The Toolbox Complex

North Lake School Incident Command Post

(541) 576-2654

News Update

July 24, 2002 @ 10:30 a.m. (amended from 7:30 a.m. edition)

Date of Start: 07/12/2002 Cause: Lightning

Size: 74,224 acres (Silver 21,776; Toolbox 52,448 (includes Winter Fire Portion of Toolbox Complex) Containment: 40 percent

Resources: 4 helicopters, 79 engines, 25 dozers, and 23 water tenders

Personnel: 1,311 Cooperating Agencies: Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, local fire departments and law enforcement agencies, and private contractors.

Cost: $4,770,000

Road Closures: Highway 31 closed due to heavy smoke and poor visibility. It reopened at 4:00 a.m.

The Toolbox Fire had a substantial amount of activity on its north side during the late afternoon and evening yesterday, as it burned across the containment line into an area at the top of Juniper Ridge. At one point, the power line breaker was snapped; but the line was not significantly damaged and power was not lost. The slopover burned approximately 1,200 acres, a figure determined from an IR flight. The previous figure of 65 acres only included what was burned out by firefighters last night. The fire burned actively until the sun went down, producing huge amounts of smoke. Highway 31 was closed at approximately 9:00 p.m. due to the poor visibility, but reopened. Engines and crews were put in place near residences on the south and west sides of Silver Lake to provide structure protection, if necessary; but no evacuations took place.

By comparison, there was little significant activity on the Silver Fire yesterday, primarily due to it having received more rainfall Monday evening. There is a good containment line around nearly half of the Silver Fire, and crews are making good progress on building additional line.

California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 is also now managing the Lava Fire as part of the Toolbox Complex. It is roughly 1,600 acres at this time and is burning in a remote lava field approximately 14 miles north of Christmas Valley. It was ignited by lightning on July 13, 2002, and is currently being monitored. Due to the difficult and treacherous terrain, it will not be aggressively fought until it begins to move out of the lava field.

The Incident Command Post and base camp are now located at the North Lake School. The Information Office is located in the main school building and is the second classroom on the left when entering through the front door.