September 27, 2024 10:50 a.m.

Crews made great progress in fire suppression repair work on all fires in the Homestead and Diamond complexes on Thursday.

An Umpqua National Forest update said warmer temperatures contributed to a slight uptick in fire behavior on the northwest corner of the Horse Heaven Fire and the southeast side of the Fuller Lake Fire. In addition to two helicopters assigned to the incident, two additional heavy helicopters in the nearby area provided assistance with water drops to successfully keep both fires in check.

On the Horse Heaven Fire, firefighters are progressing with mop up and continue to patrol the north side of the fire. Masticators, graders and chippers continue road work on the east side.

On the Bullpup Fire, numerous roads are still being graded and chipping is continuing. Three engines are patrolling the No Man Fire.

Two fires remain uncontained on the Diamond Complex. Crews and heavy equipment on the Potter Fire are continuing to chip and haul away woody debris and engines are actively patrolling for any signs of heat. Road graders continue to repair roads due to increased wear from heavy fire-related traffic. The west and north areas of the Pine Bench Fire are burning within the Boulder Creek Wilderness and may continue to smolder as interior fuels consume.

A warming and drying trend has moved into the area with high temperatures in the mid to high 70’s through Saturday. Sunday will be cooler with a return to warm and dry conditions next week.