UPDATE: Salt Creek Fire containment up to 58%, 2 evac zones canceled

Published 9:59 am Monday, July 15, 2024

The Salt Creek Fire 10 miles east of Eagle Point is 58% contained, the Oregon Department of Forestry said Monday morning.

The fire is listed at 4,102 acres and is fully lined, ODF said in a news release.

More than 1,000 personnel are assigned to the fire, including 41 20-person crews, 30 engines, 19 water tenders, seven tree fallers and seven dozers. Released resources may return to their home units or reassigned to other incidents across the state.

The cost to fight the fire was estimated Monday at $10.1 million.

The Salt Creek Fire broke out shortly after 4 p.m. last Sunday, and its cause is under investigation.

The Bureau of Land Management Butte Falls Field Office has closed BLM-managed lands in the area for public and firefighter safety, according to an earlier news release. Members of the public may not enter closed areas, and all uses — including hiking, hunting and dispersed camping — are prohibited, the release said.

The closure order encompasses BLM lands within affected evacuation zones. This includes BLM lands south of Butte Falls Highway, north of Highway 140, and east of Salt Creek Road to the U.S. Forest Service boundary. See the map for full closure information on the BLM website: https://www.blm.gov/orwafire.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson County Emergency Management had issued an “Evacuation Level 1: ‘Be ready'” notice for zones JAC-316, JAC-317 and JAC-325-A, and those notices remain in effect, ODF said Saturday. On Monday, ODF canceled the evacuation notices for zones JAC-319, JAC-321.

The zones are generally north of Highway 140, approximately 12 miles east of Eagle Point in the Lake Creek area, east of Salt Creek Road, south and west of Fish Lake Road, including the Willow Lake area.

To view evacuation zones, go to protect.genasys.com.

Salt Creek Road and Wasson Canyon Road are closed at Highway 140, ODF said earlier this week, and Double Day Road is closed off at Butte Falls Highway. Highway 140 and Butte Falls Highway remain open, but officials urge residents to stay clear of crews working in the fire zone.

The fire danger level in the Southwest Oregon District switched over to “extreme” (red) on Tuesday.

The Shelly Fire in the Klamath National Forest in Northern California was listed at 15,232 acres Monday morning and is 3% contained, according to the Inciweb website. There are more than 3,350 personnel on scene, and evacuation warnings are in place for multiple areas.