Lonesome Complex Update 8/22/08
Incident: Lonesome Complex Wildland Fire
Released: 8/23/2008
Contact: Paul Galloway at (541) 840-0094
Fire Update
Lonesome Complex - High Cascades Ranger District
MEDFORD, OR, August 22, 2008, (10:00 a.m.) - Nearly 300 firefighters are now assigned to work on the three uncontained fires of the Lonesome Complex on the High Cascades Ranger District. A base camp has been established at the Jim Creek Seed Orchard and the public should be aware of heavy traffic on Forest Road 68 in the Woodruff Bridge area. Today firefighters are expecting increasing temperatures and falling humidity to increase fire behavior . Resources assigned today to the Lonesome Complex include twelve handcrews, eight engines, four water tenders, and three heavy helicopters.
The Lonesome Fire located on the far northern end of the District has continued to slowly spread across the Rogue-Umpqua Divide and is now burning on both the Rogue River-Siskiyou and Umpqua National Forests. The fire is estimated to be 500 acres in size. Minimum Impact Suppression Techniques (MIST) will be employed by firefighters on this fire. MIST is the application of strategy and tactics that effectively meet suppression and resource objectives with the least environmental, cultural and social impacts. Firelines will be constructed with a minimum amount of disturbance to the ground and natural features such as rock outcrops and wet meadows will be utilized to halt spread of the fire.
The Bessie Rock Fire, located eight miles east of Prospect is estimated to be 150 acres and firefighters working in very heavy fuels will continue to construct direct and indirect fireline today.
The Middle Fork Fire will again be monitored and assessed for suppression opportunities. This 20 acre fire is located in a steep canyon along the Middle Fork Rogue River in the Sky Lakes Wilderness. Helicopters are available to check the spread of this fire while reconnaissance efforts continue to scout for potential safety zones and escape routes prior to additional resources being assigned to begin fire suppression activities.
With the approaching weekend, Forest visitors are reminded of the high fire danger in the woods and to be extremely careful while traveling on Highway 62 and Forest roads on the High Cascades Ranger District due to the amount of firefighter traffic in the area.
