Rum Creek Fire closure area expanded
Galice Road closed from Almeda County Park to Grave Creek
MERLIN, Ore. – Due to increased fire activity, officials have closed the Galice Road and surrounding public lands on both sides of the river between Almeda County Park and Grave Creek for public and firefighter safety.
Josephine County Sheriff has issued a Level 1 - BE READY evacuation notice for the areas south and west of the Rogue River and north of Bear Camp Road, including Rand, Galice, and Galice Creek Road.
A structure protection division is working to reduce fuels around homes in the area in case blowing sparks or embers start new fires near residential areas.
Tuesday, crews structure-wrapped the historic Whiskey Creek Cabin with an aluminum fire blanket material designed to protect structures from sparks or embers and withstand intense heat.
“A lot of tactical operations are occurring and we’re starting to see successes out there on the landscape,” said Eric Riener, incident commander trainee for the Northwest 13 incident management team. A spot fire in in the Mouse Creek drainage was held in check by helicopter water drops Wednesday, and the perimeter of the main fire received extensive air support throughout the day. On the west side of the fire, crews are plumbing completed dozer lines and looking for opportunities to add and extend lines. To the southeast, crews are cutting alternate line and brushing out roads to establish secondary containment lines. Since the fire reached the south shore of the Rogue River, it has begun spreading east and west along the riverbank, increasing the chances of uphill runs in unburned fuels. The fire has not crossed the river. Weather: Temperatures will be in the 90s again today, in the 80s Friday and the 70s Saturday. Due a lack of cloud cover, humidity levels are dropping more quickly and fire activity is increasing earlier in the day. River status: The river will remain open unless life safety becomes an issue and the open/closed status will be posted at https://www.facebook.com/rumcreekfire2022 no later than 6 a.m. daily. Closures: The only access to Grave Creek Boat Ramp will be by Lower Rogue River permit holders and those accessing Grave Creek from Wolf Creek. Members of the public may not enter closed areas, and all uses — including hiking, hunting and dispersed camping—are prohibited.
Evacuations:. Level 1 - BE READY means be aware of danger in your area and stay informed. For more information, visit: https://www.rvem.org/Incident-INFO/Josephine-County
Hog Creek Fire: The Hog Fire has held at 32 acres since Sunday and is fully lined. While mop-up continues, crews are also beginning to pull hose and equipment in preparation for turning management of the fire back over to the Oregon Department of Forestry, which provides wildfire protection for the Bureau of Land Management, later this week.