Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Ore. – Crews fighting the Chetco Bar Fire are concerned a thunderstorm forecasted to move through the area could start new fires.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, a red flag warning is in effect through Wednesday in anticipation of abundant lighting strikes on dry vegetation.
Gusty winds are a concern as well, as drifting hot embers can blow as far as 1/3 of a mile from the fire.
While there is a 15% chance of rain, it won’t be enough to extinguish the fire. However, it could moderate fire behavior.
On Tuesday, crews were able to use cooler temperatures and improved air quality to their advantage.
Helicopters were able to perform water drops on the western flank of the fire, helping to slow further spread.
Crews completed structure protection work in the Oak Flats community in western Josephine County.
The Illinois Valley Fire District will start “structural triage” of Selma west of Highway 199, Westside Road, Airport Drive, Lone Mountain and Naue Way in O’Brien.
The triage is purely precautionary, according to IVFD. There is no immediate threat at this time.
Evacuations remain in parts of Curry County and Josephine County, and will be evaluated daily. The latest evacuation information is available via an interactive map here: http://arcg.is/2vWQN2N
A community fire briefing is scheduled to take place at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday at Brookings-Harbor High School.
As of Wednesday morning, the Chetco Bar Fire was estimated to be 176,770 acres and is 5% contained.
You can find the latest fire information here: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5385/40196/
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