News

September 06, 2006 - String of wildfires ignite along CA Highway 161

Around 4 p.m. on September 6, a string of 9 wildfires broke out along CA Highway 161. Within minutes, more than 11 fire engines, two helicopters, one bulldozer and an air attack platform were dispatched to the scene. The fires were confined to an area either immediately north or south of the highway and stretched as far east as Highway 161 and Malone Road to as far west as Highway 161 and Merrill Pit Road. Two of the fires burned in Lower Klamath NWR, consuming an area nearly 6.7 acres in size. All together the nine fires scorched almost 8.1 acres.

Since portions of California's Highway 161 - commonly referred to as "Stateline" - straddle the California Oregon border, it took some time for firefighters to sort out the jurisdictional responsibilities for each blaze. Jurisdictions aside, all responding agencies worked together to safely extinguish the blazes and eliminate the smoke impacts to travelers along the highway. Crew also worked expediently to keep the fires from entering adjacent farm fields.

Responding resources came from a multitude of federal, state, county and local/volunteer agencies including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, US National Park Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, Tulelake Volunteer Fire Department, Merrill Volunteer Fire Department, California Highway Patrol, Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office and California Department of Transportation.

The cause of the fires remains under investigation. Anyone with any information should contact the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex at 530-667-2231.