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Today’s Klamath Falls Headlines

Firefighters continue to respond to new lightning fires on the Klamath National Forest

YREKA, Calif., August 2, 2025 — After five consecutive days of thunderstorms the Klamath National Forest has detected a total of 29 lightning fires. Of those, 19 have been contained. The largest fire, the Big Cliff just west of the Russian Wilderness, was transferred to the Orleans Complex to be managed by the incident management team. Of the 29 total fires, fourteen were detected on August 2, many of which were in the Highway 96 corridor. Crews engaged in aggressive initial attack, keeping the fires small.

August 2 fires by district:

Happy Camp-Oak Knoll Ranger District

• Peak Fire – On the north side of Tim’s Peak, about eight miles north-northeast of Happy Camp. It is 1/10 acre and staffed with smokejumpers.
• Mattern Fire – On Grider Ridge, about 2.5 miles southwest of Grider Creek Campground. This fire is 1/10 acre and has handline around it.
• Fork Fire – This 1/4-acre fire is also on Grider Ridge, about 2.5 miles south-southwest of Grider Creek Campground, and is contained.
• Lake Fire – Just north of Lake Mountain Lookout, this 1/10-acre fire is contained.
• White Fire – Roughly six miles north of Sarah Totten Campground, the White Fire is 1/10 acre on the east side of White Cloud Peak.
• Cloud Fire – Very close to the White Fire, the Cloud is 1/10 acre and staffed.
• Fish Fire – Up Horse Creek, the Fish Fire is five miles north of Sarah Totten Campground. The Fish is also 1/10 acre and staffed.
• Reeves Fire – The Reeves Fire is up the East Fork of Horse Creek, about two miles south of the Pacific Crest Trail. This fire is 1/10 acre and contained.
• Mole Fire – The Mole Fire is also 1/10 acre and contained. It is up Horse Creek on Middle Creek Ridge, about three miles north of the Horse Creek Bridge.
• Neil Fire – On Johnny O’Neil Ridge about three miles north of Sarah Totten Campground. It is 1/10 acre and staffed.

Salmon-Scott River Ranger District

• Wicks Fire – This fire was reported last night between Meeks and Ruffey Lakes 1.5 miles southeast of Etna Summit. The fire is 1/10 acre, controlled, and in patrol status.

• Blueberry Fire – The Blueberry Fire is in the Marble Mountain Wilderness about one mile west of Blueberry, Wooley, and Heather lakes. Smokejumpers are on scene this 1/10-acre fire.
• Tompkins Fire – Two miles south of Lake Mountain Lookout, the Tompkins is about 1/2 acre. Resources are on scene, including rappelers, an engine, a dozer and a crew from the Siskiyou Unit of CAL FIRE.
• Love Fire – Smokejumpers are on scene of this 1/10-acre fire, located in the Marble Mountain Wilderness about two miles west of Lovers Camp Trailhead.

One fire from the last few days remains uncontained. The Middle Fire, detected on July 31, is roughly six miles north of Sarah Totten Campground. The Middle is five acres with fireline around it. Resources remain on scene mopping up and strengthening fireline.

Weather Outlook

An upper-level trough will pass over the Klamath National Forest on Sunday, bringing cooler temperatures and periods of gusty winds. Another round of isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms is possible. Warm and dry conditions are expected in the upcoming week.

Fire Restrictions 

The Klamath National Forest is in fire restrictions. This means that, among other things, campfires are only permitted in designated recreation areas. For a list of designated recreation areas and additional restricted activities, visithttps://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/klamath/alerts/fire-restrictions.

Starting this week through August 15th, Rocky Mountain Construction will conduct pavement operations on the segments of Austin Street and Avalon Street.

Traffic management measures, including lane and road closures, will be implemented throughout the construction period. Work crews will operate between the hours of 7PM and 7AM. We advise you to exercise caution when navigating through construction areas. For any inquiries or issues, please reach out to the Streets Division at 541-883-5385.

Lakeview DMV CLOSED TODAY, MONDAY

ODOT: Central Ore.: The Oregon DMV Lakeview office at 855 South F St. is closed today due to staffing. Find a DMV office near you and view office closures in real time at www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/Pages/

KLAMATH COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ROAD WORK

MAJOR WORK FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 4, 2025
Klamath County will have work crews at the following locations. Please use caution when in
these areas and watch for flaggers. If you are able to avoid the work zones, please use an
alternate route for your safety and the safety of Klamath County employees and our contractors.

Chip Seal Crew
August 4th – August 6th – Crescent Cutoff Rd.
August 6th – August 7th – Town of Crescent

4:00 AM – Early Morning Broom Crew
August 5th – August 7th – Crescent Cutoff Rd.
August 7th – August 8th – Town of Crescent

Homedale Shoulder Widening – Homedale Road south between Southside Bypass
(OR140) and Brett Way:
Homedale South will be closed between South Side Bypass (OR140) and Brett Way between
the hours of 7:00am – 5:00pm, follow detour signs. Crews will be working in the roadway.

