Photo of helicopter flying over Forks Spike Camp. Photo: Adam Forsell
Butler Fire: Firefighters spent most of July 15 addressing the fire activity that had picked up along the southern corners of the Butler Fire the evening before. Two noticeable smoke plumes appeared over the fire throughout the day, but were the result of interior burning and didn’t pose a threat to containment lines.
In the southeast corner of the fire, three hot shot crews, supported by aerial resources, kept the fire from crossing the Salmon River around Nordheimer. Its southern advance, however, prompted additional evacuation orders from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, particularly for the town of Forks of Salmon.
Along the southwest perimeter, fire spilled over Butler Creek near Orleans Mountain. Crews were able to construct handline around it, bolstered by water drops from supporting aircraft.
Firefighters began the methodical work of searching for and extinguishing isolated heat sources along the fire’s northern perimeter around Butler Flat and portions of Salmon Creek Road. A pronounced smoke column was seen in the vicinity of Butler Flat, but it was the result of vegetation burning well within the fire’s interior. A similar column was spotted outside of Nordheimer, but again, nothing close enough to compromise the fire’s boundaries.
The southernmost edge of the fire in the upper elevations outside the Nordheimer area remained hemmed in by Nordheimer and Granite creeks. Crews began reopening roads, dozer lines, and handlines previously used in last year’s Boise Fire and the 2020 Red Salmon Fire to serve as indirect control lines.
Red Fire: Containment of the Red Fire remained at 95 percent as crews worked the remaining section of uncontained perimeter to locate and extinguish insolated hot spots.
Evacuations:
Butler Fire: Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office expanded its evacuation orders July 15 to include FRK-1709 (Forks of Salmon), SIS-1707-B, SIS-1708, SIS-1804 and SIS-1805. They join the following zones already under an evacuation order: SIS-1703, SIS-1704 (Butler Creek, Lewis Creek, Bloomer Mine residents and Nordheimer Campground), SIS-1707-A and SIS-1803-A.
Zones SIS-1705, SIS-1710, SIS-1802, SIS-1808 and SIS-1906 are under an evacuation warning, where residents are advised to be prepared to evacuate if conditions become more threatening. The latest evacuation information can be found at https://protect.genasys.com.
Closures:
Butler Fire: The road between Butler Flat and Nordheimer Campground remains closed as rocks and burning debris continued to fall into the roadway. Nordheimer and Oak Bottom campgrounds are also closed.
Weather and Fire Behavior: Temperatures are expected to be slightly cooler today with highs in the upper 90s. Winds will mostly come out of the northwest with occasional gusts up to 20 miles an hour.
Fire Safety and Prevention:
Persistently high temperatures will keep fuels dry and increase potential fire danger. Individuals seeking relief from the heat by recreating in streams or rivers or in the forest need to be mindful of their vehicles’ condition or where they park. Roadside sparks or dried vegetation against the heated undercarriage of a vehicle could quickly result in a wildfire.
The Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests are not currently in fire restrictions. However, campfires should never be left unattended and should be dead out and cool to the touch before leaving. Remember, drown, stir, feel, REPEAT. Please report suspected wildfires by calling 911.
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Helicopter flying over the Orleans Complex. | Photo: Abel Mattson.
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