August 3, 2021 10:45 a.m. 

Firefighters spent much of Monday locating and combating new lightning starts in and around the Jack Fire and Rough Patch Complex and are continuing to do so.

John Spencer, operations chief for Northwest Incident Management Team 13 said Monday was “…very active, very busy with new starts”.

The update said a morning reconnaissance flight identified 15 new lightning starts resulting from thunderstorms moving through the area Sunday evening. Fire crews began suppression efforts on six of those starts Monday and are beginning to address the remaining fires.

Four starts were successfully contained in and around the southern end of the Jack Fire. Work will continue on three others. Unsafe conditions created by standing dead trees and steep ground in the Copeland Creek drainage forced crews to disengage and identity strategies for addressing the 8th ignition, which they will begin to implement.

The update said fire managers are reassessing the overall objectives for the Jack Fire due to the locations of the new starts. The fire footprint remains at 23,002 acres and is 77 percent contained.

On the Rough Patch Complex crews continued working along the 3821 Road and the 130 spur near the Rock Creek staging area to connect the southernmost containment line and preparing line along the 650 Road in the Chimney Rock area and the 3820 Road from the east.

The complex is located 26 miles east of Cottage Grove between Tiller and Glide was designated July 29th to address multiple lightning starts. A total of 17 fires have burned about 429 acres.

The update said fire managers are working with private landowners and timber companies to coordinate the removal of logging equipment and some log decks located within the complex and strategize protection measures for other stockpiles.