The Rock Creek Fire near Marys Peak was 75% contained as of Wednesday morning, Siuslaw National Forest reported.
Joanie Schmidgal, public affairs officer, said crews were on a “search-and-destroy mission” to detect and extinguish any remaining hotspots at the site located west of Philomath. Full containment, she added, is expected before the weekend.
“A fire like this is never ideal, but the cooperative suppression response worked,” Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor Becca Brooke said. “A rapid initial attack from our firefighters, alongside folks from Oregon Department of Forestry and Miller Timber Services, helped keep this fire footprint small. I’m very grateful for their support.”
The Rock Creek Fire started following a lightning storm in the early morning hours of Aug. 25. Additionally, firefighters are also responding to the Three Buttes Fire, located east of Florence.
Despite recent cooler temperatures and scattered rain, the Oregon Coast is described as unusually dry this summer with record low fuel-moistures.
“This means ground cover and vegetation — which can be thick and dense on the Oregon Coast — is remarkably prone to fire and rapid fire spread,” Schmidgal said.
Public-use restrictions have been in place on the Siuslaw National Forest since Aug. 16. Campfires are banned except within a select few developed campgrounds on the coast. A full rundown of Siuslaw National Forest restrictions is available online.