Cooler overnight temperatures have allowed crews working on the Board Shanty Fire to hold control lines and finish installing hose lays around the full perimeter.
Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 3 reported this morning that the wildfire burning south of Grants Pass was holding at 474 acres with 14% containment. The perimeter of the wildfire is now completely lined.
Firefighters continued mop-up on all flanks of the fire yesterday. Mopping up is the arduous process of digging around the burnt edge of the fire lines and cooling the area with water until all heat is removed.
ODF officials said extreme slopes continue to pose a hazard for burning debris that may roll across fire lines. Firefighters remain vigilant in assessing hazards and patrolling for spot fires in the area. Aviation crews continued with weekend water drops to cool hot spots, allowing ground crews to work around the perimeter.
Due to progress on the fire, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office has downgraded existing Level 2 "Be Set" evacuation notices to Level 1 "Be Ready" for Zones JCU-436, JCU-437 and JCU-448-A. The Level 1 notice for Zone JCU-448-B in Josephine County remains in place, but it has been dropped for Zone JAC-068 in Jackson County.
Incident resources devoted to the Board Shanty Fire today totaled 809 personnel including 31 hand crews, 35 engines, 14 water tenders, 12 bulldozers and 12 helicopters.
Commanders praised crews for keeping the fire away from the emergency response radio tower near the top of the mountain ridge to allow communications to remain uninterrupted for local communities.
