VIDEO: Significant progress has been made on the Upper Applegate fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon. Responding fire agencies utilized multiple resources to bring containment up but crews are still faced with some hazards. Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Districtโs Natalie Weber said, โWe use retardant from those air tankers to create temporary fire lines, and you can see on this fire where it actually did corral that and stop it from burning into more green areas.โ
Weber said as of Thursday afternoon about 70 percent of the approximately 470-acre fire is lined. Crews are focused on working to line the northern side of the fire where there are a lot of hazardous trees. โWeโre mitigating those risks where we can,โ Weber continued. โItโs dangerous for our firefighters to work in there. We want them to be able to do it safely, but we also want to get this line complete.โ Crews are also aware of other hazardous factors. โWe are predicted to have more wind today and thatโs really a huge factor in the growth we saw [Wednesday],โ Weber said.
Last year saw a fire by the same name in a nearly identical area, the burn scar on the other side of Little Applegate Road. Weber said the Applegate Valley is very susceptible to fast moving fires, โItโs very โhill-y.โ Thereโs a lot of valleys and hills and fire really likes to run up those drainages. We also have a lot of dry vegetation.โ Because of the fire prone area, resources were aggressively used to address this fire. โEight crews, seven engines, six water tenders and dozers as well; putting in that line and reinforcing it,โ said Weber.
