USFS: Slater, Devil fires finally contained, closures remain in place

Two fires that sparked over the summer on national forestland in Northern California have finally been contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The Slater and Devil Fires burned on the Klamath, Rogue River-Siskiyou and Six Rivers national forests for more than two months. The arrival of cooler, wetter weather helped fire officials make progress, and they declared both contained on Nov. 16.

The Slater fire burned 157,270 acres. It started in the Klamath National Forest Sept. 8 near Happy Camp in Siskiyou County, in the area of the Slater Butte Lookout, according to the USFS. The Devil Fire was reported a day later, and burned 8,857 acres, within the Klamath and Rogue River-Siskiyou national forests. It started on upper Devil’s Peak, according to officials.

"Severe fire weather conditions caused extreme fire behavior that quickly overwhelmed the community of Happy Camp," the USFS said.

The fires destroyed destroying 197 homes and killed two residents, according to the USFS.

While the fires have been declared contained, officials said hazardous conditions remain throughout the burned areas.

"Many dead, standing trees exist along roadways, trails and in the interior of the fires and high-severity fire has left soils in an unstable condition in some locations," the USFS said.

As a result, closures remain in effect on the Klamath and Rogue River-Siskiyou national forests in fire areas, though their scope has been reduced.

The Grayback Road is included in the closure, as burned trees continue to pose a risk to travelers, according to officials. Work continues along this road to mitigate hazards.

Current closure information for the Klamath National Forest can be found here, and for the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, here.

The causes of the Slater and Devil fires remain under investigation.