See the following link for a map of roads to be chip sealed for the 2025 season, or log onto the
Klamath County Public Works website at http://www.klamathcounty.org/734/Maps.
In general, flagging stations will be set up at the end of the work zone and delays will be 0 to 20
minutes for the motoring public. Our goal is to minimize the delay to the motoring public. Other
minor work is occurring through the County but we are only listing the major items in this
announcement. There may be adjustments of work schedules due to weather or other items
outside of the County’s control (breakdown of equipment, material/resource availability, etc.)
Please do not contact the County if you do not see work occurring, it could be finished already
or will be rescheduled.

Please drive slow through Chip Seal and Paint Stripe areas. This will reduce damage to the
areas and reduce the probability of oil or paint getting on your vehicle. Klamath County Public
Works and the Board of County Commissioners appreciate the motoring publics’ patience
during the repair season for our local roads and bridges. If you have any questions regarding
work, please contact the Public Works Department at (541) 883-4696.

STREET WORK WEEK OF AUGUST 4, 2025

KLAMATH FALLS, OR – August 1, 2025. Beginning August 4,, 2025, work will be
performed as follows:

Asphalt Crews:
Asphalt crews will be working from 4 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. August 4 through August 6, 2025 as follows:
Monday 8-4-2025: Grind 6th Street from the overpass to Broad, lane will be
closed with no access onto Spring Street. Traffic control will be in place.
Tuesday 8-5-2025: Pave 6th Street from the overpass to Broad, lane will be closed
no access onto Spring Street. Traffic control will be in place.
Wednesday 8-6-2025 and Thursday 8-7-2025: Grind and pave 6th at Oak Lane will
be closed. Traffic control will be in place.

Paint Crews:
Paint crews will be working from 3 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. August 5 through August 8, 2025 as follows:
Tuesday 8-5-2025 through Friday 8-8-2025: Painting Crosswalks and legends on
Washburn from 3 a.m. till 7 a.m., then painting crosswalks, curbs, and legends
around Mills Elementary School, Ponderosa Middle School and Eagle Ridge High
School.

Signs and Sweeping Crews:
Monday 8-4-2025 through Thursday 8-8-2025: Fixing signs and sweeping citywide as needed. All work is weather-dependent. Please use caution while traveling in work zones.

Due to ongoing budget reductions and uncertainty regarding funding, the consistently active Friends of Crater Lake are reaching out to promote greater public involvement in a series of forthcoming events.

Volunteers are being sought for a range of activities, including a Naturalization Ceremony, project weekend, Ride the Rim, and the group’s annual meeting. The first event is a Naturalization Ceremony scheduled for August 14, during which Crater Lake National Park will once again host a ceremony for newly recognized U.S. citizens. Friends volunteers typically assist with parking, respond to inquiries, and distribute refreshments at the event held at the Watchman Overlook. For further information and/or to register, please contact Karen Walters at karen@friendsofcraterlake.org. Volunteers are needed.

The annual Project Weekend is set for August 15 to 17, during which Friends volunteers will assist the park with various projects such as painting, trail enhancements, and native plant seed collection. Camping accommodations for RVs and tents will be available at Mazama Campground, along with dinner provided on Friday and Saturday evenings. For additional information and to register, please contact Ann McCaughan at ann@friendsofcraterlake.org.

Volunteers are also required for the annual Rim the Rim event, during which 25 miles of East Rim Drive, from its junction with the North Entrance Road to park headquarters, will be closed to motorized vehicles from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on two Saturdays, September 6 and 13. This event presents challenges due to significant elevation gains.

City Work Begins on Geothermal Pipeline Replacement Project – N. 8th St

Beginning this week, Bob’s Excavating will be working on N 8th Street. Road and lane closures with flaggers will be in place to direct local traffic. Construction closures and flaggers expected to be in place now  through Friday, October 17th. Please take caution when traveling through or around construction zones.

For more information, please contact Public Works at 541-883-5363.

Students from Henley High School constructed a custom ride for a 4-year-old with mobility limitations, enabling him to move around more freely.

Engineering students designed a vibrant red car for Paxton, a 4-year-old from the Eugene area who has a passion for dinosaurs. This initiative is part of the national Go Baby Go program, which promotes mobility through the adaptive design of ride-on cars for children. The car has been modified to meet Paxton’s specific requirements, including head and neck supports, a push-button toggle control, and an adjustable harness system.

Senior students Joshua Weaver and Anthony Flores spearheaded the initial phase of the project. They utilized their mechanical and electrical engineering expertise to create a custom head support system and personalized the car with Paxton’s name and dinosaur decals. Paxton received the car in July, and he was thrilled with it.

Go Baby Go is a national, community-oriented research, design, and outreach program that provides modified ride-on cars to children with limited mobility.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has issued a recreational use advisory for Upper Klamath Lake due to the presence of toxic algae.

This advisory is prompted by the detection of microcystin, a toxin generated by cyanobacteria, at levels exceeding the recommended limits for human exposure. Toxin exposure typically occurs through the ingestion of water during activities such as boating, skiing, and splashing in the water.

The OHA advises lake visitors to refrain from swimming and engaging in high-speed water activities. Other activities on the lake, such as fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and camping, are considered safe as long as excessive water spray is avoided. The OHA also recommends that both dogs and children be kept away from contaminated water, as they are at a heightened risk of exposure.

Dogs can become severely ill and may even die within hours of exposure. If your dog exhibits symptoms such as weakness, difficulty walking, seizures, lethargy, or a loss of appetite, it is crucial to seek veterinary care immediately.