Wrights Spring Fire Nears Full Line
Another drone grounds aircraft as crews reach 55% containment around the fire.
FAST FIRE FACTS
Name:
Wrights Spring Fire
Location:
2 miles west of Sprague River, Oregon
Size: 54,131 acres
Containment: 55%
Personnel: 982
Evacuations:
20 Level 3 zones
18 Level 2 zones
38 Level 1 zones
Command:
Northwest Incident Management Team 8; Northwest Team 7 will assume command Aug. 21.
Activity:
Crews are close to connecting remaining containment line along the southwest perimeter, with mop-up and hazard-tree removal beginning behind newly secured lines.
Drone Incursion:
Another unauthorized drone grounded firefighting aircraft Tuesday night, at least the second publicly reported drone disruption on the incident.
Smoke:
Light smoke remains possible across the Klamath Basin, with conditions generally improving during the afternoon.
Closures:
Bliss Road and the Fremont-Winema National Forest fire-area closure remain in effect.
Shelters:
Red Cross shelters remain available in Chiloquin and Bonanza, with large-animal sheltering available at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Firefighters are within sight of completing a containment feature around the Wrights Spring Fire, with crews expecting to connect remaining line along the southwest perimeter sometime Wednesday.
The fire is now mapped at 54,131 acres and 55% contained, with 982 personnel assigned. Much of the northern and eastern perimeter remains secure, while crews continue concentrating on the remaining work between Welsh Spring and Swan Lake Point.
Fire activity increased somewhat along that southwest edge overnight before settling around 1:30 a.m. Night crews held the newly constructed lines and began mop-up before day-shift resources returned Wednesday morning.
“Over on Division F and G on the southwest portion of the fire, from Welsh Spring up to Swan Lake Point, we saw a little bit of increased activity overnight, until about 1:30 in the morning, but that died off,” Operations Section Chief Ben Curtis said. “Everything stayed where it was supposed to, and our night shift crews were able to start mop up on some of the new lines that we constructed.”
Fire officials reported another unauthorized drone incursion over the Wrights Spring Fire Tuesday night, forcing firefighting aircraft out of the area and stalling critical water drops. The disruption came as crews continue relying on aviation support around the remaining active portions of the fire.
It is at least the second publicly reported drone incident to ground aerial resources on the Wrights Spring Fire. The first documented incursion occurred Aug. 11, when firefighting aircraft were also forced to suspend operations.
SOUTHWEST LINE NEARLY CONNECTED
Firefighters are continuing direct line construction from Welsh Spring north toward Swan Lake Point, where crews are now close to tying together containment features around the remaining open portion of the fire.
Once those lines connect, crews will begin deeper mop-up, securing the new edge and removing hazardous burned trees so firefighters can safely continue working in the area.
Near Swan Lake Point, a small area of fire has continued creating problems along an indirect line. Crews plan to move closer to the fire there, construct additional check line and keep that activity from interfering with the larger effort to close the southwest perimeter.
Operations Section Chief Ben Curtis said crews are now “within sight” of getting the fire lined, with the next several days increasingly focused on mop-up and securing the perimeter.
MAFFS Support / Cover Photo: An Air National Guard Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) aircraft returns to the Klamath Falls Airtanker Base after dropping retardant on the Wrights Spring Fire, where firefighting aircraft were later grounded by an unauthorized drone incursion. Northwest Team 8.
TEAM TRANSITION SET FOR FRIDAY
Northwest Team 8 is nearing the end of its assignment on the Wrights Spring Fire.
The team is scheduled to time out Thursday, Aug. 20, with Northwest Team 7 mobilizing to assume command Friday. Personnel and equipment are also being consolidated from the Chiloquin spike camp to the Bliss Road Incident Command Post as the operation becomes more concentrated.
The transition comes as more of the fire moves into patrol, mop-up and suppression repair, while crews finish the remaining containment work along the southwest perimeter.
EVACUATION LEVELS REDUCED AGAIN
Evacuation restrictions continue to ease across southern Klamath County as containment improves.
The latest evacuation list Wednesday morning includes:
20 Level 3 (GO NOW) zones
18 Level 2 (Be Set) zones
38 Level 1 (Be Ready) zones
The number of zones under the two highest evacuation levels has fallen considerably as portions of the fire become more secure.
Residents should continue checking their individual address through Genasys Protect because evacuation levels can continue changing.
View the latest Wrights Spring Fire evacuation information and live map.
Temporary Flight Restriction: The Wrights Spring Fire air operations map shows the active Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the incident, where unauthorized drone flights can force firefighting aircraft from the area. Northwest Team 8.
ANOTHER DRONE INCURSION REPORTED
Tuesday night’s unauthorized drone incursion forced firefighting aircraft out of the area and stalled critical water drops while crews were still working active portions of the Wrights Spring Fire.
Fire officials have repeatedly warned that even a small recreational drone can create a serious collision risk for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft operating at low altitudes, in smoke, and over rugged terrain. As officials put it, “If you fly, our firefighting aircraft cannot fly.”
A Temporary Flight Restriction remains in place over the incident to keep the airspace clear for helicopters, airtankers, lead planes, and other firefighting aircraft. Unauthorized drones can interrupt those operations and create additional risk for both air crews and firefighters on the ground.
Resources from the Wrights Spring Fire also responded Tuesday to a separate half-acre, human-caused fire north of the incident. Fire officials said the new start underscores the continued extreme fire danger despite the progress being made on the Wrights Spring Fire.
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