US Forest Service — Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Current Weather
Fire Growth Potential
Fire Weather Forecast
Incident Overview
Inciweb information was updated: 1 year, 4 months ago
The Flat Fire started south of Agness, Oregon, near Oak Flat Campground on July 15, 2023. The human-caused fire is burning through several old fire scars on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 3 is currently managing the incident. The Forest and Team are working in close coordination with Coos Forest Protective Association, Douglas Forest Protective Association and Curry County Sheriff. The Team’s top priority is public and firefighter safety, and they are using a full suppression strategy to contain the fire as small as possible, as safely as possible.
Basic Incident Details
Current Situation
Brush (2 feet)
Timber (Litter and Understory)
Chaparral (6 feet)
The fire area is dominated by large fire scars from the last 20 years. The most active fire behavior has been observed in the 2002 Biscuit Fire scar where Douglas Fir forests have significant surface-fuel loads and are carrying most of the active fire behavior under moderated conditions. The more recent 2015 Collier Butte and 2018 Klondike Fires suffered mixed severity resulting in scattered shrub vegetation in many areas and some timber litter fuels in other areas after moderate severity fire. Slow return of available fuels in these recently burned fuel beds is expected to show incremental increase in spread and intensity over the next week to ten days.
Fire Behavior is moderate, backing, flanking and smoldering.
Fire behavior associated with natural fire spread is largely smoldering and creeping in drainages and on slopes well-interior of containment lines, with few smokes seen along uncontrolled fire edge. Heavy fuels continue to consume and burn out, while the 2018 Klondike fire scar will continue to slow fire spread, limited mostly to isolated consumption of dead and down fuels.
Burnout operations in Lawson Creek drainage are producing active fire behavior within control lines, with some short-range spotting observed along perimeter where burnouts become intense.
Cumulative drying in conjunction with the approach of peak burning season are beginning to cause live shrub fuels to burn more actively as woody fuel moistures fall incrementally.
Planned Outlook
Continue firing operations utilizing aviation and ground resources to prevent fire movement from exceeding primary containment features. Hold and secure existing lines to keep the fire from exceeding primary containment features and impacting federal and privately owned property and infrastructure on all branches. Continue to utilize weather windows for firing opportunities in the southwest flank of the fire to secure existing lines.
Mop-up to secure lines, patrol and ensure that resources are remaining vigilant in all divisions searching for areas of heat that may be a concern. Firing on the southwest flank of the fire will continue to add depth to existing containment lines. Structure Group will continue to conduct structure assessments, prep as needed and input structure data into Survey 123. Contingency Group will continue to prep contingency lines to west and southwest of primary perimeter control features.
48 hours: Thunderstorms expected to arrive Friday with the potential for gusty outflow winds and lightning.
12 hours: Fire activity expected to increase throughout the day as warm temps and low RH, along with northerly winds a concern. Single tree torching with spot fire development is likely.
