Single Publication

Diamond Complex

• Size: 11,138 acres
• Containment: 78%
• Personnel: 1, 133
• Location: 18 miles SW of Chemult, OR
• Start Date: July 19, 2024
• Cause: Undetermined

Middle Fork Fire

• Size: 5,282 acres
• Containment: 46% 
• Personnel: 75
• Location: Crater Lake National Park
• Start Date: July 17, 2024
• Cause: Undetermined

Current Situation

Today at 7 a.m. the Southern Area Gold Complex Incident Management Team assumed management of the Diamond Complex and the Middle Fork Fire under the leadership of Incident Commander Debbie Beard. The Gold Team is grateful to California Interagency Incident Management Team 4, cooperators, collaborators and the community for supporting the firefighters.

Heavy traffic is expected throughout the Labor Day holiday weekend. Please be careful when driving in the area.

Middle Fork Fire

Firefighters are suppressing interior heat and working on the north and west sides of the fire to secure and tie in firelines using minimum impact suppression tactics that decrease the fire’s long-term effects. Firefighters are also continuing suppression activities on the fire’s east and south sides where some heat remains. Where possible, crews will repair areas disturbed by wildfire suppression operations. Yesterday, crews removed hazard trees that posed a threat to firefighter and public safety along the 230 Road and the North Entrance Road in Crater Lake National Park. That work has been suspended until Tuesday in anticipation of holiday traffic. 

The North Entrance of Crater National Park will be open today through 6 a.m. on Tuesday September 3. The park remains open.

Diamond Complex

• Pine Bench Fire (north of Hwy 138 near Dry Creek, 3,973 acres, 65% contained): Firefighters are securing fireline on the south and west edge and monitoring the north side of the fire. Aviation will support firefighters with water drops as needed. Crews will be patrolling and mopping up on the fire’s eastern edge. 
• Potter Fire (north of Hwy 138, 2 miles southeast of Potter Mountain, 3,428 acres, 38% contained): Helicopters dropped water on hot spots on the fire’s south side yesterday. Firefighters continue to secure the eastern edge of the fire, especially near the water flume, although steep terrain, heavy timber and snags are making work difficult. Aviation will support firefighters with water drops as needed. On the north side of the fire, firefighters are making sure the fireline is cold and repairing areas disturbed by wildfire suppression operations. Crews are cleaning up contingency lines and roads. 
• Lemolo Fire (north of Lemolo Lake, 1,246 acres, 100% contained): Firefighters found some rekindling fire due to dropping needles and are blowing them off the fireline to keep it secure.
• Multiple fires near the center of the complex: Infrared maps show a lot of heat that firefighters will assess and secure today. Crews will continue using water to eliminate heat and clean up needle cast.

Weather and Fire Behavior        

The trend of very dry, hot weather continues today. Relative humidity will fall to 10% in valleys and 15% on ridgetops this afternoon. High temperatures expected in the upper 80s to low 90s for valleys and mid- to upper 80s for ridgelines. Some moisture and instability in the upper atmosphere arrive today with clouds building but rain is not expected. Winds will be southwesterly with gusts up to 18 mph along ridgetops. 

Fire potential has increased after several solid drying days. Fire behavior may include some active flames and torching, but the fire will mostly smolder and creep. Dry lighting and gusty winds are expected Sunday. Monday brings a better chance of showers. 

Smoke Outlook

Local smoke production has increased from the active fires yesterday. Smoke from Idaho fires also contributed to the degrading of air quality in Oregon. For more detailed information, please visit outlooks.airfire.org/outlook. Current air quality information is available at fire.airnow.gov.

Evacuations

As of August 23, 2024, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has cancelled evacuation orders for all areas.

Forest Closure

Please note that all Umpqua National Forest Ranger Stations are closed on Monday, Sept. 2, in observance of Labor Day.

On August 30, 2024, the Umpqua National Forest decreased Public Use Restrictions (PURs) to Level 2. The forest remains in High Fire Danger and Industrial Fire Precaution Levels are at Level 2. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umpqua/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1202470.

On August 27, 2024, the Umpqua National Forest issued an updated closure order, allowing increased access to specific roads, trails and campgrounds. These are listed as exemptions in Forest Order 06-15-24-07. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umpqua/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1202210.

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has issued a closure for the area north and west of Crater Lake National Park along Highway 230 south to the intersection with Highway 62. See the closure order and map at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/rogue-siskiyou/alerts-notices.

Park Closure

The Crater Lake National Park remains open. However, Crater Lake National Park has several closures in effect. For details, visit  https://www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.

The north entrance to Crater Lake National Park will be open Saturday, August 31 through 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Fire operations may necessitate temporary closures or delays along the North Entrance Road. 

Traffic at park entrances will be busier than usual throughout the holiday weekend. Long lines and waits of up to 2 hours are expected at both entrance stations. Arriving before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m. may reduce wait times. If the park is not your destination, please consider avoiding Highway 62 and taking an alternative route. 

Beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 3, and continuing until further notice, the North Entrance will be closed to all traffic to allow hazard reduction work related to the Middle Fork Fire to resume. During this time, access to the park will be limited to the South Entrance. We recommend checking the latest conditions and road status before your visit to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience. Updates will be available on the park website at https://www.nps.gov/crla and on Oregon Tripcheck at https://www.tripcheck.com.

REMINDER: The Pacific Crest Trail between the Lightning Springs and Rim Trail Intersections, Bald Crater Loop, Bert Creek and Boundary Springs Trails are closed until further notice due to potentially hazardous conditions created by the Middle Fork Fire. Hikers and bikers may not use the North Entrance Road to enter or leave Crater Lake National Park.

Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs)

TFRs are in place over the Middle Fork Fire https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_8387.html (6 a.m. to 9 a.m. local time to accommodate uncrewed aircraft systems work) and https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_7055.html (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time) and over the Potter and Pine Bench Fires https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_7055.html (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time).