NorCal and SW Oregon Wildfire Report - 7/8/2025

Zeke Lunder provided a detailed update on the Green Fire, Butler Fire, and Summit Fire in Northern California and southwestern Oregon. The Green Fire, between Redding and Burney, showed significant progression with a slope reversal in late afternoon allowing the fire to run up toward the Low Pass area, in the head of Low Pass Creek, near Alder Spring.

The Butler Fire, near Orleans Mountain, is being managed with hand lines and ridgetop firing operations. The Summit Fire, in a 10-year-old burn area, is still growing. In Oregon, new fires like the Demming Fire and Neil Creek Fire pose threats, with limited resources due to ongoing incidents. Neil Creek Fire is just east of Ashland, Oregon. It has escaped initial attack and is well-established at an estimated 250 acres around 9 pm. Demming Fire is 10 miles west of Ashland and is estimated to be over 350 acres. There are fewer webcams and infrared flights in Oregon than California, so it is harder for us to provide timely intel there. We should have better mapping of these fires tomorrow.

Today’s Livestream

Summary of Livestream, below.

Green Fire picks up intensity as fire crosses Low Pass Creek and makes an afternoon run.

Green Fire Details and Challenges

Crews started constructing indirect dozer line on the east side of the fire today.
A dozer is working on a ridge between Fenders Ferry Road and Ripgut Creek.
Firefighters on the ground have expressed frustration that it has taken almost a week to get a dozer into this area since the fire first started.
The fire experienced a slope reversal around 5 pm, today, leading to increased smoke output and a significant increase in fire activity.
As of mapping at about 2 pm, the fire was poised to cross Low Pass Creek and have room to run.

Current Green Fire strategy is a combination of dozer and hand line (purple lines) on the ridge west of Fenders Ferry Road. Red is 2pm perimeter, blue lines were prepped during 2024 Shoe Fire, black lines are 2024 Shoe Fire dozer lines. Green is 2024 Shoe Fire burn area.

Fire Behavior and Potential Spread

Smoke from the Green Fire has been settling to the south at night, and the fire sits under smoke, capped by an inversion until around 1:30 – 2:00 PM.
When the inversion lifts, it allowing the fire to breathe, and fire activity picks up..
The fire’s behavior is influenced by changes in weather patterns, with frontal passages leading to more unstable atmospheric conditions, and greater potential for major fire runs.
During large fires, much of the spread occurs during discrete, significant weather events.
There is potential for the Green Fire to make significant runs, mainly when the weather (afternoon burn period) lines up with the fire arriving at places where it can run uphill and downwind.
Much of the timbered area around the Green Fire is Douglas fir and California black oak. This is not the most flammable forest type in Northern California, and spread models have been overestimating the actual rates of spread.
The greatest threat to people and timber resources is the fire crossing the Pit River. The topography and weather are not particularly aligned to spread in this direction.

The 2024 Shoe Fire, in Blue, along with dozer lines from the Shoe and 2018 Hirz Fire, may come into play if the fire progresses past the current box.

Butler Fire and Summit Fire Updates

Tactical firing continued today on the Butler Fire, and the fire had not crossed the hand line to the east by mid-afternoon.
Locals successfully burned grasslands/meadows at homes/villages near the fire today.

Butler Fire, with recent fires, and current firing ops shown in red fill. Red lines are potential control boxes.

The Summit Fire is burning in a 11-year-old burn area and is still growing to the south, despite the application of many tons of retardant over the past week.
Heavy retardant use in the headwaters of Wooley Creek, on the Summit Fire. Fire has since burned thru this and continues to spread slowly to the south.

Southern Oregon Fire Situation

The major lightning storm on 7/7/2025 started dozens of new fires in Southern Oregon, especially in the Siskiyou Mountains.
These new fires will affect resource availability for ongoing fires in NorCal. High-caliber resources like Hotshot crews and large airtankers will be sent to higher priority incidents.
The Demming Fire and Neil Creek Fire are two of the largest fires, at 350 and 250 acres, respectively. The Neil Creek Fire being particularly critical due to its location and potential for rapid spread, and proximity to the City of Ashland.