Single Publication

Smith River Complex North
Update for Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Size: 86,748 total/ 10,276 in Oregon                                             

Start Date:  Aug 15, 2023

Location: Grants Pass, OR

Containment: 21%

Total personnel: 1,773 for Complex

Cause: Lightning

Resources:

43 crews  
10 helicopters  
75 engines  
14 bulldozers  
27 water tenders  
16 masticators  
2 Skid Steers  
 

Yesterday: Evacuation levels were reduced on Monday from Level 2-GET SET to Level 1-BE READY for the area east of US-199 in Josephine County. Evacuation remains at Level 2-GET SET west of the highway while firing operations continue on the north end of the fire. Fire activity picked up with some flanking in the Taylor Creek drainage and consumed pockets of unburned fuels.

Today’s Activities:  Progress continues on the secondary control line along Forest Road 1106. Hot, dry conditions over the next few days will help expose interior pockets of heat; air assets will assist to extinguish them. Fire behavior has moderated on the northeast side of the fire, which allows crews to construct containment line, monitor status, and remain available for any initial attack. Learn more about the fire status and operations at the community meeting tonight.

Public Meeting: A community meeting is scheduled for tonight, Tuesday, September 12 at 6 pm at Southwestern, Oregon Community College (96082 Lone Ranch Parkway) in Brookings. Join the meeting in person or online on the Smith River Complex North Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/smithrivercomplexnorth/

Evacuations: As of Monday, September 11, the Josephine County Sheriff issued a notice reducing evacuation status to Level 1-BE READY for the community of O'Brien including Takilma, east of US-199 from mile post 39 to the Oregon/California border. Monitor Rogue Valley Emergency Management site and sign up for evacuation alerts and updates at https://rvem.org/. An interactive Fire First Response Map with evacuation areas can also be found there.

Smoke: The communities of Cave Junction and Grants Pass will likely see intermittent smoke through Tuesday night, with some clearer skies in the afternoons. Smoke Forecasts are available at https://www.oregonsmoke.org/

Closures: The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Bureau of Land Management Coos Bay District have issued area and road closures for the Smith River Complex. A campfire ban remains in place for BLM and forest lands, and the Wild section of the Rogue River. Visit bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts or https://www.blm.gov/orwafire for additional information.

Road Delays: Hazards from fire damage remain along US-199. Expect intermittent delays. Please use extreme caution; firefighting efforts are ongoing. The Del Norte Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to refrain from any unnecessary travel along that route. If you must travel, please do not follow mapping systems that direct you to leave the US-199 corridor; alternate routes are in a fire closure area creating safety risks to you and fire personnel. For additional information on road conditions, please see the https://roads.dot.ca.gov/ and Oregon Department of Transportation’s https://www.tripcheck.com/.

Restrictions: Please respect the temporary flight restriction (TFR) established for the Smith River Complex. Keep drones away from firefighting operations and the TFR. If you fly, we can’t. Don’t be the reason a firefighting air mission has to divert! For more information on the TFR, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/.