August 5, 2021 9:50 a.m. 

The Skyline Ridge Complex has topped 1,500 acres.

An update from Northwest Incident Management Team 1 said two Oregon Air National Guard Black Hawk helicopters have joined eight other helicopters in dropping water on the fires in southern Douglas County. The update said those drops are key, given the steep terrain and heavy timber and brush facing firefighters.

518 people are now working in the Complex, with the number of hand crews almost doubling since Wednesday. There are also nine more fire engines and a tripling of heavy equipment, including dozers. Containment remains at 0 percent.

The update said ground crews will benefit from cooler temperatures in the fire area. Heavy fuels continue to burn, sending burning debris rolling downhill and across control lines. Firefighters will be put on alert to put out any new spot fires caused by such rollouts.

The Poole Creek Fire is the largest fire in the Complex at just over 1,100 acres. The O’Shea Creek Fire is 182 acres, the Ike Butte Fire is 124 acres, Sweat Creek is 56 acres while Turkey Creek is 15 acres and the McGinnis Fire is at 11 acres.

The remaining fires are less than an acre or two. Many have fire lines around them.