Looking down the smoke filled Illinois River towards the swinging bridge, late morning before rain.
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Ore. – Thursday’s wet weather helped reduce fire activity on parts of the Chetco Bar Fire, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal.
Crews were able to move closer to the fire’s edge and build more direct containment lines due to the lessened activity of the fire.
Firefighters were able to connect containment lines between Curry and Josephine Counties on the north side of the fire.
Even with Thursday’s scattered rain showers, larger vegetation remains dry. That, coupled with rising temperatures going into the weekend, has the potential to increase fire activity.
Firefighters remain vigilant as the fire is still active.
Areas where there was little activity could hide smoldering roots that could spread to nearby vegetation should humidity levels drop.
Structure assessment and preparation continues in the community of Agness and north of the fire along the Illinois and Rogue Rivers.
In a Friday morning update, firefighters said the Chetco Bar Fire is estimated to be about 177,301 acres.
It remains approximately eight miles from private land outside the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and communities east of the fire in Josephine County.
Evacuation notices remain in place for some residents in Curry and Josephine County. Residents can monitor the evacuation areas here: http://arcg.is/2vWQN2N
The latest fire updates are available here: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/5385/
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