Highway 138E in Douglas County reopens after lengthy Jack Fire closure
The Oregon Department of Transportation says that the Jack Fire caused relatively little damage to the highway compared to previous wildfires in the Umpqua National Forest.
Posted: Jul 16, 2021 1:07 PM
Posted By: Jamie Parfitt
STEAMBOAT, Ore. The Oregon Department of Transportation says that Highway 138E is now open for traffic between Steamboat and Slide Creek after a long closure that started when the Jack Fire began to spread through the area.
ODOT said earlier this week that it hoped to reopen Highway 138E by this weekend as the Jack Fire now burns away from the corridor. The agency said that despite the fire s proximity to the highway, it caused relatively little damage compared to fires that came before.
Credit Oregon Department of Transportation
The Oregon Department of Transportation hopes to get HWY138E back open as soon as this weekend.
The road has been closed since July 5 between Steamboat and Slide Creek due to the Jack Fire. The fire is now burning away from 138, also called the North Umpqua Highway. Officials say the fire burnt some signs and sections of guardrail but it didn’t do as much damage to the scenic roadway as previous fires have. When the highway does reopen, there will likely be delays and slower speed limits in the burn area.
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ODOT crews hope to have fire-hit Highway 138E open again by weekend
ODOT
ODOT crews have been working to clear Highway 138E after wildfire closed it
STEAMBOAT, Ore. (KTVZ) - Crews are working to reopen Oregon Highway 138E, affected by the Jack Fire, perhaps by this weekend, the Oregon Department of Transportation said Wednesday.
The road has been closed since the afternoon of July 5 between Steamboat and Slide Creek (MP 38-55). The Jack Fire is now burning away from the North Umpqua Highway. It caused minimal damage to the highway as compared to previous fires in the scenic corridor.
“The fire burned in steep, rocky terrain, but we didn’t have nearly as many big trees fall across the highway as we’ve seen in previous fires,” said ODOT Interim District Manager Jeremiah Griffin.
Crews make significant progress fighting Jack Fire
The fire is threatening the Dry Creek area east of Glide.
Posted: Jul 12, 2021 6:09 PM
Updated: Jul 12, 2021 7:46 PM
Posted By: KEZI Staff
6 Images
DRY CREEK, Ore. The Jack Fire has grown to nearly 12,500 acres on Monday and is still 10% contained.
Officials said they made significant progress over the weekend and feel confident about securing the area.
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“Firefighters have been doing a great job particularly in areas up north of Highway 138. They have completed containment lines and completed areas of burnt fuel and created protection around the Dry Creek community,” said Jack Fire Public Information Officer Shannon Dunfee.