August 28, 2023 10:00 a.m.
The Tyee Ridge Complex is nearing 2,900 acres and remains 5 percent contained.
An update from the Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 1 and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office Red Team said overnight crews made good progress building hand and dozer line on the Tyee Mountain, Hardscrabble and Big Tom Fires. Strategic backfiring helped reinforce these lines and created additional safety zones for firefighters. Lines held successfully on the Yellow Point and Blue Hole fires. On the Cougar Fire, crews established a handline and hose lay from Hubbard Creek up to the bluffs. Efforts were aided by slightly cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity. With steep terrain, rolling material and falling snags continue to be a challenge and caused slop overs of the fire across lines on the Hardscrabble and Cougar Creek fires.
More firefighters and equipment are arriving from around the nation, including hotshot crews and heavy equipment. Day shift operations expect to continue building on Sunday night’s progress. That will include dozer line on Big Tom, Hardscrabble and Cougar Creek. This will allow further strategic backfiring over the next few operational periods. Twelve helicopters are in use and will be dropping water on the fires when smoke conditions permit.
Weather at the fires is expected to be in the mid 70’s with areas of smoke. Where smoke is present, it will help moderate fire behavior.
All evacuation notices issued by the Douglas County Sherriff’s Office remain unchanged. The Red Cross shelter is now at The Way Church at 1352 East Central Avenue in Sutherlin. To shelter livestock, contact the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 957-7010. The Sutherlin rodeo grounds are open for livestock as well. Companion pets can be sheltered at Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center in Winchester. To view the current evacuation map, go to: www.dcso.com/evacuations.
The Tyee Ridge Complex management teams will hold a community meeting Monday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Roseburg Country Club on Garden Valley Road. It will be streamed on Facebook Live and on You Tube.
656 people are assigned to Tyee Ridge Complex. Updates on the fire can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/tyeeridgecomplex\