Klamath Falls News - Locally owned news brand, reporting stories affecting citizens of the Klamath Basin.
LAKEVIEW, Ore. –Scattered thunderstorms moved across lands protected by the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP) both Wednesday and Thursday nights, sparking 14 confirmed fires from Klamath Falls east to Adel for a total of approximately eight acres. The largest fire was five and three quarter acres as of this morning and is located south of Dog Mountain.
Read MoreAlturas, Calif. - Eleven new incidents have been identified so far after Wednesday's storm. Though moderate precipitation fell throughout the forest, some pockets received less rain.
Read MoreA Red Flag Warning is now in effect from 11:00 AM Wednesday morning through 11:00 PM Wednesday evening for abundant lighting on dry fuels for areas of Klamath, Lake, Siskiyou, Jackson and Josephine counties.
Read MoreA Fire Weather Watch is in effect from Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening for abundant lighting on dry fuels for areas of Southern Oregon and Northern California
Read MoreSalem, Ore. – With over 14,000 lightning strikes recorded as thunderstorms swept across Oregon between August 4 and 12, firefighters suppressed 88 lightning fires on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. As lightning fires often start in remote areas, ODF used specialty aircraft to aid in early detection efforts.
Read MoreAlturas, Calif.— Fire-use restrictions will go into effect for the Modoc National Forest at 12 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. Fire restrictions help minimize the chances of human-caused wildland fires. Modoc firefighters have contained three human-caused fires already this year.
Read MoreFire managers are pleased with the progress so far. The fire is currently in mop up stage and containment has risen to 63%. This success shows that the hard work is paying off.
Minimal fire activity is expected today and unburned islands of fuel in the interior will continue to smolder and produce light smoke periodically. Firefighters will continue to focus on mop up operations along the perimeter and will begin removing excess equipment and supplies from secure portions of the fireline. Air resources are available to assist with bucket drops, should that be necessary.
Read MorePredicted flare up activity during the day kept firefighters busy on Tuesday. Crews achieved good successes on some sections, reinforcing control lines. As a result, several engines and crews will be reassigned today from more secure parts of the line to some of the more challenging areas. In the eastern section, there are still many islands of green, unburned areas inside the fire perimeter, which take longer to secure.
Read MoreWith the warmer, drier weather yesterday, there were several flare-ups during the day and overnight inside of the perimeter of the Ward Fire, where residual hot spots ignited drying grass and brush. Flare-ups such as these are common with the current weather conditions and are a vivid reminder that work on this fire is not yet finished. “We are still dealing with a fire,” said Mitch Williams, Field Night Operations.
Read MoreFavorable weather conditions helped crews continue to make solid progress yesterday. John Pellissier, Operations Section Chief, summed it up during the briefing as night shift firefighters prepared to go out. “Today we had a good day of work, building off good work last night”.
Read MoreOver 350 firefighters are now working to further strengthen fire lines on the Ward Fire located 13 miles southwest of Keno, Oregon along the Klamath River Canyon near the Oregon-California border.
The 1301-acre fire was started by lightening last Friday when a severe thunderstorm passed over the area. The fire instantly started growing due to topography and winds.
Containment is now 24%
Read MoreThe Ward Fire has had minimal growth since yesterday due to the moist and cool conditions and effective dozer lines built directly against the burning perimeter on the northern flank of the fire. Last night, firefighters worked to mop up 30 feet in on the fireline in the northwest flank of the fire. Crews also worked to install hose lays along the completed dozer line on the northeast portion.
Read MoreThe Ward Fire started early afternoon August 9th, 2019 when a lightning storm came through the area. The fire instantly started running and spotting, aided by topography and winds. Crews from ODF and BLM along with Green Diamond timber company rapidly responded.
Read MoreKlamath Falls, Ore. –Scattered thunderstorms moved across portions South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP) protected lands this afternoon and evening.
Multiple fires were reported this afternoon in Klamath County with the largest fire is approximately 1500 acres.
Read MoreDue to a high risk for a strong thunderstorm system in the area that can bring frequent lightning to dry fuels during periods of gusty winds and low humidity. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for today, August 8, 2019, from 2:00 PM until 9:00 PM. A second Red Flag Warning has been issued for 11:00 AM, Friday, August 9 through 10:00 PM Saturday, August 10, 2019.
Read MoreLakeview, Ore. – The Fremont-Winema National Forest, in cooperation with local, state and federal partners, will be celebrating Smokey Bear’s 75th birthday with parties in Lakeview and Klamath Falls.
Read MoreThe Tucker Fire is holding at 14,217 acres. Continued work has increased the fire’s containment to 95%. Night shift crews completed their patrol, finding no heat threatening lines. Today, further depth in mop up will be achieved as necessary to ensure containment.
Read MoreContainment lines around the Tucker Fire held as crews worked through the night patrolling, gridding, and mopping up any heat threatening the fire perimeter. The Tucker Fire remains at 14,217 acres and is now 51% contained thanks to the efforts of both day and night shift crews. No structures have been damaged or destroyed. The Tucker Fire is under the command of California Interagency Incident Management Team 10.
Read MoreThe Tucker Fire remained within containment lines throughout the operational period yesterday. It is currently 14, 217 acres and 10% contained. No structures have been damaged or destroyed. The fire was determined to have been unintentionally ignited by vehicular traffic along Highway 139. California Interagency Incident Management Team 10 assumed command of the fire at 6am on July 31, 2019.
Read MoreThe Tucker Fire did not display the erratic behavior it did the last two days. The 14,419 acre fire has kept within containment lines, but is putting up some smoke from interior fuels.
Read More
![Despite wide-spread rain lightning fires caused by recent storm [VIDEO]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59b9f24c64b05fd6531db026/1567198685600-HDPA9ZL9U8WXGQLXX5MG/69486971_2386553431460900_5590385065184985088_n.png)
![Minimal fire activity will allow for transition to Type 3 Team [VIDEO]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59b9f24c64b05fd6531db026/1565889180478-3ZJ6VI7I6EE904U70HMQ/2019_08_12-11.37.58.217-CDT.jpeg)
![Warmer and drier conditions continue to play a role in the Ward fire [VIDEO]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59b9f24c64b05fd6531db026/1565802999820-VTNFFIMQ2W97GPPJBZYC/2019_08_13-22.36.51.012-CDT.jpeg)
![Minimal Growth on the Ward Fire overnight [VIDEO]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59b9f24c64b05fd6531db026/1565552114666-3CKUSC210D3262R698ZT/68430393_107425750613716_2767604297645424640_o.jpg)
![Fire activity slows on Tucker Fire [VIDEO]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59b9f24c64b05fd6531db026/1564554713140-XPNBVB6224EWARVHPR5K/DSC_1373.jpg)