ROGUE RIVER-SISKIYOU NATIONAL FOREST, Ore. – The Chetco Bar Fire is officially, and finally, 100% contained as of November 2.
The fire was started by lightning on July 12 during a thunderstorm that passed over the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.
The fire eventually grew large enough to prompt evacuation orders for some residents in Curry and Josephine Counties. The Cheto Bar Fire covered 191,125 acres before favorable weather started to give firefighters the upper hand.
The complete containment of the fire was thanks in part to wet weather moving into southwest Oregon, which includes snow at higher elevations.
While the flames are out, the danger isn’t over. Burned out areas are especially susceptible to landslides and treefalls when exposed to wetting rain.
The U.S. Forest Service said a Burned Area Emergency Response team arrived when in late September to identify and mitigate any risks to human life, safety, property or critical natural and cultural resources. They used field surveys and scientific models to assess watersheds on all lands within the boundary of the Chetco Bar Fire to determine what areas need treatment.
The BAER team’s full report is available here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd563154.pdf
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