Map of the location of the Timber Crater 6 Fire. Located on the northeast corner of Crater Lake National Park. (Inciweb)

NW Incident Management Team (IMT) 9, Brian Goff, Incident Commander

Crater Lake National Park, OR: Northwest Incident Management Team 9 (Incident Commander Brian Goff) took command of the Timber Crater 6 Fire at 6 a.m. today. The fire is actively burning in mixed conifer in the remote northeast corner of Crater Lake National Park. This is one of several fires ignited by lightning in and around the Park on Sunday, July 15. Other fires are being managed by other incident management teams and local resources.

With the number of new fires in the Northwest this week, firefighting resources are strained. However, the Timber Crater 6 Fire is being aggressively managed for full suppression, commensurate with values at risk and the overriding objective of public and firefighter safety. Team 9 is working to develop a strategic plan to safely suppress the Timber Crater 6 Fire. This plan may include the use of controlled burn operations south of State Highway 138 and possibly west of Highway 97. A controlled burn operation is a technique used by highly skilled firefighters to create a barrier in the path of an advancing wildfire. A low intensity fire is ignited and allowed to consume ground fuels in front of the main fire. When the main fire reaches the burned area, there are no ground fuels remaining to carry the fire and it is contained.

Any potential closures along Highway 138 needed because of smoke or fire operations will be coordinated and managed through the Oregon Department of Transportation. Travelers and Park visitors can visit OregonTripCheck.org [https://tripcheck.com/] for potential closures.

Travelers and visitors should expect to see smoke in the days ahead, due to fire operations and the number of active fires in the region; however, it is important to note that there are currently no closures within the Park associated with this year’s fire activity. Park and fire managers understand the importance of visitation and tourism.

Press release provided by Crater Lake National Park & South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership.

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