Single Publication

Widespread lightning over the Pacific Northwest on July 16 ignited many wildland fires. Fires on the Diamond Lake District of the Umpqua National Forest are grouped into the Diamond Complex.  

Currently there are twelve fires totaling an estimated 2,816 acres in the Diamond Complex, with 236 personnel assigned. Firefighters are directly attacking the fires’ edge where access and firefighter safety allow, and implementing indirect strategies using constructed control lines, and utilizing natural barriers where access issues and safety concerns prevent direct attack.  

The fires currently comprising the Diamond Complex are Pine Bench, 1,107 acres and 0% contained, north of Hwy 138 near Dry Creek;  Trail, 744 acres and 5% contained, east of Hwy 138 on the west slope of Mt. Thielsen; Lemolo, 373 acres and 0% contained, north of Lemolo Lake on Bunker Hill;  Pig Iron, 27 acres and 25% contained, Pig Iron Mountain north of Hwy 138; Watson, 77 acres and 0% contained, north of Hwy 138 on Watson Ridge,  Brodie, 67 acres and 0 % contained,  about 5 miles south of Hwy 138 and south of Devils Canyon; Trep, 58 acres and 0% contained, about 4 miles south of Hwy 138; Garwood, 5 acres and 65% contained, about 3 miles southwest of Mt. Bailey; Slide, 0.1 acres and 90% contained, northeast of Pine Bench;  Potter, 242 acres and 0% contained,  north of Hwy 138 about 2 miles southeast of Potter Mt.;  Ooya, 95 acres and 0% contained, north of Hwy 138 about 1 mile northeast of Bird Point;  and Clearwater, 3 acres and 90% contained, south of Hwy 138 about 5 miles northwest of Diamond Lake.  

Yesterday, Northwest Team 7 continued active suppression on the Trail Fire. Dozer lines were reinforced with water delivery hose lines from Hwy 138 to the Mt. Thielsen Wilderness boundary. Firefighters continued active suppression on the Pig Iron fire and made good progress to protect critical infrastructure. Firefighters worked to keep the Pine Bench fire west of Forest Road 4775 and away from critical infrastructure as the fire moves north into the Boulder Creek Wilderness. 

Nationally and in the Pacific Northwest, fire activity is putting an extreme demand on firefighting resources. This means that firefighters are prioritized and efficiently utilized to protect values at risk. The highest priority will remain public and firefighter safety and protecting infrastructure and homes. Today, active suppression continues with the Lemolo, Trail, Pig Iron and Pine Bench fires as priorities.  

Weather: Today begins a trend toward warmer, drier weather, expected to continue into Wednesday. Extremely dry fuels and rugged, steep terrain add to challenging fire behavior. 

Closures and Evacuations: The USFS and the Douglas County Sheriff have implemented public safety measures in response to these fires. Umpqua National Forest has issued a closure order that impacts all the Cottage Grove Ranger District and parts of the Diamond Lake, North Umpqua, and Tiller Ranger Districts. The closure order can be found here: https://bit.ly/3SeYvih. This closure does include Boulder Flat Campground and Boat Launch. Additionally, Diamond Lake, Thielsen View, and Broken Arrow Campgrounds are closed through July 28, 2024, and will be reevaluated closer to that date. The Douglas County Sheriff has issued a Level 3: GO NOW for the Trail Fire and the Lemolo fire. There is a Level 2: BE SET for the Pine Bench. Fire danger is set at High and Public Use Restrictions are set at Level 2. Please see detailed information here:   www.dcso.com/EVACUATIONS and www.fs.usda.gov/umpqua.