Lonesome Complex Update 9-03-08
Incident: Lonesome Complex Wildland Fire
Released: 9/3/2008
(Lonesome Complex) Middle Fork Fire - High Cascades Ranger District
Expect Wildfire Smoke in the Rogue Valley including Medford and Ashland
MEDFORD, OR, September 3, 2008, (3:30 p.m.) -Fire managers announced that increased fire behavior is expected later this week and into the weekend as the 400-acre Middle Fork Fire continues to burn within a remote location in the Sky Lakes Wilderness. Preparations are underway for this increase in fire activity, with fireline constructed and burnouts planned to keep this fire within pre-established containment areas.
The predicted weather event of higher temperatures, higher humidity and north to northeast wind directions could draw smoke from the Middle Fork Fire into Prospect and also into the Rogue Valley including the Medford and Ashland areas.
Resources: Two hand crews and a helicopter are assigned to this fire to keep it within in predefined boundaries along the south side of the Middle Fork drainage of the Rogue River.
Closure: The Middle Fork Trail (Trail # 978) remains closed due to safety concerns related to this fire.
Fire crews will be conducting burn outs along the western side of the fire to reinforce firelines designed to contain the fire within the Sky Lakes Wilderness.
The Middle Fork Fire is expected to continue to slowly burn, with low intensity, until a season ending event, defined as ½ inch of rain over a three day period, occurs.
Fire managers are managing this fire, which is burning in a remote area 12 miles from Prospect, under a confine and contain strategy due to safety reasons related to the fire's remote location, on steep, difficult terrain, with high levels of natural fuels and a much higher than average risk for falling snags that endanger firefighters. There are no threats to structures or other property, and natural barriers are generally available around the fire to aid containment. A series of management action points, generally defined as natural fuel breaks, trails or other openings, have been identified on the ground that serve as trigger points for planned management actions should the fire reach them. These action points and planned actions will be reviewed daily, and will continue to be reviewed for the duration of this fire to ensure they address changing conditions or unforeseen events.
The Middle Fork Fire was part of the Lonesome Complex and one of a number of fires ignited by lightning storms that swept through the southern Oregon area from August 16 through August 18.
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