Wednesday Morning Archie Creek Fire Update, Sept 16th

Firefighters continue to work in the Little River area with heavy machinery, engines and crews, to construct and hold containment lines. Structure protection resources remain in place along Little River Road. On the far eastern portion of the fire, crews are allowing the fire to slowly back down the hillside to Panther Creek where crews have prepared roads to hold the fire. Heading north from Highway 138E, firefighters are scouting and constructing both primary and secondary containment lines from the Canton Creek area into the Upper Rock Creek area. Containment lines from South Calapooya Creek down to Glide continue to hold. Suppression efforts on the Archie Creek Fire were boosted yesterday by an additional 125 personnel from the Oregon National Guard. These soldiers are working to hold containment lines around the perimeter of the fire and mop-up hot spots near structures. Total personnel assigned to the incident is now 773 people. Air resources were grounded again yesterday due to safety concerns because of the thick smoke. Four helicopters and two Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) remain available in the area for use when the smoke clears. Winds today are likely to push the smoke from west to east, providing some relief to residents and firefighters. When smoke lifts, temperatures will rise and humidity will decrease leading to increased fire activity. Highway 138E remains closed to non-fire traffic from Milepost 21 through Milepost 83. Crews from the Oregon Department of Transportation, Douglas County Public Works Department, Pacific Power and their contractors continue to work along Highway 138E, Rock Creek Road and other county-maintained roads within the footprint of the Archie Creek Fire. The Archie Creek Fire has burned 125,498 acres and is 20% contained. The breakdown of acres by ownership include: • 62,623 acres of private lands • 38,536 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands • 24,300 acres of US Forest Service (USFS) lands • 39 acres of State of Oregon lands The Glide and Idleyld Post Offices are back open their normal hours as of today. Landowners above Idleyld Store will be allowed to return to their homes on Thursday between 12 noon and 7pm. Proof of residence is required to gain access. Access is not being allowed for the general public yet.