Siskiyou/blue 2 Complex Update for Sunday, August
Incident: Siskiyou/ Blue 2 Complex-klamath Theater Wildland Fire
Released: 8/24/2008
The grasses, brush, and dead vegetation on the forest floor are quickly drying and will contribute to an increase in fire behavior and intensity in the near future. Recent beneficial rain effects are quickly evaporating as the fuels, or vegetation is exposed to the sun and lower humidities. Yesterday, the total amount of acreage burned increased very slightly by only an estimated six acres.
Fire managers have recently conducted an aerial reconnaissance of the entire fire area and mapped hot spots or smoky areas near containment lines. Very few smokes were detected along the west end of the fire near the Crescent City Fork of Blue Creek and others were well within the interior of the fire away from containment lines. Work assignments are being based upon recommendations from those aerial observations. Crews and equipment will focus their efforts on areas with the highest need or priority for rehabilitation or repair.
Any suppression or rehabilitation work within Wilderness areas or potential Wilderness area will be scrutinized very carefully to ensure that the work is essential to the suppression mission and is conducted with a "light touch" approach on the land. Resources advisors and local tribal consultants have worked very closely with fire managers to minimize negative impacts to critical cultural and heritage resources. Bill Rice, District Ranger for the Ukonom Ranger District commented, "I am very impressed with all of the fire personnel assigned to this complex when it comes to their demonstrated respect for the land and the importance they have given to quickly suppressing this fire under some very difficult and challenging circumstances."
Today, crews will continue to clean and remove brush and small trees that were recently cut along roads and large fire lines by hand placing the vegetative debris into large chippers and broadcasting the mulch onto nearby sites. In other places, mainly along the east edge of the fire, large excavators will be repairing and restoring dozer-constructed fire lines and installing culverts where necessary to adequately drain and channel water to more appropriate locations.
Closures: To protect public safety and facilitate fire suppression efforts, closures of trails and roads are in effect for the Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests. For information on the closures, refer to these websites at: www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath/conditions/ or www.fs.fed.us/r5/sixrivers/conditions/.
