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Flame reached heights of 200 feet near Fairy Creek Monday night as the North Umpqua's Apple Fire ran south toward the Tiller Ranger District.
The good news coming from fire lines near the North Umpqua River is the now-6,500-acre Apple Fire is moving farther away from populated areas located on the north bank of the North Umpqua River.
Cooler, humid weather is helping firefighters in the North Umpqua and Tiller ranger districts again today, although Tiller fires grew by another 2,500 acres to 59,400 acres in all.
Good news about the weather and fire line successes have not calmed the fears of some Tiller residents closest to the Boulder Fire as they worry about whether firefighters can keep their properties safe.
"When I saw they weren't putting this fire out, I started moving out my belongings in order of importance," said Raia DeVine, a resident on Johnnie Springs Road. "I hope they prove me wrong, but it isn't looking good to me."
DeVine said she has rented storage for many of her belongings in case her "old rundown shack" doesn't survive the wildfires.
A second meeting with Tiller residents was held by fire officials Monday night. Fire behavior analysts provided insights on what fire has been doing and may yet do in the Tiller Ranger District. About 80 people attended.
A public meeting on the Apple Fire is also scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Glide Community Center. Residents trapped on the other side of the Highway 138 East roadblock will be given an opportunity to meet and get more information Wednesday night at a location and time to be announced.
Fire information officials have reported fire lines on Dumont Creek are still holding and contingency lines are additional safeguards now being prepared on Forest Service lands in the Tiller Ranger District by Douglas Forest Protective Association.
Ken Cushman, the DFPA commander now working with the Tiller Complex fire management team, said 60 firefighters and two bulldozers are being used to join dead-end roads and remove road obstacles on Forest Service lands to help DFPA and other firefighters deal with threats to private properties.
"It's a long way to the end of fire season," Cushman said. "But if the weather keeps cooperating I feel really comfortable with the fire suppression actions that are taking place and the priority (federal) officials are giving to private land."
Cushman said once contingency lines are completed near Tiller, DFPA crews will move north to dig protective fire lines between fire and private timberland in the upper Cavitt Creek watershed within the North Umpqua Ranger District. Cushman added that all the work now being done by DFPA on Umpqua National Forest land is in accordance with plans developed last year together with the Tiller Ranger District.
The Tiller Complex is reported to be 49 percent contained today. Nearly 69 miles of fire line must still be dug to reach full containment, officials said.
Bruce Palmer, spokesman for the Tiller Complex fire management team, said helicopter air support is focused on the southwest corner of the Tiller Complex fires with at least 360 firefighters and equipment focused on the fire lines near populated areas.
The Apple Fire in the North Umpqua put on a show for firefighters Monday night as it continues to burn south toward Twin Lakes. The fire is about four miles north of the Boulder Fire that has pushed into the North Umpqua Ranger District from the south.
A new incident command post has been set up and operating for the last two days on the French Creek Ranch owned by the Strader family, located on the east edge of Glide, with 570 firefighters assigned to the Apple Fire.
"We had some pretty amazing runs last night in the Fairy Creek drainage on the west side of the fire," said Joe Molhoek, operations section chief for the Apple Fire. "But we've turned the corner at Horseshoe Bend and Apple Creek. The fire is heading south away from populated areas."
Molhoek said a main fire line along Calf Creek and contingency lines on the Twin Lakes East Road are expected to keep the fire from moving further east where it might jump the river and Highway 138 East.
Bob Ramirez, spokesman for the Apple Fire management team, said firefighters are working day and night and using burnout operations at Calf Creek to prevent the fire's expansion west or east.
The fire is reported at 5 percent containment.
"The burnout operations were the highlight of our morning briefing," Ramirez said. "We didn't have any crews to get work done in the first day of the fire. Now we have crews arriving from all over the United States. We are getting air support from the Tiller Complex and weather has been cooperating."
