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The acreage of the Hendrix fire has been updated to 717 acres determined from a heat detecting infrared flight which was flown overnight. The fire growth was primarily to the southeast of the fire where spot fires were able to get established.

Air Quality Information– The National Weather Service has issued an air quality alert for Jackson County in effect until 11 AM on Thursday: https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=mfr&wwa=air%20quality%20alert The following link takes you to the Oregon Department of Environmental – Air Quality Monitoring Data: https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map At the time of this posting, in the community of Talent the air quality is rated as “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”. Jackson County Health and Human Services posted an article titled “Checking the Air Quality During a Wildfire Smoke Event” which contains good information and links for concerned citizens. An attached image shows the smoke in the air today above the Hendrix Fire.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) has issued evacuation notices near the Hendrix Fire. The following information was released by the JCSO this afternoon (July 18).

Crews working on the Silver Creek Fire overnight used an infrared camera to look for hot spots within the fire’s perimeter. Results show crews have made good progress with mop-up operations as they continue to improve lines and extinguish remaining heat. The fire remains at 27 acres and is now 65% contained. Approximately 115 personnel continue to work on the fire. Most of the snags that have posed a threat to firefighter safety are now removed, though some hazard trees remain. Smoke can still be seen from areas of remaining heat, which includes several large standing trees that continue to smolder. Crews will remain focused on mop up for the next couple days. Visitors to Silver Falls State Park will find pleasant conditions. Light smoke may be visible at times, but heavy smoke is unlikely. Other fires burning in the region may be responsible for increased haze in the area. While some closures remain in the Park, there are no interruptions to scheduled events. Waterfall areas...

Special Announcements:Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 8 (Team 8), Incident Commander, Doug Johnson, assumed management of the Cemetery Fire this morning at 6:00 am. The incident command post (ICP) is located at the Paulina School and fire camp is located at the Rodeo Grounds in Paulina, Oregon. The Cemetery Fire was started by early morning lightning storms on July 16th and is burning on Ochoco National Forest, Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry protected private lands, and Post-Paulina Rangeland Fire Protection Association protected lands. Team 8 would like to thank Central Oregon Fire Management Service (COFMS) Team 3, incident commander Don Tschida, for the excellent work during the initial and extended attack of the Cemetery Fire. General Updates: Firefighters, supported by aerial operations of water and retardant drops, worked diligently yesterday to surround the 1,300 acre fire. Gusty winds and low humidity provided...

The public is invited to a community meeting.Where: Ruch Community Bible Church, 190 Upper Applegate Road, Jacksonville, ORWhen, Wednesday, July 18, 7 PM (Post has been updated to correct the date)Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y7dq7yajTwitter: @RRSNF #HendrixFire https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5939/(541) 632-3567rrsnf.hendrixfire@gmail.com

The Umpqua National Forest was hit by a lightning storm on Sunday morning, July 15th, resulting in 40 separate fires and/or smoke reports, primarily within the Tiller Ranger District. Initial attack by Forest resources resulted in significant progress, yet several fires remain. As of Wednesday morning, 300 firefighters have begun work on seven of the remaining fires, which total approximately 300 acres. Six structures are threatened and an electrical transmission line has been de-energized as a precaution. Three hotshot crews, two helicopters, multiple air-tankers, several dozers and other heavy equipment have been added to the suppression mix over the previous two days. Today, Incident Management Team 6 joins the fray to help manage the fire suppression effort. Fire has primarily been backing slowly down slopes with occasional fingers of fire running upslope, causing torching of individual or groups of trees, especially on south-facing slopes. Fire behavior is expected to...

Yesterday afternoon and through the night fire crews scouted the 12 fires that make up the Garner complex. The crews are working to prioritize these fires. The plan is to fully contain the smaller fires, construct fireline around the larger ones, while continually looking for new, unaccounted for fires. The objectives today for the Grave Creek branch will be to keep the fires east of Grave Creek, north of Pease Springs and Buck Springs. For the Pleasant Creek fire, keep the fire west of Pleasant Creek and south of the 33-4-22 road. The objectives for the Spencer Creek branch are to keep fires east of 37-6-36 road, north of China Creek road, west of Water Gap road and south of 38-6-6 road. John Pellissier, the day Operations Chief, said at the morning briefing to the fire crews “it is great to see you and we are still waiting for more help”. More fire fighters and equipment have been ordered and will be arriving to aid in the suppression efforts. With six incident management...

