Miller Complex Fire Update Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team - Todd Pechota, Incident Commander Information Center: 541-899-5302 Hours of operation: 7 am – 9 pm Email: [email protected] September 7, 2017 Current Situation: Very little rain fell over the fire yesterday and thunderstorms and showers are likely over the fire area today. Firefighters remain vigilant with a Red Flag warning for lightning on dry fuels throughout the day along with a flash flood watch through the evening. The continued smoke inversion over the fire is expected to minimize fire activity in many areas but also makes it unsafe to use firefighting aircraft. Today’s weather is also expected to present a favorable opportunity for firefighters to construct and improve containment line and conduct mop-up when available. Evacuations: The following areas remain under a Level 2 (Be Set) Evacuation Notice:  The Kinney Creek Road (1090 Road) and Palmer Creek Road.  Both sides of Upper Applegate Road from Palmer Creek Road to the Applegate Dam Spillway (this includes Bolder City)  Beaver Creek Road (Jackson County, Oregon) from its junction with Upper Applegate Road east for approximately a mile. The following areas remain under a Level 1 (Be Ready) Evacuation Notice:  Carberry Creek Road from Applegate Road up to and including Steamboat Ranch  Palmer Creek Road/Applegate Road intersection north to 7449 Applegate Road and Eastside Road from Upper Applegate Road north to 2874 Eastside Road.  South from Applegate Dam Spillway around all of Applegate Lake (1/8 mile buffer around water to include all private property), including French Gulch. The following recreation sites are included: Hart-tish, Harr Pt, Watkins, Tipsu Tyee, Latgawa Cove and Stringtown campgrounds, and Carberry picnic ground. Joe Bar remains under an evacuation warning. Creedence Fire and Bigelow (Grayback) Fire (Seven miles south of Williams; Creedence: 2,064 acres, 40% contained; Bigelow: 71 acres, 71% contained). Growth on the Creedence and Bigelow fires has been minimal over the last few days. Firefighters will continue monitor and patrol firelines. Hose-lay and sprinkler systems are still in place on the north side of the Creedence fire. Burnt Peak Fire (Nine miles southwest of Ruch and 3 miles north of Applegate Lake; 4,147 acres, 74% contained). Residents may continue to see fire activity within the fire perimeter, although the fire has not grown in several days. Crews will continue securing containment lines, patrolling, and mopping up around the perimeter of the fire. Abney Fire (South of Applegate Lake and north of Seiad Valley, CA; 25,886 acres, 12% contained) Yesterday, the Abney Fire grew to the south further into the Klamath National Forest. Today, crews continue to strengthen lines in Divisions T and R on the north side of the fire. Firefighters on the northwest side (Division U) continue to establish control lines to prevent the Abney Fire from burning north and to check the Cedar Fire and Knox fires which are burning in the Red Buttes Wilderness Area and could move north. Crews continue to improve and secure dozer and handlines put in place yesterday on the east side of the fire (Division Z). The Eclipse Complex is managing the southern flank of this fire (Branch IV), which is burning in the Klamath National Forest in California. Today, fire crews are focused on holding and patrolling the 46N50 Road to ensure the fire remains to the north. Firefighters will work to strengthen and lengthen control lines on the west side of Horse Creek. Contingency lines have also been reestablished to keep the fire from progressing south into the populated south Seiad Valley. Information about Branch IV and the Seiad Valley is posted at www.inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5511. Closures: The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has closed three areas on the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District in each of the branches, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/rogue-siskiyou/alerts-notices. The Bureau of Land Management has closed the Grayback Mountain Trailhead. Closures are in place for the Klamath National Forest including a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. Refer to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices. Fire Statistics: Start Date: August 14, 2017 Cause: Lightning Complex Sized: 32,217 acres Total Personnel: 587 Complex Containment: 31% Website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5514/# Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillerComplexFires/ or https://facebook/R6RRSNF Twitter: #MillerComplex See where you are in relation to the fires: http://tinyurl.com/MillerComplexEvacs