Fires burning across Oregon (Still)

Major wildfires were burning on about 540,699 acres in Oregon on Sunday. About 9,801 firefighters were working in the state. The Northwest Interagency Communication Center is tracking six major fires in Oregon. Top priorities for fire officials Sunday were the Biscuit fire, covering 435,654 acres, the 53,900-acre Tiller Complex, and the 1,953-acre East Antelope Fire, east of Ashland.

Started: Florence fire started 26 miles west of Grant Pass, 07/13/02; Sour Biscuit started 17 miles southwest of Cave Junction.

Evacuations: Illinois Valley is no longer under an evacuation notice, 8/16/02. Agness, on northwest corner of the fire, is on 24-hour evacuation notice. Thirty homes evacuated near Oak Flat, 8/15/02.

Evacuations: South Umpqua Road closed at milepost 6. Fifteen residences threatened. Tribal ceremonial grounds and critical cultural resources are threatened.

MONUMENT-MALHEUR COMPLEX (Monument and Malheur fires merged under one management team, 8/11/02)

Evacuations: Three campgrounds evacuated. Umpqua Trial closed and portions of North Umpqua River closed to whitewater rafting. Twin

Found this on KXL.com.

An air tanker fighting a wildfire in central Oregon accidentally dumped up to 2,000 gallons of retardant into Fall River, killing nearly all the fish in a 4-mile stretch, officials said.

The retardant, which was dropped Thursday, also made its way into the Deschutes River above Sunriver, officials said Friday.

The retardant killed hundreds of hatchery-bred rainbow trout, native band trout, white fish, and brown and brook trout, said Clair Kunkel, program supervisor for the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department.

Wildlife officials still are determining what ingredients in the retardant were toxic to the fish.

The main ingredient in the retardant is ammonium polyphosphate, a commonly used agricultural fertilizer, according to the Deschutes National Forest. The substance also contains tiny amounts of clay thickeners, corrosion inhibitors and coloring.

"We realize this happened under emergency conditions, close to residential areas," Kunkel said. "Folks were fighting fire in the best way they could at the time. It's an unfortunate accident."

The tanker was fighting a one-acre wildfire that erupted Thursday about a mile southeast of the Fall River fish hatchery when it dropped the load. That blaze was under control Saturday, with no damage to homes.

Steve Avery, a fisherman, said he was on the Fall River at about 3 p.m. when the retardant flowed downstream and fish started dying.

"The water just went from crystal clear to opaque red," he said. "We saw dead fish, everything from 8-inch hatchery redsides to 24-inch brown trout. It was just awful."
Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

That's too bad about the fish kill. Just more critters killed due to the Eco Fire Nut Division of the Green Jihadists.

That part of the Fall River is the clearest water in a stream on the west coast.

The fish had phd's in how to avoid being caught. If they saw you, your rod in the air, the glint from your rod, your line in the air, a glint from the line or a milli second of drag forget it. They would leave or they just ignored your fly.

I have seen guys crawl 100 yards for one cast. Guys will wear camo clothes, camo rods, use camo lines and camo leaders with camo painted faces/hands with camo hats. Then still scare these PHD fish away with a brief milli second of drag on the water.

The best way I found to catch a big one was to wear camo and just walk up to where you wanted to fish and set down where you wanted to cast about 30 minutes before it got dark. By then the fish forgot about you. Then I would cast downstream a little distance with a very long furled leader and about 5' of very thin tippet attached to the leader and to a very small fishing fly. Then, you sit there let the fly drift down stream an out to the edge. The fish forgot about your line, tippet and fly in about 20 minutes.

Then about 5 minutes before dark, you move your rod up slowly to skate or skitter the small fly 25 to 30' down stream on the surface. If a smaller trout didn't kamikazi itself on your fly, you had the chance of having a really big 20 to 24 inch trout pounce on it. Then you would play him until your little tippet broke off and left him with the hook and another PHD learning moment for him.

I did this twice, two evenings in a row and hooked a couple really big browns which broke off. Then, I decided that this was not the fishing that I enjoyed.

an update dated today

Daily Biscuit Fire News Release
August 18, 2002
Grants Pass, Oregon
A well attended fire Information Meeting was held at the community center in Agness, Oregon last night. Concerned community members expressed their appreciation as officials discussed current fire strategies and answered many questions.
Favorable north winds combined with ideal burning conditions allowed burn-out to progress rapidly in Zones 1, and 4. However, these same winds have created a challenge with holding lines on the east portion of Zone 1. Some spotting occurred, but crew and aircraft were able to contain the spots. All lines are holding at this time. Smoke from the fire has the potential to negatively impact the communities of Gasquet, Hiouchi, Crescent City, Arcata, and Eureka.

