The Ridge Fire was started by lightning on August 25, 2023 around 7:03 PM. It is burning on the Calapooya Ridge of the Umpqua National Forest, approximately eight miles northeast of Highway 138. A small portion of the fire has burned into the Boulder Creek Wilderness.

Northwest Incident Management Team 6 assumed command of the Chilcoot and Ridge Fires on September 12, 2023 and will now be managing the Brice Creek, Dinner, and Grizzly Fires as Branch I and the Chilcoot and Ridge Fires as Branch II. The team will continue to implement their strategic approach to managing these full-suppression fires with current operational staff, equipment, and aircraft.

Timber (Litter and Understory)
Closed Timber Litter
Brush (2 feet)

Fuels consist of timber litter. In mature stands, duff, snags and heavy loading of larger logs and down woody debris exists with areas of shrub and herbaceous fuels. Also, in mature stands, abundant moss and lichen fuels are present. Moss and lichen are also present in older second growth stands, along with duff, needle litter and a moderate loading of 100hr and 1000hr fuels. Scattered shrub layer is also present in these stands. In younger second growth stands, fuels consist of needle litter with scattered jackpots of down woody debris. Moss and lichen fuels are scattered and less abundant in younger stands.

Minimal
Creeping
Smoldering

Fire activity continues to be minimal, however, a warming and drying trend is slowly increasing fuel availability in any unburned pockets inside the fire perimeter. Larger diameter fuels continue to consume along with low intensity burning in the duff and stump holes. No perimeter growth observed, creeping and smoldering limited to areas interior to the fire edge.