Lightning-caused fires burning near Gasquet, California, have forced the closure of Redwood Highway just south of the Oregon border, and it could be awhile before it is reopened.

Photos posted by Caltrans show fires burning along the highway, also known as U.S. 199. The highway is closed at the California agricultural inspection station just south of the Oregon-California border and at Pioneer Road near Gasquet.

“There is currently no estimated time of reopening,” the Forest Service said.

A Daily Courier reporter on the scene Wednesday evening said the highway was impassable starting about a mile north of Patrick Creek Lodge, with dangerous rockfall tumbling from steep cliffs down to the pavement. Trees and understory were burning on both sides of the Smith River, with flames churning in various spots from the ridgetops to the banks of the river.

The situation is so unsettled that travelers trying to reach the Rogue Valley from California or the South Coast are advised to take State Route 42S from Bandon, a substantial detour. That route goes through Coquille and terminates in Winston, south of Roseburg near Interstate 5.

“Other routes are not recommended due to emerging fire activity and hazardous conditions,” the Forest Service said. That includes Bear Camp Road east from Gold Beach, where fire crews have been battling the Flat Fire near Agness since July 15.

“Navigation apps and online mapping programs may not have current fire conditions or closure updates,” the Forest Service said. “Please travel with extreme caution and be aware of fire traffic in the area.”

Known as the Smith River Complex, the fires near Gasquet were sparked by lightning and primed by a heat wave this week that set a temperature record in Grants Pass on Monday of 109 and a probable record for the date today.

They are in addition to at least 20 other wildfires east near the Oregon-California border in the Klamath National Forest, most of them small except for the fast-growing Head Fire.

More lightning is in the forecast.