Klamath County sheriff’s deputies began handing out citations and issued a stern warning that they may start arresting people who refuse to follow evacuation orders as the intense Bootleg fire continues to burn national forestland and threaten several small southern Oregon towns.
The wildfire grew to around 153,000 acres by Monday morning after dangerous weekend conditions prompted firefighters to pull back and move to safety zones. Crews were back on the fire lines by Sunday.
The fire is burning in the Fremont-Winema National Forest and on private land north of Sprague River and Beatty, about a 45-mile drive northeast from Klamath Falls. The fire is 0% contained.
Fire managers on Sunday extended a Level 3 (go now) evacuation zone to areas near unincorporated Beatty, with a population of around 120 people. The Level 3 area stretched north to the Scyan River area. It covered roughly the northern portions of Beatty and the northern-most rural part of Bly, population about 500. The main parts of Beatty, Sprague River (population about 600) and Bly were on Level 2 (get set) evacuation notices. South of Oregon 140, including southern portions of Beatty and Bly, were at Level 1 (be ready).
About 1,200 single-family homes remained at risk, fire officials said.
The National Weather Service in Medford issued an alert that the fire was expected to experience dangerous and rapid growth. “The fire has doubled in size in each day for the last three days,” the alert said on Sunday. “If you live in or near an evacuation area, get set to leave. No possession is worth your life.”
A public information map of the Bootleg fire designating evacuation zones.
“While firefighting and containment efforts continue through the day, fire managers are adding more crews to night shift because weather conditions are better for fighting the fire as well as for building containment lines,” fire officials said in a statement. “Crews are also working on structural triage, defensible space and protection. Following (Saturday’s) significant fire growth, crews are scouting new locations for safe, effective primary and secondary containment lines around the entire fire perimeter.”
The response grew to 83 fire engines and more than 900 firefighters, with more on the way, said Rich Saalsaa, a public information officer with the Oregon State Fire Marshal assigned to the Bootleg fire. Helicopters and airplanes were making water and retardant drops, officials said.
Trees, brush and other fuel in the area are so dry that embers can immediately ignite them in the full sun and even in the shade, Saalsaa said.
“It’s a very scary fire,” he said. “It’s moving so fast it’s creating its own weather climate.”
The wildfire grew from 16,814 acres on Thursday to 47,554 acres Friday, 76,897 acres Saturday and 143,607 acres by Sunday morning. Overnight growth by Monday morning added 5,000 acres to the fire.
The cause remains under investigation.
On Saturday, “conditions were so extreme that firefighters needed to disengage and move to predetermined safety zones,” fire managers said in an update. The “extreme behavior” led to four miles of fire growth to the east and north, they said.
“The fire moved through Sycan Estates, crossed the East-West road, and burned about 8 additional miles along the high voltage powerline corridor (for a total of 12 miles),” they said. “Damage to structures and infrastructure is being assessed; some structures have been lost.”
Due to the size of the fire, the Sheriff’s Office couldn’t confirm if every person had been evacuated as of Sunday morning. Deputies continue to circle the area to ensure people are contacted, said Stacey Todd, a spokesperson for Klamath County Emergency Management.
She couldn’t recall a time the Sheriff’s Office warned of citations or arrests for failing to evacuate during a wildfire.
“I think the message has gotten out that this is a very serious fire that is unpredictable and is very high-risk to the area,” Todd said. “However, there are always people that would prefer to stay. And that is an unhealthy choice, but it is a choice nonetheless.”
The Sheriff’s Office on Saturday said it was taking “the rare step” to keep people out of Level 3 evacuation areas.
“We have advised people to evacuate over the last several days,” sheriff’s officials wrote in a statement. “Some have not listened to those warnings and continue to travel within the restricted area.”
Officials said unnecessary traffic in the area east of Sprague River Road hampered firefighting efforts. “There is a very high probability that we may not be able to get to you with additional warnings,” the statement said.
Todd said agencies from all over the state are helping fight the wildfire.
“I was just mind-blown by the incredible outpouring of support from all these different agencies in this very rural area,” she said.
Bootleg fire evacuation notices as of Sunday morning:
Level 3 (go now):
- North of the town of Beatty. East side of Godowa Springs Road north of the OC and E Trail to the Klamath County Line
- Near the town of Sprague River. Upper tableland area north of Oregon Pines Road
Level 2 (get set):
- Near the town of Sprague River. Klamath Forrest Estates/Moccasin Hills Area
- West side of Godowa Springs Road, south of Oregon Pines Road and Tableland Road to the river
Level 1 (be ready):
- Between Beatty and Bly 3 miles south of Highway 140 from Yellow Jacket Springs to Fishhole Creek
- The area from the intersection of Sprague River Road and Forbes Road extending east to Godowa Springs and Yellow Jacket Springs and south of the Sprague River 4 miles
In Douglas County, the Jack fire grew about 2,000 acres west of Tokatee on Sunday to 10,937, or a little more than 17 square miles, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal Blue Incident Team.
The fire was 10% contained as of 11:30 a.m., according to the agency. Officials said about 781 people are actively fighting the fire along with 53 vehicles — four aircraft, five dozers and 44 engines. About 240 structures are currently threatened by the blaze, the fire marshal said.
The fire hasn’t claimed any structures so far.
Smoke from the blaze made the air unhealthy for sensitive groups in Shady Cove, Crater Lake and Tokatee, the fire marshal said.
Deputy Incident Commander Steve Hawkins said crews spent Sunday tying off the fire at its northwest corner toward a control line, keeping it from the cities of Glide and Roseburg.
Forest Service campgrounds, including those at Apple Creek, Horseshoe Bend and Eagle Rock, were placed on Level 3 (go) evacuation orders. People who live near Fall Creek and residents of Illahee Road were under the same evacuation designation.
-- Ardeshir Tabrizian; atabrizian@oregonian.com; 503-929-3053; @ardytabrizian
-- Eder Campuzano of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report.