Flat Fire near Agness on July 15, 2023. The fire started near Oak Flat Campground along the Illinois River.
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
The Flat Fire is spreading quickly in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest between Gold Beach and Grants Pass. Poor weather conditions Sunday night and early Monday morning contributed to the quick spread. An interagency fire team took over management of the fire from local agencies on Monday.
A reported 378 crew members are working the fire, which threatens around 40 structures in and around the small community of Agness. On Monday, teams worked on setting up firelines to prevent the fire from spreading further.
The Flat Fire is the largest wildfire currently burning in Oregon and more teams and equipment are expected to arrive in the coming days.
An evacuation shelter has been set up at Gold Beach High School for anyone displaced by the fire. As of Monday, there were no evacuations ordered. Residents can sign up for emergency notifications with the Curry County Emergency Management Department with Everbridge.
There are also no official closures ordered in the area, but it’s advised that people stay out, and avoid getting in the way of firefighting operations. The area where the fire is burning is very remote, with a population of around 300 in the zip code around Agness. It’s a popular recreational area along the Rogue and Illinois rivers. The rugged, mountainous terrain makes it more difficult for firefighting crews to access the area.
A Facebook page has been created for the fire, and further updates from agencies will be included there. The fire is currently burning on both sides of the Illinois River.
This picture was taken yesterday 7/17 in the afternoon looking downstream on the Rogue River. Image Credit: Dana...
Posted by Flat Fire - Southern Oregon 2023 on Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Doug Epperson from that interagency team said this fire is burning in new vegetation after the 2002 Biscuit Fire, which is one of the largest fires in Oregon’s known history.
Related: Revisiting the Biscuit Fire 10 years after the historic burn
“There’s been a lot of growth since then,” he said. “But we can also take some information on what we learned back at that time on how to help with this fire.”
A red flag warning remains in effect through Tuesday morning, meaning weather conditions will continue to help the fire spread. An air quality advisory has also been issued for parts of Curry and Josephine counties. Air quality may be impacted because of smoke from the Flat Fire.