Fire crews make progress near Beatty
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The #SycanRiverFire has burned 679 acres northeast of Beatty, Oregon. (Image: SCOFMP)
UPDATED 4:04 PM, 6/1/2021: Include photos from the Sycan River Fire, courtesy SCOFMP.
BLY, Ore. – Firefighters are making great progress on the Sycan River and Yellow Jacket fires in Klamath County near Beatty. Both burns are holding steady as fire crews begin to contain the fires. The Sycan River Fire is 679 acres with 10 percent containment. The Yellow Jacket Fire is 34 acres with 20 percent containment. Smoke from both fires is visible in the area.
For the latest evacuation information, visit https://www.facebook.com/KlamathCountyGov. To sign up for Klamath County alerts, visit http://alerts.klamathcounty.org.
American Red Cross and the Klamath County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) stand ready to set up a temporary evacuation point in the Bly area (for Sycan River) and the Beatty area (for Yellow Jacket), should a level 3 (go now) evacuation order be issued.
The weather forecast today continues the pattern of summer-like temperatures, with hot and dry conditions.
The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a Fire Weather Watch in effect from Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday evening for abundant lightning on dry fuels in South Central Oregon. Thunderstorms are predicted to be moving from the southwest to northeast.
The public is asked to use extreme caution with anything that can spark a fire. Hot temperatures, dry fuels and high winds can quickly turn a small spark or ember into a large wildfire.
A helicopter works the area around the #SycanRiverFire north of Beatty, Oregon. (Image: SCOFMP)
Sycan River Fire
The Sycan River Fire (pictured above) is 679 acres and 10 percent contained. The acreage was determined through improved mapping and the fire has not grown since Monday morning. Approximately 85 percent of the fire is lined.
Firefighters have made good progress securing the fire’s edge through dozer line and burnout operations. Fire crews continue securing lines and building small amounts of handline where needed.
Approximately 225 fire personnel have been assigned to the fire. The SCOFMP Type 3 Team continues to manage the fire. Resources on the Sycan River Fire yesterday were shared with the Yellow Jacket Fire response.
A Level 2 (get set) evacuation order remains in place for the Sycan Forest Estates per the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office. This means residents need to be prepared to leave immediately if needed.
Forest Road 27 remains closed from the intersection with Forest Road 30 north to the intersection with Forest Road 46. This closure is for firefighter and public safety. This is the only road closure associated with fire in the area. However, drivers should be prepared for increased fire traffic in the area and aware of their surroundings. This includes large equipment on narrow Forest roads and traffic on area highways.
Yellow Jacket Fire
The Yellow Jacket Fire is 34 acres and 20 percent contained. The fire was reported Monday, May 31 around 2:15 PM. The fire is fully lined and mop-up activities started. Last night fire crews started removing hazard trees burning in the fire’s interior. There are numerous state, federal and contract resources working on the fire.
There are no evacuations for the Yellow Jacket Fire.