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In the early afternoon of Saturday, July 13, a lightning storm began in the northwest corner of California, crossed the state line into Siskiyou National Forest in southwest Oregon, and moved northeast toward Crater Lake sparking dozens of small fires in its wake. Several of these fires on the Siskiyou grew large and merged together, becoming the biggest wildfire in Oregon history – a mega-inferno that has consumed close to half a million acres of forest land, including nearly the entire 180,000-acre Kalmiopsis Wilderness, and in late July caused the 17,000 residents of the Illinois Valley to be placed on...

Published: August 16, 2002 By Kent Gray, Triplicate staff writer Fire officials have acknowledged a request was made to attempt to extinguish the Biscuit Fire when it was only 100 acres, but that request was turned down. "They offered to make one run on the fire to do bucket work for one fuel cycle," said Paul Galloway, information officer for the Biscuit Fire said. "But management didn't believe that would be helpful. There were no ground crews to take advantage of it and it would have had minimal effect." Del Norte County Supervisor Chuck Blackburn said yesterday the helicopter crew...

August 10, 2002 Florence fire jumps lines, makes tracks for Brookings By PAUL FATTIG Medford Florence fire jumps lines, makes tracks for Brookings Mail Tribune The dog days of August continue to hound firefighters battling the southern flank of the 331,375-acre Florence fire. As temperatures rise, residents in the hamlet of Wilderness Retreat along the Chetco River more than a half-dozen miles east of Brookings have been warned to evacuate on a moment’s notice if the fire flares up along its southwest flank. However, the fire is about three and a half miles from the scattered homes and as of...

Grants Pass- U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth said thinning national forests and restoring the natural role of fire in the ecosystem should be made top priority after he toured the largest active wildfire in the nation.The Florence Fire was threatening to become the largest wildfire in state history after expanding to 308,000 acres on the Siskiyou National Forest and adjoining lands in southwestern Oregon and Northern California.The largest wildfire in Oregon was the Tillamook Fire in 1933 which burned 311,000 in the northwest corner of the state.The threat to 17,000 people of the Illinois Valley has eased, but the...

Forest Service Chief Calls for Controlled Burns 08/09/2002 By JEFF BARNARD, Associated Press Writer U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth toured the Florence Fire Thursday and said it is imperative to thin national forests and restore the natural role of fire in the ecosystem. Bosworth said he wanted a firsthand look at the largest active wildfire in the nation, to see how well the national firefighting effort is dealing with what could become the worst wildfire season in history. "The most important thing we can do in a good part of the West is doing some thinning and reintroduce fire...

Florence, Sour Biscuit Fires Merge 08/08/2002 By KGW and AP Staff Shifting winds helped merge the Florence and Sour Biscuit Fires, creating a megafire that appeared to be heading back towards the southern Oregon hamlet of Agness. The Florence and Sour Biscuit fires have burned more than 285,000 acres on the Siskiyou National Forest in southwestern Oregon and California since lightning struck July 13. Florence was 10 percent contained and Sour Biscuit 30 percent, authorities said. The threat to the 17,000 residents of the Illinois Valley diminished as crews burned out the last of a 40-mile containment line protecting O'Brien,...

Agness residents receive evacuation warning By JEFF BARNARD The Associated Press 8/7/02 2:01 AM GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- The Curry County sheriff on Tuesday warned residents of more than 220 homes around the white-water rafting community of Agness to be ready to evacuate in case the Florence Fire moves closer. Firefighters and deputies began going house to house through the settlements of Agness, Illahe, and Oak Flat, located at the confluence of the Rogue and Illinois rivers within three to six miles of the northern flank of the Florence Fire. "If we come talk to you a second time,...

NW Cable News August 5, 2002 Fire threat drops in southern Oregon 08/05/2002 CAVE JUNCTION, Ore. - Cooler, humid weather both helped and hampered fire crews Sunday as they worked round the clock to get an upper hand on the Florence fire. Low winds, temperatures in the 70s and high humidity meant the fire was not active and had not grown significantly. But the wet weather was also preventing crews from starting burnouts, or planned fires used to starve the main blaze of its fuel. "Even though this is slowing the fire, it's still hurting what we do," said Tom...

30-mile fire front menaces southwest Oregon towns 07/30/02 BETH QUINN CAVE JUNCTION -- Wildland firefighters battled to keep a 30-mile-long wall of fire from reaching the Illinois Valley on Monday where 17,000 people were warned to get ready to flee. From Our Advertiser As the 70,000 acre Florence fire roared south toward the 20,000-acre Sour Biscuit blaze, firefighters dug a last-ditch fire line stretching along the western edge of the valley and southwestern Oregon communities. Sixteen bulldozers worked the line on the steep ridges west of Woodrat, Tennessee and Eight Dollar mountains while 14 more wait along U.S. 199 in...

Wildfire News Fires burning on more than 272,000 acres across Oregon The Associated Press 7/29/02 1:03 AM Major wildfires were burning on 272,422 acres in Oregon on Sunday. About 12,503 firefighters are working in the state. The Northwest Interagency Communication Center is tracking at least 15 major fires in Oregon. Top priorities for fire officials were the Cache Mountain fire, Sheldon Ridge fire and Biscuit-Florence-Sour fire. WHITE RIVER Started: 7/23/02, one mile east of Maupin Size: 25,000 acres Containment: 95 percent. Evacuations: mandatory evacuation of White River campground 7/24/02; Bake Oven Road and Buckhollow Road reopened, 7/27/02. Lower Deschutes River...