Zone 1: Favorable winds on the north portion of Zone 1 have allowed burn-out to progress rapidly. Burn-out will continue to occur as conditions allow. In the east, burn-out and holding of containment lines continue, winds have challenged the lines at time. In the southeast and south patrolling by aircraft and crews are occurring. The threat to these areas has diminished, however, spread to the northeast will continue and unburned islands will burn vigorously.

Zone 2: Zone 2 has been declared 100% contained, however aerial patrol of all perimeter line is continuing. Crews continue to patrol fire lines, monitor the interior portion of the fire and work on rehabilitation projects throughout the zone. Rehabilitation throughout the zone is occurring to prepare fire lines with exposed soil for winter rains. Interior islands of fuel will continue to burn, however the fire’s perimeter is not expected to spread.
Zone 3: It is anticipated that the northern 2/3 section of the fire in this zone will continue to move west and southwest. Where conditions permit, crews are constructing fire lines closer to the front of the fire in a more direct strategy for containing the fire. Improvement of indirect lines continues as a precaution. Some small spot fires were detected and quickly lined during last night’s burn-out operations. The structure protection groups have completed preparing structures and are in place in Wilderness Retreat, Gardiner Ridge, the Chetco and Pistol River areas. They continue to prepare structures in the Winchuck River area.
Zone 4: Heavy fuels, very low relative humidities, and historic dry conditions are making the fire difficult to control in this zone. The fire will continue to spread to the north and west into the Lawson Creek drainage and to the southwest in the Snow Camp area. It is a top priority to contain the spot fire in the Mineral Hill area. Nightly burn-out operations will proceed as conditions allow to further protect Agness and Oak Flat.

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Evacuations and Closures
The evacuation notice for the entire Illinois Valley was lifted at 8 a.m. August 16, 2002.
The evacuation order is still in effect for Oak Flat and Spud Road residents in Curry County. Structure protection engines are located in the area to provide protection to existing homes and outbuildings.
An evacuation shelter has been set up at the Riley Creek School in Gold Beach.
Pre-evacuation advisory remains in effect for the residents of Agness, Illahe, Cate Road, Gardner Ridge north of Wilson Prairie, the Upper Pistol River drainage near Gardner Ranch, and Wilderness Retreat to prepare for an evacuation if conditions were to change.
Expected Weather Conditions
Light winds, low humidity, and temperatures between 72-90o. Firefighters will continue to burnout and strengthen lines as conditions allow.
Biscuit Fire Facts
The entire fire is estimated to be 435,654 acres in size and is approximately 35 percent contained. The part of the fire burning in California (Zone 2) is 100% contained.

The fire is the top priority for the Pacific Northwest Region with 6,270 personnel representing various federal, state, local and private agencies and organizations. The Oregon National Guard, the Oregon State Fire Marshall, firefighters from Canada, Australia and New Zealand as well as 252 fire engines, 85 dozers and 40 helicopters and aircraft are providing support to the incident.

Biscuit Fire Background
The Biscuit Fire – estimated to be one of the largest in Oregon recorded history -- encompasses most of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and stretches from 10 miles east of the coastal community of Bookings, Oregon, south into California, east to the Illinois Valley and north to within a few miles of the Rogue River. The fire encompasses lands in Oregon’s Josephine and Curry Counties and Del Norte County in California.

Biscuit Fire Management
The Southwest Oregon National Interagency Area Command Team is under the leadership of Unified Commanders Rex Mann and Mark Labhart. Area Command is managing the entire fire from a center in Medford, OR, setting common objectives and strategies for firefighters.
The Biscuit Fire is divided into four administrative zones that are managed by incident management teams. The teams are coordinating fire line construction, burn out operations and structural and rural community protection:

Zone 1 manages the eastern flank of the fire north of the California State Line. Its command center is located at Lake Selmac, OR. The zone also maintains a large camp located in Merlin, OR.

Zone 2, is managing the southern portion of the fire that is burning in northern California from a command center east of Brookings.

Zone 3, with a command center east of Brookings, OR, manages the southwest portion of the fire.

Zone 4, is managing the northwestern portion of the fire from a command center in Gold Beach, Oregon. The zone also maintains a large camp located at the Quosatana recreation site on the Rogue River.
Zone command center representatives have been coordinating with local officials and conducting meetings to inform the public about important safety and evacuation issues.

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