Jack Fire grows to 9,333 acres with 10% containment
Written by Patrick Schneider on July 10, 2021
Steamboat, Ore. – The Jack Fire is currently estimated at 9,333 acres and is 10% contained. Fire crews continue to scout and construct primary, alternate, and contingency containment lines around the fire.
North of Highway 138E, crews are burning vegetation along containment lines and holding the fire south of Ragged Ridge. Crews are securing lines along Ragged Ridge and continuing to carry those lines to the east. Crews are also securing lines between Dry Creek community and the fire. The Jack Fire is also well-established south of Highway 138E in the 2002 Apple Fire scar. We are actively looking for opportunities to contain the southern side of the fire.
Structures: Firefighters will be burning vegetation along lines to increase security around private property in the Dry Creek area. This removal of fuels will help protect the private structures and resources if the main body of the fire approaches this area. Additional OSFM crews will be in the Dry Creek area to provide extra protection. OSFM structural crews will also assess and build defensible space around structures in the Boulder Flats area.
Aviation: Yesterday, four Type 1 helicopters and one Type 3 helicopter provided support to ground crews in the afternoon. A strong smoke inversion Friday morning created poor visibility and prevented aircraft from flying until later in the day.
Evacuations: All Forest Service campgrounds (Apple Creek, Horseshoe Bend and Eagle Rock) are on Level 3 evacuation GO order. The Dry Creek community as well as all residences on the Illahee Road are also in Level 3 evacuation GO order. Level 2 SET evacuations were issued from mile marker 38 to 43. This includes Steamboat Inn and residences located on Brindle Bug Road, Steelhead Caddis Road, and residences and businesses located between mile post 51 and 55 on Highway 138E. Please visit the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office interactive evacuation map: www.dcso.com/evacuations
Closures: State highway 138E from Steamboat Creek to mile post 55 is closed to vehicle traffic. Steamboat Inn is also closed. Oregon Department of Transportation has set an eastside ‘soft closure’ checkpoint at Lemolo Lake junction to allow for local access into nearby recreation areas, including Lemolo Lake. Please visit https://tripcheck.com/ for updates on road closures. The Umpqua National Forest has issued an area closure around the Jack Fire. The full closure order and map can be viewed on InciWeb or at https://go.usa.gov/xGJSE.
Weather: Forecast for near normal temperatures in the 80’s with winds west to northwest.