ODF Incident Management Team 2, IC Cline, assumed command of the Garner Complex today at 2:00 P.M. Today was a transition day where fresh resources arrived to relive the local district fire fighters who have been working non stop since this fire began last Sunday. Extreme high temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit along with low RH% and winds made the burning conditions worsen throughout the day. More fires were detected by the aerial reconnaissance flights. Currently there are nine fires in the Grave Creek area (estimate 700 acres) and three in the Spencer area (estimate 260 acres) for a total of 960 acres. This includes the Pleasant Creek Fire. We continue to aggressively fight the all fires in this complex. There will be smoke visible during suppression efforts. Helicopter bucket drops were key in slowing the fires that are not accessible by roads, however overall progress was hampered due to the lack of available aircraft. More fire fighters and equipment have been...

Firefighters continue making good progress mopping up the Silver Creek Fire, located in a remote southeast corner of Silver Falls State Park. The fire has been mapped at approximately 27 acres and no further growth is expected; it is 100% lined and 55% contained. Around 125 personnel remain on the fire, and will continue mopping up the fire’s perimeter, as well as removing dangerous snags. Investigators have officially determined the fire was caused by lightning, most likely from a storm that passed over the area on June 18, 2018. Known as a lightning holdover, the fire smoldered for several weeks before emerging during a windy period with high temperatures, low relative humidity and drier fuels on the ground. While some closures remain in the Park, there are no interruptions to scheduled events. Waterfall areas remain accessible to visitors during normal Park hours. Visitors may notice light smoke at times, but the fire is not anticipated to produce heavy smoke. More Details: A...

Park Closures: The 214 Trailhead and several back-country trails, Howard Creek horse camp and Howard Creek day-use area, and the youth camp (Camp Silver Creek) remain closed. The Ranches have been reopened.For the most current updates, visit

This is an update on the small fire burning in a remote southeast corner of Silver Falls State Park. Smoke was first reported late in the evening on Thursday, July 12, and after confirming the location, attack began early on Friday, July 13. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Main points: Containment is currently estimated at 35% with 75% of the perimeter lined. The area is especially challenging for firefighters due to steep slopes, thick undergrowth and numerous large snags posing safety hazards. Burning in the Howard Creek drainage, a remote, steep, timbered area over a mile from the park boundary. Improved mapping and information from firefighters on the ground, rather than fire growth, has allowed for a more accurate measurement of 27 acres. Initial acreage estimates were hampered by the dense canopy, extensive understory, and limited visibility due to smoke. The number of personnel engaged remains at approximately 125. Today’s aerial support includes a Type 1...

This is an update on the small fire burning in a remote southeast corner of Silver Falls State Park. Smoke was first reported late in the evening on Thursday, July 12, and after confirming the location, attack began early on Friday, July 13. Main points: It’s burning in the Howard Creek drainage, a remote, steep, timbered area over a mile from the park boundary. The fire is currently estimated at 27 acres (see attached rough map). A good portion of the change in acreage over the last day is due to improved mapping and information from firefighters on the ground rather than fire growth. Initial acreage estimates were hampered by the dense canopy, extensive understory, and limited visibility due to smoke. Containment is currently estimated at 25%. The area is especially challenging for firefighters due to steep slopes and the nature of a mature forest; thick undergrowth slows progress and snags pose a falling hazard. Firefighter and public safety remains priority for all involved....

