8/7/2015 Cable Crossing Fire Update

Fire managers now estimate containment on the Cable Crossing Fire at 60 percent. “We are quickly winding down this fire and wrapping it up. Your hard work and dedication brought us to this point and I want to thank you for that,” Link Smith, Incident Commander on the Cable Crossing Fire, told fire crews gathered at the morning briefing.

Fire crews continue to make steady progress on mop up operations, making nightly use of hand-held infrared scanners to detect residual heat. “We want to be very thorough as we mop up and make a smooth transition back to the Douglas Forest Protective Association,” remarked Mike White, Night Shift Operations Section Chief.

The day shift remains focused on mop up, tonight’s operations will shift to patrol status with three crews scanning for lingering heat and two engines scouting for smoke and flare ups from the road network.

As the fire winds down, rehabilitation efforts have begun to mitigate damage from suppression activities. Crews will be installing water bars on dozer line to control soil erosion, protect water quality and prevent sediment from entering streams and rivers. Several small creeks in the burned area flow into the North Umpqua Wild and Scenic River which is home to renowned populations of salmon and steelhead. 

The current acreage for the fire is at 1,848. The fire area and forest roads remain closed to the public. Both lanes of Highway 138 are now open.