HOPE — A series of roads near the Lightning Creek Fire are being closed to the public to get firefighters room to safely fight the fire, located roughly 8 miles east-northeast of the city.

Among the closures are Lightning Creek Road (NFSR 419) is closed from the junction of Trestle Creek Road (NFSR 275) south to the Regal Creek crossing. 

"This closure is necessary to protect the safety and welfare of the public and provide for safe firefighting efforts and access," USFS fire information officer Kary Maddox said.

A temporary flight restriction is also in place, restricting all drones and aircraft from operating in the fire area without permission. Any unauthorized aircraft poses a serious hazard to aviation personnel, forcing the grounding of aircraft and the potential delay of fire suppression efforts, Maddox said.

"If you fly, we can't," she added.

Fire crews are hoping that cooler temperatures predicted for Monday — expected to be about 72 degrees compared to the mid 80s to mid 90s of the preceding week. However, Maddox said firefighters are keeping a close eye on the weather due to the potential for rain and thunderstorms as well as gusty and erratic winds.

The fire has grown quickly since it was first reported Wednesday, July 30, thanks in part to storm systems that moved through the region last week. Engines were dispatched shortly after the fire's report, but terrain, access and nighttime visibility prevented any action on the fire.

The rapid growth of the fire can at least partially be attributed to heavy dead and down fuels near the Cougar Fire scar. The 2018 lightning-caused fire burned more than 7,600 acres and took months for firefighters to reach containment.

An infrared flight over the fire Sunday afternoon mapped the fire, which is burning in the old scar of the 2018 Cougar Fire, at an estimated 1,562 acres Sunday. According to the nonprofit alert system Watch Duty, the fire had grown to 2,121.3 acres by Monday afternoon.

The lightning-caused fire is at 0% containment.

There are 68 personnel assigned to the fire, as well as two engines, three helicopters, two excavators, a feller buncher and the Panhandle Hotshots team. Firefighting efforts are being led by Incident Commander Mike Behrens.

While there are no evacuations associated with the fire, USFS officials said it is prudent to be ready for potential evacuations at any time during fire season. To sign up for emergency alerts, including fire information, text your ZIP Code to 888777.

Information: bit.ly/4l5NhIB