Night crews prep fire line for day crew reinforcement
/
Firefighters gather for the morning briefing. (Ward Fire Facebook)
Favorable weather conditions helped crews continue to make solid progress yesterday. John Pellissier, Operations Section Chief, summed it up during the briefing as night shift firefighters prepared to go out. “Today we had a good day of work, building off good work last night”.
During night shift, crews finished laying hose along the west, north, and east flanks of the fireline. Today, crews will improve the firelines and continue mop up deeper into the burned area. Mop up along much of the lines has reached 30 to 50 feet into the burned area.
The southern flank of the fire is perched atop the steep canyon rim, over- looking the Klamath River. Fire managers seized an opportunity yesterday to have crews scratch-in some basic handline, which is the first step toward securing the extremely steep slopes below the canyon rim. Night crews avoided the steep terrain in observance of safety, and crews today will begin improving the line along the southern edge of the fire.
Today’s weather forecast calls for warmer and dryer conditions with winds from the west with gusts of 4-10 mph. Firefighters expect that the increasing temperature and wind will allow smoldering areas of the fire to flame up.
Safety considerations continue to be snags, rattlesnakes, power lines, and rolling debris on the steep slopes on the southern edge of the fire.
Fire Maps
Ward Fire infrared map. August 12, 2019
Ward Fire Perimeter Map. August 12, 2019
Klamath Falls News coverage of the 2019 Wildfire Season is brought to you by Ace Towing.
Ace Towing helps with emergency road side assistance 24-hours a day. They help with lockouts, jump starts, collision towing, flat tires, fuel and more.
Related
August 11, 2019 - Ward Fire holds thanks to firefighters and cooler than normal temperatures
August 11, 2019 - Minimal Growth on the Ward Fire overnight [VIDEO]
August 10, 2019 - Ward Fire burns over 1300 acres
August 9, 2019 - Multiple fires burning in South Central Oregon this evening
Ward Fire Details
Cause: Lightning
Size: 1301 acres
Containment: 24%
Location:
• 21 Miles southwest of Klamath Falls, Oregon
• 13 Miles west of Keno, Oregon
Resources:
• 348 Personnel
• 10 Hand Crews
• 18 Engines
• 2 Dozers
• 6 Water Tenders
• 4 Skidgines
• 1 LEAD
• 9 Helicopters
Evacuations: None
Structures:
• Threatened: None
• Damaged: None
• Destroyed: None
Closures: None
Fuels:
• Timber
• Grass
• Brush