Middle Fork Fire 37% contained: Crater Lake North Entrance Reopen For Labor Day Weekend

UPDATE 3: Middle Fork Fire Update: 70% Contained, Covers 5,286 acres

UPDATE 2: Middle Fork Fire Update: Over 5,286 Acres, Containment At 58%

UPDATE: Middle Fork Fire 52% Contained As Firefighting Continues

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — The U.S. Forest Service reported that 5,280 acres of the Middle Fork Fire burning in Crater Lake had been contained by 37% contained. The fire will not interrupt Labor Day plans as the north gate of Crater Lake National Park has been temporarily opened.

Firefighters containing Middle Fork Fire

The Forest Service confirmed that progress has been made in containing the fire by 3 crews who have deployed minimally invasive suppression tactics (MIST). They are also removing hazardous trees to ensure firefighter safety along the North Entrance Road and the 230 Road.

To allow firefighters to conduct hazard reduction work, the entrance to Crater Lake was closed as the Middle Fork Fire burned more than 5,000 acres in the northwest corner of the park. While the road was closed at the time of the release, the park is temporarily open as infrared monitoring spots limited spread.

Many roads are affected by the fire and the closure starts at T30S, R03E, Sec. 35. Following Highway 62 east from the intersection of Highways 62 and 230, the closures then move to the Rogue River on the boundary between Crater Lake National Park and Siskiyou National Forest. After that, it continues along the Rogue River towards Highway 230.

At Highway 230, road closures follow the Rogue River until the river gets to Forest Service Road 37. From there, they head south- to Highway 230 and eventually follow the highway until it intersects Highway 62. The road closures are:

• Within the park: Bert Creek, Bald Crater Loop, Bert Creek, Boundary Springs, and Lightning Springs Trails are closed.
• The Pacific Crest Trail between the Dutton Ridge and the Intersection with Highway 138 is closed.

The highways themselves are not part of the forest closure but the latest updates can be found on a website here.

Crater Lake Park Temporarily Open For Labor Day Weekend

From 7 a.m. this Saturday- August 31 to Monday, September 2. (the Labor Day weekend) the North Entrance Road To Crater Lake National Park is open temporarily but will be closed again on September 3 at 6 a.m. To find out what the current park conditions being experienced are:

• Call Crater Lake National Park at 541-594-3000
• Or see their Facebook page here.

Construction work is also happening at the same time so part of Crater Lake Park’s East Rim Drive is also closed. Driving around the lake will not be an option but the road is open up to the closure points for any “out-and-back” travel.

There are currently no evacuations underway.