“It seems like the fire went to sleep,” said Cave Junction resident Heather Newman, as she examined a fire map Sunday night during a community meeting held at Illinois Valley High School. “I just hope this sleeping giant doesn’t wake up.”
And while fire officials confirmed there’s been little growth and no active flame in most of the Chetco Bar Fire’s eastern side for a few days, they cautioned against complacency.
“Conditions might change as the weather heats up,” East Zone Incident Commander Brian Gales said, noting that the 188,284-acre fire — one of the nation’s largest — could still cause trouble. “With three to five days of drying, the fire could take some small runs, but I don’t think you’ll see a wall of fire coming at the fire lines.”
The previous week’s fire meeting was jammed beyond capacity, with hundreds of concerned — some almost frantic — citizens standing elbow-to-elbow, but this week, after four days of smoke-free air, everyone was able to find a chair.
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