This is an update on the small fire burning in a remote southeast corner of Silver Falls State Park. Smoke was first reported late in the evening on Thursday, July 12. Main points: After successfully forging trails to reach the fire, ground and air attacks made headway and containment is currently at 10%. The fire is currently estimated at 12-15 acres and is burning in the Howard Creek drainage, a remote, steep, timbered area over a mile from the park boundary. Approximately 110 personnel from Oregon Department of Forestry and partner organizations are involved, with most directly engaged in firefighting on the ground. The aerial component involves Heavy Airtankers, Single Engine Airtankers (SEATs), helicopter, and ground support. Park facilities remain unchanged from earlier reports: the 214 Trailhead and several back-country trails, Howard Creek horse camp and day-use area, youth camp (Camp Silver Creek), and the Ranches are all closed. Howard Creek and the Ranches are closed to...

This is an update on a small fire burning in a remote southeast corner of Silver Falls State Park. Smoke was first reported late in the evening on Thursday, July 12. Crews from Drakes Crossing Fire District responded quickly, but the small size and thick undergrowth made it difficult to pinpoint the source before darkness made further work impossible. Crews from the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) joined Drakes Friday, July 13 to cut a trail toward the fire while aviation resources dropped water and retardant through the day.Additional Details:A YMCA summer camp at Camp Silver Creek, a facility inside the park about a mile from the fire, ended a day early as a precaution, with 142 youth and several dozen staff leaving between 4-5 p.m.While other areas of the park are currently scheduled to open on Saturday, July 14, there will be abundant firefighter equipment and aircraft in the area. Any visitors who plan to visit the park this weekend are advised to wait until more information...

Trail No. 1552 in the Boulder Creek Wilderness has been closed from the Boulder Creek trailhead to Spring Creek for public safety due to a wildfire.

Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 3 July 7, 2018 News Release Lobster Creek Fire Final Update ODF Incident Management Team 3 (ODF IMT 3) will hand responsibility for the Lobster Creek Fire back to Coos Forest Protective Association (CFPA) Sunday at 12:00 pm. After four days with no additional growth and well-established control lines, fire managers are handing off the fire confident it poses no additional threat to life or property. Containment is estimated at 75 percent. “History will judge us by what we leave behind. The fire team did excellent work and I’m confident our efforts to suppress this fire will withstand the summer,” said Link Smith Team 3 Incident Commander. Control lines around the fire’s perimeter have been mopped up to at least 100 feet and deeper in areas with more potential to reignite. However, occasional smoke from unburnt fuel smoldering in the fire’s interior may be visible. CFPA will manage the fire...

Oregon Department of ForestryIncident Management Team 3 News Release July 6, 2018 Lobster Creek Fire Update GOLD BEACH, Ore. – With containment on the Lobster Creek Fire reaching 55 percent and the fire perimeter stable at 397 acres, fire managers are planning to transition control of the fire back to the Coos Forest Protective Association (CFPA). ODF IMT 3 plans to transfer command of the fire back to CFPA Sunday. Fire crews remain focused on mopping up the fire’s perimeter. Mop up is slow, dirty and hazardous work that involves methodically digging out residual heat which often lurks in stumps and roots. Modern technology aids the hunt for hot spots. Night-shift crews use hand-held infrared scanners to find and identify residual heat sources. Fallers have been identifying and knocking down fire-weakened trees that could pose a hazard to firefighters working below. Removing hazard trees near the perimeter also eliminates the potential of those falling trees...

News Release July 5, 2018 Oregon Department of Forestry Inicident Management Team 3 Lobster Creek Fire Update GOLD BEACH, Ore. – The Lobster Creek Fire is shrinking. Due to more accurate mapping, the fire size is now 397 acres. As the edge of the fire cools, allowing closer access, firefighters are able to utilize handheld global positioning system (GPS) devices to trace the perimeter more closely and move from an estimate fire size to a more precise calculation. Containment has reached 30 percent.Mop up operations will continue over the next few days until the fire is in a state that the fire team is comfortable handing the incident back to the Coos Forest Protective Association. There are currently over 700 personnel assigned to the fire that includes 27 hand crews. The demobilization process begins today with crews and other resources heading home or to other fires over the next few days.Through July 4th, total suppression costs for the Lobster Creek Fire are just over...

While the Lobster Creek Fire is burning on private industrial timberlands, the map viewer on inciweb uses a base layer that does not accurately reflect current ownership (shows fire on USFS). Inciweb is working with its map service provider and cooperators to correct the discrepancy.