Boze and Rainbow Creek Fire Update 9-24-09
Incident: Boze and Rainbow Creek Wildfire
Released: 9/24/2009
TILLER, OR - September 24, 2009 - The National Incident Management (NIMO) Type 1 team has been assigned management of both the Boze Fire, located 9 miles southwest of Toketee Falls, and the Rainbow Creek Fire, located in the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness Area. Both fires are believed to have been started by lightning on September 13, although the Rainbow Creek Fire was not detected until September 22.
Fire weather conditions moderated slightly Wednesday. The Boze Fire and the Rainbow Creek Fire both grew significantly but not as explosively as on Tuesday. The Boze Fire has reached 8,216 acres and the Rainbow Creek Fire grew to 2,576 acres, while the estimated containment of both fires dropped to 10% due to the increase in size.
Temperatures are expected to be about 8 to 10 degrees cooler and relative humidity about 10 percent higher today, which will not drive the extreme fire behavior of the last several days. "We expect this respite to be brief, with very warm, dry weather returning full strength through the weekend", said Incident Commander Tom Cable. "It's the time for us all, firefighters and the public, to stay focused on the primary objective of human safety. Where we can work safely, we're prioritizing and preparing defenses for the things at most risk that we need to protect as the fire advances."
Resources assigned to the Boze and Rainbow Creek Fires include: 21 crews, 1 heavy-lift helicopter, 2 medium helicopters, 1 light helicopter, 17 engines, 2 dozers, 113 water tenders, 115 overhead and 2 camp crews. Several engines are assigned to patrol the fire area at night. In total, 592 people are assigned to fighting these fires.
Fire suppression is an expensive business, and it's important that some is spent in Oregon. Here's how some of the money is being spent. Twelve crews are from Oregon and nine of these are private contractors. These crews cost between $9,000 to $14,000 per day, totaling $144,000. Twelve additional miscellaneous local resources have been hired totaling $5,400 wages daily. Thirty-seven pieces of heavy equipment from southwest Oregon are in use totaling $44,000 daily. Miscellaneous local purchases including food, ice, office supplies bring the total local economic benefits to about $200,000 per day.
Local hunters may find access into their favorite hunting areas in the upper South Umpqua River unreachable due to road closures. With bow season underway and rifle season quickly approaching, hunters need to plan ahead to access other locations. A large area and road closure has been put in place to provide for public and firefighter safety. Please visit the Umpqua National Forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r6/umpqua for the detailed description of the closure area. The public is asked to drive slowly and use caution near the South Umpqua River area and to please stay off closed roads.
