Bootleg Fire sees 9th day in a row of extreme fire behavior
/Bootleg Fire update for July 19, 2021
#BootlegFire Retardant drop near the Mitchell Monument (Image: Inciweb)
FIRE DETAILS
Cause:
Under Investigation
Size:
303,791 Acres
Containment: 25%
Location:
South Central Oregon Klamath & Lake Counties
Resources:
Personnel: 2,106
Fuels:
Heavy Timber, grass, and understory.
Initial Report:
1:45 PM, July 6, 2021
Last Updated:
6:30 PM, July 19, 2021
Bootleg Fire Public Information Map (July 19, 2021)
Click to enlarge. Download PDF.
Coverage of the 2021 Wildfire Season is brought to you by Ace Towing.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Yesterday was the ninth day in a row with such extreme fire behavior that firefighters moved to safety zones and looked for opportunities to re-engage.
There was active fire all night on the southeastern corner. A fire slop over across the 28 Road is estimated to be over 2,500 acres in the Elder Creek area. Firefighters worked through the night to limit growth.
On the north edge, firefighters disengaged when the fire aggressively moved past retardant lines three to four miles north toward Long Creek. The Nature Conservancy station at Sycan Marsh was evacuated and firefighters provided structure protection.
Fire activity on the Log Fire was moderated by heavy smoke cover (shading from smoke cover results in lower fire intensity) and firefighters were successful in limiting southeast growth toward Summer Lake with dozer lines.
“We are running firefighting operations through the day and all through the night,” said Joe Hessel, Incident Commander. “This fire is a real challenge, and we are looking at [a] sustained battle for the foreseeable future.”
Weather today will add the possibility of thunderstorms to the dry, hot, and windy conditions, with fire growth expected to the north, east, and southeast.
Today, crews will work to contain the slop over the 28 Road and scout for contingency lines. Crews are also managing smaller areas of fire outside of the containment lines.
The southeast flank of the fire from Preacher Flats to Mitchell Monument remains in patrol status. More firefighters have shifted to the north to support fire efforts near Silver Lake.
Firefighters on the Log Fire continue line improvements to attempt to protect ranches and the Summer Lake community. Firefighters are preparing secondary firelines in all areas of fire growth. The southwestern flank of the fire continues to hold. It is imperative property owners use caution when returning; there are lingering hot spots and fire-weakened trees. The public may see smoke as fuels continue to burn within the fire perimeter.
Please use an abundance of caution around these areas.
EVACUATION INFORMATION
Evacuations are rapidly changing due to the nature of this wildfire. Visit the interactive evacuations map at klamathfallsnews.org/bootleg-fire-evacuations.
Evacuation Center
Klamath County:
Klamath County Fairgrounds, 3531 S 6th St, Klamath Falls, OR 97603. Use the South 6th Street entrance only.Lake County:
Daly Middle School, 906 S 3rd St. Lakeview, Oregon.
For information or assistance: 1-800-Red-Cross and Facebook @RedCrossCascades
CLOSURES
The Fremont-Winema National Forest is closed to the public in the fire area. Map and full order are available here.
SMOKE
Substantial smoke impacts likely in the vicinity of Paisley and Frenchglen and moderate impacts in the Lakeview area. Air quality will improve significantly in communities to the north, west, and south/southwest of the fire. Full report at: fires.airfire.org/outlooks/southcentraloregon.
PROJECTED INCIDENT ACTIVITY
The fire will continue to be extremely active in unchecked portions of the perimeter, with unstable air conditions and extremely dry fuels.
WEATHER CONCERNS
Critical fire weather conditions including gusty southwest winds and low relative humidity are expected Monday afternoon and early evening with a Red Flag warning in place from 2 PM to 8 PM. Wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph are possible along with relative humidity dropping into lower to middle teens. A few light showers in the morning are expected with a slight chance of afternoon isolated thunderstorms Monday afternoon.
HOW BIG IS THE FIRE?
As of today, July 19, 2021, the Bootleg Fire is the largest fire burning in the United States at 303,791 acres. The fire is equal to 474.7 square miles. That is 1.6x larger than the entirety of Crater Lake National Park, and nearly 21x the size of the 242 Fire that burned in Chiloquin last summer
Information is provided by the Fremont-Winema National Forest, Klamath County Emergency Management, Oregon Department of Forestry, and Northwest IMT 10 is current as of 6:30 PM, July 19, 2021.
MORE INFORMATION
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