Updated at 8:10 p.m. PDT July 12, 2021
After three days of explosive growth, a smoke inversion moderated fire activity Sunday on the Bootleg Fire and allowed fire crews to construct and improve fire control lines. However that changed on Monday. By 2 p.m. a strong west wind had pushed the fire one to four miles further east, and it continued that direction into the late afternoon. (see the map above)
Due to the size and complexity the fire will be managed using two zones. This will allow the two primary incident management teams to better manage the fire and limit travel for firefighters. ODF Incident Management Team 1 assumed command of the fire’s south part, or Zone 1, Monday. Pacific Northwest Team 10 manages the north part, or Zone 2. The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal’s Green Team continues to protect structures.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Bootleg Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)
Part of the fire has burned across a major interstate power line, a corridor of three parallel 500 kV lines that connect to power grids in Oregon and California. But the northeast part of the fire was still burning intensely Monday afternoon near the lines. Since there was concern with the lines having been de-energized combined with very high temperatures requiring more air conditioning in homes, a statewide FlexAlert was issued in California for Monday from 4-9 p.m. This meant there was a possibility of power shutoffs due to an inadequate supply of electricity.
Evacuations Level 3 (GO NOW) in effect at 3 p.m. PDT July 12, 2021:
-
-
- Klamath County, north of the town of Beatty. East side of Godowa Springs Road north of the OC and E Trail to the Klamath County Line.
- Klamath County, near the town of Sprague River. Upper tableland area north of Oregon Pines Rd need to leave immediately.
-
If you look closely at the smoke from the Bootleg Fire in the satellite image below, you may notice that the white pyrocumulus cloud above the smoke plume rose to such a high elevation that it cast a shadow as the sun got low in the sky at 7:01 p.m. local time.
Updated at 2:20 p.m. PDT July 11, 2021
Saturday the Bootleg fire in Southern Oregon grew to Megafire status, crushing the 100,000-acre threshold. After advancing for four miles to both the east and north it was mapped Saturday night at 143,607 acres, an increase of more than 53,000 acres in about 24 hours.
It is now 4 miles north of Beatty and Highway 140, 27 miles northeast of Klamath Falls, and 20 miles east of Chiloquin.
On Saturday, firefighters, emergency managers, and other public safety officials faced the fifth day in a row of extreme, intense fire behavior as hot, dry, windy weather persisted.
Those conditions escalated Saturday afternoon, resulting in an immediate, life-threatening risk to area residents, visitors, firefighters and other emergency responders.
Due to public safety concerns and the immediate threat to life, the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office took the rare step of citing or arresting those who remained in or were trying to re-enter the Level 3 (leave now) evacuation areas.
Klamath County is hosting an interactive map showing evacuation zones
Conditions were so extreme Saturday that firefighters needed to disengage and move to predetermined safety zones. Fire managers evaluated conditions and looked for opportunities to reengage firefighters safely.
Wildland and structure protection Incident Commanders Al Lawson and Lance Lightly stated “Our first priority is to provide for firefighter and public safety. Removing our personnel from these conditions is always our guidance under such extreme conditions.”
“Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Thirtymile Fire, where four firefighters tragically lost their lives,” said Lawson. “The fire behavior we are seeing on the Bootleg Fire is among the most extreme you can find and firefighters are seeing conditions they have never seen before. We understand the frustration of the community as the fire continues to grow. We also need to ensure our firefighters are able to engage safely so that they can return home at the end of this assignment to their families.”
The fire has burned across a major interstate power line. It is actually a corridor of three parallel 500 kV lines that connect to power grids in Oregon and California. (see map above)
“The fire was moving in and through the powerlines,” said Gayne Sears, a public information officer with the Bootleg Fire, told Oregon Public Broadcasting Saturday afternoon. “The companies made decisions, or there was enough fire and smoke that the lines did go down some, but they’ve been working very carefully with the firefighters to re-energize in safe manners.”
Sears said she didn’t know whether they were currently online. (More information about this critical power line and the fire.)
Saturday evening the 143,607-acre fire was being managed by a Type 2 Incident Management Team and an Oregon State Fire Marshal team that was assisting with structure protection, but on Sunday two Type 1 Incident Management Teams were mobilizing.
Resources assigned Sunday include 19 hand crews, 10 helicopters 6 dozers, 83 fire engines, and 25 water tenders for a total of 926 personnel.
The fire area is under a heat advisory through Tuesday. The weather forecast for Beatty, Oregon on Sunday calls for a high of 85 degrees, 8 to 10 mph winds out of the west, and a relative humidity of 11 percent. On Monday the prediction is for 94 degrees, northwest winds gusting to 20 mph, and 10 percent RH.