-- You can reach reporter Jeff Willis at 957-4218 or by e-mail at jwillis@newsreview.info.
The good news coming from fire lines near the North Umpqua River is the now-6,500-acre Apple Fire is moving farther away from populated areas located on the north bank of the North Umpqua River.
Cooler, humid weather is helping firefighters in the North Umpqua and Tiller ranger districts again today, although Tiller fires grew by another 2,500 acres to 59,400 acres in all.
Good news about the weather and fire line successes have not calmed the fears of some Tiller residents closest to the Boulder Fire as they worry about whether firefighters can keep their properties safe.
"When I saw they weren't putting this fire out, I started moving out my belongings in order of importance," said Raia DeVine, a resident on Johnnie Springs Road. "I hope they prove me wrong, but it isn't looking good to me."
DeVine said she has rented storage for many of her belongings in case her "old rundown shack" doesn't survive the wildfires.
A second meeting with Tiller residents was held by fire officials Monday night. Fire behavior analysts provided insights on what fire has been doing and may yet do in the Tiller Ranger District. About 80 people attended.
A public meeting on the Apple Fire is also scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Glide Community Center. Residents trapped on the other side of the Highway 138 East roadblock will be given an opportunity to meet and get more information Wednesday night at a location and time to be announced.
Fire information officials have reported fire lines on Dumont Creek are still holding and contingency lines are additional safeguards now being prepared on Forest Service lands in the Tiller Ranger District by Douglas Forest Protective Association.
Ken Cushman, the DFPA commander now working with the Tiller Complex fire management team, said 60 firefighters and two bulldozers are being used to join dead-end roads and remove road obstacles on Forest Service lands to help DFPA and other firefighters deal with threats to private properties.
"It's a long way to the end of fire season," Cushman said. "But if the weather keeps cooperating I feel really comfortable with the fire suppression actions that are taking place and the priority (federal) officials are giving to private land."
Cushman said once contingency lines are completed near Tiller, DFPA crews will move north to dig protective fire lines between fire and private timberland in the upper Cavitt Creek watershed within the North Umpqua Ranger District. Cushman added that all the work now being done by DFPA on Umpqua National Forest land is in accordance with plans developed last year together with the Tiller Ranger District.
The Tiller Complex is reported to be 49 percent contained today. Nearly 69 miles of fire line must still be dug to reach full containment, officials said.
Bruce Palmer, spokesman for the Tiller Complex fire management team, said helicopter air support is focused on the southwest corner of the Tiller Complex fires with at least 360 firefighters and equipment focused on the fire lines near populated areas.
The Apple Fire in the North Umpqua put on a show for firefighters Monday night as it continues to burn south toward Twin Lakes. The fire is about four miles north of the Boulder Fire that has pushed into the North Umpqua Ranger District from the south.
A new incident command post has been set up and operating for the last two days on the French Creek Ranch owned by the Strader family, located on the east edge of Glide, with 570 firefighters assigned to the Apple Fire.
"We had some pretty amazing runs last night in the Fairy Creek drainage on the west side of the fire," said Joe Molhoek, operations section chief for the Apple Fire. "But we've turned the corner at Horseshoe Bend and Apple Creek. The fire is heading south away from populated areas."
Molhoek said a main fire line along Calf Creek and contingency lines on the Twin Lakes East Road are expected to keep the fire from moving further east where it might jump the river and Highway 138 East.
Bob Ramirez, spokesman for the Apple Fire management team, said firefighters are working day and night and using burnout operations at Calf Creek to prevent the fire's expansion west or east.
The fire is reported at 5 percent containment.
"The burnout operations were the highlight of our morning briefing," Ramirez said. "We didn't have any crews to get work done in the first day of the fire. Now we have crews arriving from all over the United States. We are getting air support from the Tiller Complex and weather has been cooperating."
-- You can reach reporter Jeff Willis at 957-4218 or by e-mail at jwillis@newsreview.info.
