JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. -- The back burns on the Klondike Fire are happening just two air miles away from Selma. Public information officer Mike Cole said this is to support the fire line. The actual 28,476 acre fire is burning about five miles away from Selma and is about five percent contained.
"So if that fire would come toward the east toward that dozer line we would not only have that dozer line but an additional black between the dozer line and fire. So if the fire came in there it would hit that black and hopefully slow down and we'd be able to catch it real easy right there," Cole added.
Right now, there are two different structure protection groups. One working around Selma, and the other trying to gear up the Briggs Valley community that sits in between the two fires.
“Structures are point protection. So we protect those if the fire moves through there in that area. We have sprinkler systems and everything already set up with that expectation. Hopefully it doesn't do that but if it does we've done what we can to protect those buildings and residences," Cole said.
The Taylor Creek Fire team is also back burning. Cole said at some point those two burn out operations will connect.
