1:51 p.m. PDT July 18, 2021
The Bootleg Fire in Southern Oregon which is primarily in Klamath County continues to push further into Lake County for a distance of five miles on the north side and ten on the east side. It remains about four to five miles north of Highway 140.
The additional growth on Saturday brought the size up to more than 298,000 acres.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Bootleg Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)
Hot, dry, and windy weather conditions played a significant role in fire behavior Saturday. The fire crossed Sam’s Cabin Road and the 27 Road to the north. It is held from Preacher Flats to Mitchell Monument and is pushing further east, approaching the 28 road. Firefighters were able to construct dozer line and execute a burnout to minimize the fire growth overnight. One of Sunday’s priorities will be to attempt hold these areas to prevent further spread.
Other priorities include constructing direct fireline and building contingency lines north of the fire in the Sycan Marsh and along the 28 Road to the south. These contingency lines may be used if the fire continues to march towards the communities of Paisley, Summer Lake, and Silver Lake.
Evacuations are in effect. More details.
The weather forecast for Sunday in the Beatty, Oregon area calls for 91 degrees, 8 percent relative humidity, and 11 to 17 mph winds gusting out of the southwest at 26 mph for a couple of hours in the late afternoon. Monday the conditions will be similar, but with a much more serious wind component. For about 11 hours the wind will be from the southwest at 13 mph gusting at 20 mph, and changing directions three times — at dawn, 11 a.m., and 10 p.m.
any expectation that it might slow as it hits the watson creek footprint?
Over 2,000 firefighters working on the Bootleg wildfire per recent incident report. They are reporting conditions normally seen in late summer or early fall. Hoping for some “real” rain. Stay Safe!