Cutoff Fire burns 1000 acres

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A SEAT drops retardant on the eastern edge of the #CutoffFire near Bonanza, Oregon. (Image: Brian Gailey, Klamath Falls News)

A SEAT drops retardant on the eastern edge of the #CutoffFire near Bonanza, Oregon. (Image: Brian Gailey, Klamath Falls News)

Coverage of the 2021 Wildfire Season is brought to you by Ace Towing.

Cutoff Fire morning update for June 20, 2021 - Fire remains estimated at 1,000 acres.

BONANZA, Ore. – The Cutoff Fire continues to burn on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) protected land, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District, and Fremont-Winema National Forest lands approximately 6 miles north of Bonanza.

The fire is estimated to be approximately 1,000 acres with no containment. It was reported Saturday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. The fire cause is still under investigation.

Firefighters worked overnight on structure protection and constructing dozer lines, handline, and contingency lines. Today the focus will be continued structure protection and work towards containment.

Map of the #CutoffFire as of June 20, 2021. [click to enlarge]
Additional fire maps, kfnews.org/wildfire-maps-2af38c

An ODF Incident Management Team is expected to take command of the Cutoff Fire today at 1800.   

Bly Mountain Cutoff Road, Jaguar Lane, and Keno Springs Road are closed except for Emergency Vehicles and residents exiting the evacuation area. This closure is for firefighter and public safety. There will be increased fire traffic around the Bonanza area.

At this time approximately 125 structures are threatened.  Residents in the area should monitor the current evacuation status as this incident progresses.

Following is updated evacuation information, at the request of the Cutoff Fire Incident Commander, issued by Klamath County Emergency Management:

#CutoffFire Evacuations as of 6/20/21 at 9:30 AM [click to enlarge]

Level 3 (GO NOW)
East of Bly Mountain Cutoff Rd, North to Grizzly Ln, West of Hummingbird Dr, and South to Keno Springs Road.

Level 2 (GET SET)
East of Bly Mountain Cutoff Rd, North to Keno Springs Rd, West of Forest Service Rd 3812, South three miles.

Level 1 (GET READY)
East of Bly Mountain Cutoff Rd, North to Hwy 140 and Kingfisher Dr, West of Hummingbird Dr, South to Grizzly Ln.

Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Search and Rescue Volunteers are in the process of evacuating affected residents. 

For the latest evacuation information, visit https://www.facebook.com/KlamathCountyGov.  To sign up for Klamath County alerts, visit http://alerts.klamathcounty.org

American Red Cross along with Klamath County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has set up shelter for evacuees at Living Springs Fellowship in Bonanza. 31897 Mission Street, Bonanza Oregon 97623.

The weather forecast for today and into this week is extremely hot. There is a fire weather watch for Monday afternoon through Monday evening for strong gusty winds with low relative humidity.  The public is urged to use extreme caution with anything that can spark a wildfire.

Smoke rises from the east flank of the #CutoffFire. (Image: Brian Gailey, Klamath Falls News) [click to enlarge]

Smoke rises from the east flank of the #CutoffFire. (Image: Brian Gailey, Klamath Falls News) [click to enlarge]

Klamath Falls News & Cascade Firewatch’s coverage of the 2021 Wildfire Season is brought to you by Ace Towing.

Ace Towing offers 24-hour emergency roadside assistance, collision towing, jump starts, lockouts, fuel, and tire changes. They also make automotive keys and program fobs too. 541-884-9388.

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