Shan Creek Fire Grows to 400 Acres, Hope Mountain Fire Still Holding
Release Date: Aug 15, 2017
Contact(s): Melissa Cano, Shan Creek Fire Info, (541) 613-6313
The Shan Creek Fire, burning roughly 12 miles west of Grants Pass on Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forestland, is now estimated to be 400 acres in size and is 20 percent contained. U.S. Forest Service firefighters are holding the indirect control lines in place and are planning to fight fire, with fire as conditions allow. This means that over the next 24 to 48 hours, crews will be monitoring weather patterns in order to begin a burnout operation. While this may increase the overall footprint of the fire, it is important to take act quickly on these opportunities in order to reduce the risk of the fire jumping contingency lines. It also allows ground resources to use the vegetation and terrain to their advantage, setting them up for further success.
Currently, there are no evacuation orders in place. The closest homes to the fire are along Shan Creek Road, which is over one mile away from the fire’s edge. While there is no imminent threat to residents in the area, smoke will be present as firefighters continue making progress.
Keeping the public in mind, the fire managers are asking that people avoid Shan Creek Road, Forest Service Road 2706 and any of its tributary roads to make room for increased fire traffic. If we can work together to keep these roads clear for emergency personnel, firefighters can remain engaged on the fire, rather than having to come off the fire line to turn people away. The lightning-caused Shan Creek Fire was initially reported the morning of Friday, August 11th, and believed to be the result of the previous night’s thunderstorm.
The Hope Mountain Fire is still holding at 70 acres. The fire is also believed to have been sparked by lightning from the same storm as the Shan Creek Fire. The fire is burning on the top of Mount Hope two miles southeast of Takilma, and 12 miles southeast of Cave Junction. The fire is 100 percent lined and 45 percent contained. There are no structures threatened. Firefighters will continue mop up operations for the next 24 hours. Smoke will be present to nearby communities within the fire’s perimeter.
Both the Hope Mountain and Shan Creek Fires are in locations where visible smoke drift is highly likely to their neighboring communities. Yet, it is important to remember no structures are threatened by either wildfire. Unless conditions rapidly change, the Forest Service will be maintaining daily updates in regards to both fires. For additional information regarding the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest fire danger rating and forest recreation material, please visit the Forest’s website at http://bit.ly/2ufMQWb.