Fire threatens to burn Pacific Crest Trail
Composite image of Lonesome Complex Fire photograph and Pacific Crest Trail sign. By Mark Furman, KVAL.com Web producer
The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest ordered about 13 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail closed to entry south of Crater Lake National Park, one of numerous road the trail closures due to the Lonesome Complex of forest fires. | CLICK HERE FOR LIST The danger to the public includes the fire, which can jump more than a mile as burning debris is carried by the wind. Firefighting activities also pose a risk to public safey. The Pacific Cresk Trail follows the mountains of California, Oregon and Washington 2,650 miles from the border of Mexico to the Canadian border. Each year, 300 people attempt to hike the entire trail. Anyone on the trail south of Crater Lake will have to take a detour around the Lonesome Complex, an almost 6,000 acre fire burning east of Prospect, Ore. The fire is 15 percent contained. Click here or on the map image for a map showing the progress of the fire.
Hikers and hunters need to be aware of trail closures. Check before you go: Neitzel said vandals have torn down closure signs posted at trailheads. "That's a real life safety issue," he said. "Somebody tears down the sign, and hunters and hikers come in unaware of the closure." Plans are already in place to assess damage to the trail and begin planning for repairs before the fire is even out. "When it's safe enough during the fire," Neitzel said, "a rehab team will assess the trail and the damage to infrastructure. With forest fires like Lonesonme, "we've actually got a plan in place for rehab even before the fire is out," he said. |
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"We've actually got a bunch of wilderness rangers we brought in to patrol that area," said Eric Neitzel, a fire information officer assigned to the blaze. "They actually evacuated a couple folks out of there yesterday."
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