Doubleday Fire Morning Information Update for 9/19
Incident: Doubleday Wildland Fire
Released: 9/19/2008
Oregon Department of Forestry
Incident Management Team 2
Bill Hunt, Incident Commander
Doubleday Fire
Morning Information Update
For Friday September 19, 2008
Daily Update 0645 hours PDT
Fire crews under the direction of Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 2 made significant progress on Thursday and overnight to establish and hold control lines around the Doubleday Fire. Active fire behavior occurred on the Northeast portion of the fire during the night. This activity and more accurate mapping now establish the fire at 1,250 acres. The fire is burning on state-protected private lands and U.S. Bureau of Land Management lands. The lightning-caused fire remains within 1.5 miles of the Town of Butte Falls. No evacuation alerts have been issued.
Today, fire crews will continue strengthening control lines and extinguishing all hot spots near the fire perimeter. The cooler temperatures and higher humidity forecast for Friday favor the firefighters. Incident Commander, Bill Hunt, believes the team has a really good opportunity to really secure this fire today. Containment is now projected for Sunday evening.
Objectives for Friday include assuring firefighter and public safety, protecting structures and continuing aggressive day and nighttime suppression and mop-up work. Six to eight-foot high piles of large diameter blown down timber continue to challenge suppression efforts and firefighter safety. Protecting public water supplies, powerlines, other infrastructure, spotted owl habitat, and valuable timber and range lands remains a number one priority.
Fire traffic is very heavy on roads in and out of Butte Falls and the fire area. Some roads near the fire will be closed to public access; however, the Butte Falls highway remains open. If you are traveling in the area, consider restricting travel to necessary trips.
The Incident Management Team has established an Incident Command Post at Tou Velle State Park near Eagle Point. Fire information is available at the command post and also is available from information officers stationed in Butte Falls.
A joint USFS/ODF Open House to answer questions about the Doubleday and Lonesome Fires is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Butte Falls Community Hall.
For More Information: Contact the Oregon Department of Forestry's Southwest Oregon District Office at 541-665-0622. An additional fire information phone number may be available at the Incident Command Post later today. Information is also available on-line at the following sites:
Pacific Northwest Regional fire information is available at http://www.nwccweb.us/index.asp
National Fire Information is available at http://www.nifc.gov/fire info/nfn.htm
Fire-At-A-Glance:
Size: 1,250 acres (estimated)
Location: 1.5 miles south of Butte Falls, OR and 13 miles east of Eagle Point, OR
Containment: 75 percent
Estimated Time of Full Containment: Sunday, 6:00 p.m.
Cause: Lightning
Personnel: 441
Estimated Cost to date: $864,974
Evacuations: None at present
Closures/Restrictions: Motorized access is being restricted on Salt Creek, and Doubleday Roads, and Hukill Roads and may be expanded to other roads near the fire.
Announcements: Open House to answer questions about the Lonesome and Doubleday Fires scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Butte Falls Community Hall.
Participating Agencies: Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Town of Butte Falls, Jackson County Fire Districts, Jackson County Search and Rescue, Jackson County Sherriff's Department, Private Forest Landowners
