The Flat Fire burning near Agness blew up overnight to 2,000 to 3,000 acres, according to a Sunday morning update from the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

The fire, located near Oak Flat, two miles southwest of Agness, grew rapidly due to high winds and steep terrain since it was reported at about 6 p.m. Saturday, the Forest Service said.

“Numerous ground resources and a robust air response engaged the fire, but despite these efforts, fire behavior was extreme, with the fire spotting a quarter-mile ahead and spreading on both sides of the Illinois River,” according to an update from the Forest Service.

The fire is burning in a busy recreational corridor along the Illinois River close to where it empties into the Rogue River, potentially affecting the Illinois River Trail, the Rogue River Trail, rafting operations on both of those rivers, and it is close to the western end of Bear Camp Road.

On Saturday night, Forest Service crews worked on the east flank of the fire with a Coos Forest Protective Association dozer, engines and a handcrew to protect the community of Oak Flat, said Virginia Gibbons, spokesperson for the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

The incident commander and engines were engaged on the fire throughout the night.

Additional resources will be arriving Sunday morning and throughout the day. A Type III incident commander was expected to take over the fire Sunday morning, and Northwest Team 6 was on the way to the fire, with a briefing scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, the Forest Service said.

Extensive air resources will be utilized throughout the day, as well as an aggressive response from ground resources, the Forest Service said.

“The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is committed to protecting the communities of Oak Flat and Agness and will continue to work to keep the fire as small as possible. Weather conditions and terrain are not favorable, and rapid growth is expected over the next few days,” the agency reported.

The fire was burning initially in a fire scar from 2018, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry-Southwest District. 

The Klondike Fire of 2018 was a 175,000-acre megafire that merged with the 52,000-acre Taylor Creek Fire.

The Flat Fire is near the residential communities of Agness, Illahe and Oak Flat, all located within 10 miles of each other along the Rogue and Illinois river corridors.

On Sunday morning, Coleen Rutledge Davis, owner of Illahe Lodge, was being cautiously optimistic that firefighters would be able to keep the Flat Fire from reaching Illahe. She said they could see the fire plume Saturday, but smoke was lighter Sunday morning. 

“Fire is always a concern around here, because there is so much timber and brush. But it’s not our first rodeo. The Klondike Fire burned some of our neighbors … and in this area everybody is a neighbor even if they are eight or 10 miles away,” Davis said.

“We know we’re not invincible, and we all have to be prepared.”

Many residents and businesses in the area have their own firefighting equipment and have taken steps to make their properties defensible, she said.

“We have two fire pumps and 1,000 feet of fire hose, and they have been deployed since the start of fire season (June 1),” Davis said. “Not everybody has what we have, but everybody around here has something.”

At the Cougar Lane Store & Lodge Sunday, an employee who answered the phone said they were seeing a lot of movement from fire crews in the area, and smoke was in the air. The fire started about seven miles from the lodge, but appeared to be moving away from Cougar Lane.

“Agness, Illahe and Oak Flat are more of a concept than towns, and we’re all on different sides of the Illinois and the Rogue,” Davis explained. 

“Agness is on the right side of the Rogue, looking at it from where I’m at, and up the Illinois is Oak Flat. Illahe is eight miles upriver on the Rogue side, just above Foster Bar.”

Davis said they were hoping that the Forest Service would get the upper hand on the Flat Fire shortly.

“Our last big fire here, the Forest Service did a really good job doing what they could to protect the communities, and they’ve been working hard since to get rid of brush around here.”

Coos FPA and the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest attacked the fire aggressively Saturday, and multiple aircraft were sent to the fire, along with state and federal firefighters on the ground, ODF said.

In spite of those efforts, weather and rugged terrain allowed the fire to spread quickly. Weather conditions are expected to be similar Sunday, with winds picking up in the afternoon and early evening.

As always, the Forest Service asked the public to exercise caution and follow all fire restrictions in place.