ODF report, July 25, 10:26 a.m. – Location: 28 miles northeast of Klamath Falls, OR – Size: 408,930 acres; Personnel: 2,216; Containment: 46%. Klamath Falls, ORE. – Saturday, firefighters held the fire in check above Winter Rim, aided by the recent burnout operation near Summer Lake. Crews will continue to mop-up and look for areas to engage the fire to keep it east of the 36 Road. The night shift constructed indirect line from the 28 Road to Sycan River and prepared for a possible future burnout operation to prevent northern movement of the fire in that area. Contingency lines and structure protection continue to be improved around Summer Lake and Paisley. The fire remains active in Coyote Creek drainage to the north, crews will scout opportunities to tie the fireline from Coyote Creek into the 400 Road and prepare for a possible burnout operation. “The progress that we have made is due to the continuous, vigilant work by our crews,” said Joe Hessel, Incident Commander for the Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team. “Severe fire weather conditions and extremely dry fuels continue to challenge us on this fire.” Containment lines on the eastern side of the fire continue to be improved by removing smoldering fuels from the fire’s edge. Crews use visual signs during the day to find these areas of smoke. During night operations, firefighters use maps from infrared flights to track down potential sources of heat. On the west side of the fire, containment lines continue to hold and are being patrolled. Fire managers are preparing for suppression repair work to begin to mitigate the impacts of firefighting efforts on the landscape. The Oregon National Guard will join forces with firefighters in this important work. Firefighters from this fire may be called to provide initial attack response to new fire starts that have the potential to rapidly grow, given the extremely dry fuel conditions. As the smoke lifted Sunday, fire behavior was expected to pick up in the afternoon. Sunday was expected to be the warmest and driest for the next several days. Winds are forecast to become increasingly northwesterly throughout the day but remain light. Vertical column development should remain limited by smoke impacts from nearby fires. Look for a steady improvement in humidity and cooler temperatures into early next week as a surge of moisture brings the potential for showers and thunderstorms Monday through Wednesday. Lingering smoke remains in the region from northern California fires. There will be reduced visibility in the area with smoke and haze lingering through tonight. Drivers in the area are urged to use caution – turn on headlights and be aware that heavy, slower moving firefighting equipment are on the roads.
