Single Publication

Size: 34,242 acres

Start Date:  July 15, 2023

Point of origin: 2 miles southeast of Agness, OR

Containment: 58%

Total personnel: 477 

Resources: 11 crews l 3 helicopters l 17 engines l 3 bulldozers l 16 water tenders l 4 masticators 

Highlights: Lower temps and higher humidity will reduce fire spread in the unburned fuels of the interior islands. Isolated single tree torching and smoldering is expected to continue, however, this is not expected to impact containment lines. Smoke from fires to the south may influence firefighting efforts and impact the local communities of Agness and Oak Flat today. Firefighters will continue to be diligent in making assessments of the containment lines, and remaining heat sources. Improving containment and contingency lines is paramount as the region prepares to enter September when winds are typically problematic for fire containment. 

Today’s Activities:  The Team continues to emphasize the full suppression objective of the Flat Fire and all firefighting resources are maintaining a focused on completion of this goal.  Ground and aviation resources are engaged in locating heat sources to ascertain their impact on fire lines and potential spread while utilizing helicopters and engines in tandem to extinguish those hot spots. Work to bolster the fire defense strategy for the future is being accomplished by enhancing contingency lines in the south end of the fire.  

Weather:  Temperatures will be cooler with higher humidity today. This is the start of a cooling trend and higher relative humidity that will continue through the weekend and is expected to assist firefighting efforts.

Smoke:  Smoke from the surrounding areas/fires may be visible and impact local communities as winds dictate. The Smoke Outlook is available at:  Current Smoke Outlook for SW Oregon/NW California (wildlandfiresmoke.net)

Closures:  U.S. Highway 199 has been closed north of Gasquet due to fires on the Six River National Forest, please use U.S. Route 101 to SR 42s for all travel to and from the Rogue Valley. Forest Service and BLM roads should not be used as alternate routes due to emerging fire activity. The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (RRSNF) has issued a closure order for the fire area including trails, roads, and a portion of the Illinois River. Visit Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest - Alerts & Notices (usda.gov) for more information.

Evacuations:  Level 1 “Get Ready” evacuation status in place for areas in the vicinity of the Flat Fire. Link to more information:  Welcome to Curry County, OR

Restrictions: Fire danger is currently extreme; the RRSNF is implementing Level 3 Public Use Restrictions. Level 3 PURs on the Wild Section of the Rogue River have been implemented by the RRSF, Medford BLM and ODF.  More information: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest - News & Events (usda.gov)