A helicopter drops water on the leading southern edge of the Stukel Fire. October 15, 2018 (Brian Gailey)

Klamath Falls, Ore. – Firefighters continue to work on establishing control lines on the south end of Stukel Mountain. Priority is to keep the fire east of Hill Road, and south and west of Stukel Road.

Suppression priority today will be protection of private property, and the communications site on the summit of Stukel Mountain.

On Monday air tankers from Chico and Redding dropped 10 loads of retardant on the fire in an effort to keep the fire from spreading south and east. Two helicopters made bucket drops on hot spots. Approximately 250 firefighters worked building line around the fire and working hot spots within the fire interior.

Firefighters work to extinguish spot fires on the Stukel Fire in Klamath County, Oregon. October 15, 2018 (Brian Gailey)

Due to more accurate mapping the Stukel Fire is 500 acres in size. Containment is at 10 percent. The fire is burning in grass, brush, and scattered juniper. The steep terrain on Stukel Mountain continues to cause firefighters some difficulty with access.

Temperatures Monday night dipped below freezing and with increased humidity, recovery has significantly reduced fire behavior. The weather will continue to be sunny, but the low evening temperatures and high humidity will help with suppression efforts. Incident Commander Scott Havel anticipates containment of the Stukel Fire by October 20.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by law enforcement.

Hill Road is closed near the Stukel Fire. October 15, 2018 (Brian Gailey)

Road Closure:
A road closure remains in effect along Hill Road on the west side of Stukel Mountain. On the south end it is closed at Hill Road and Matney Way. On the north end it is closed from the junction of Reeder and Hill Roads. Dehlinger Road is also closed from Hwy 39 to Hill Road.

Evacuation Level 1:
There is a level one (Be Ready) evacuation level being put in place for the residences within the road closure area. Law enforcement will be notifying residents if they are in the evacuation area.

LEVEL 1: A Level 1 Evacuation means "BE READY" for potential evacuation.

Community safety and that of our firefighters is the number one priority for all SCOFMP employees. We ask the public to avoid the area around Stukel Mountain.

Information provided by the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership.