InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo, Goat Mountain Two FiresSeptember 14, 2022Daily Update – 8:00 AMHighlights: Showers and thunderstorms lingered throughout the area most of Tuesday. Lower temperatures, higher relative humidity values, and precipitation resulted in minimal fire behavior. Containment of the Double Creek Fire increased to 22 percent. Crews on the Nebo Fire continued chipping along the 39 and 3925 Roads. Firefighters and heavy equipment worked on a shaded fuel break in the Lostine corridor.Eagle Cap Wilderness FiresThere are three lightning caused fires within the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The Nebo, Sturgill, and Goat Mountain 2 Fires are being managed to protect public and private infrastructure, while playing a natural role within designated Wilderness.Goat Mountain 2 Fire: 535 acres | 0% contained | 0 personnel assigned Fire activity on the Goat Mountain 2 Fire is minimal. Firefighters will continue to monitor the fire by air as smoke and weather permit.Weather: Showers...

Klamath Falls, Ore. – Last night fire crews continued to use infrared cameras to identify areas of heat around the perimeter of the fire. They are mainly finding heat under juniper trees on the southern and western areas. Today is the last day the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Type 1 Incident Management Team will be in command of the fire. Transition to the local Type 4 team will happen tomorrow at noon. The objectives for the local team will remain the same. Multiple engines and crews will continue to mop up where it warrants. Weather today will be cooler and more humid. Gusty winds are expected in the late afternoon and early evening. Residential traffic is allowed in the fire area, but residents are encouraged to drive slowly and be aware of fire operation traffic as they travel through the fire. Bureau of Land Management lands in and around the fire area remain closed to the public. We would like to remind the public that Klamath and Lake counties are still in extreme...

Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo, Goat Mountain Two Fires September 14, 2022 Daily Update – 8:00 AM Highlights: Showers and thunderstorms lingered throughout the area most of Tuesday. Lower temperatures, higher relative humidity values, and precipitation resulted in minimal fire behavior. Containment of the Double Creek Fire increased to 22 percent. Crews on the Nebo Fire continued chipping along the 39 and 3925 Roads. Firefighters and heavy equipment worked on a shaded fuel break in the Lostine corridor. Eagle Cap Wilderness Fires There are three lightning caused fires within the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The Nebo, Sturgill, and Goat Mountain 2 Fires are being managed to protect public and private infrastructure, while playing a natural role within designated Wilderness. Sturgill Fire: 20,036 acres | 0% contained | 75 personnel assigned Yesterday’s weather and poor flying conditions prevented two Smokejumper crews from being flown out of the Sturgill Fire. Firefighters and heavy...

Wednesday, September 14, 2022  Boulder Mountain Fire Information 509-508-3389 (8am-8pm) | 2022.bouldermountain@firenet.gov  Quick Facts Fire Location: 9 miles NW of Cusick, WA in Tacoma Creek and Boulder Mtn. Size: 2,305 acres Containment: 50% Start Date: 8/31/22 Cause: Under Investigation Incident Commander: Mike Johnston, Great Basin Type 2 Incident Management Team #7 Personnel: 541 Online Links InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8382/  Facebook: @NeWFireInfo  Washington State Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.wa.gov/wildfires  Colville National Forest: www.fs.usda.gov/colville  Air Quality Informational: https://www.airnow.gov/  Summary: The Boulder Mountain Fire was detected on Wednesday August 31st, 2022, at approximately 6:00 pm. The fire is located in the Tacoma Creek and Boulder Mountain area, 9 miles Northwest of Cusick, Washington. A mix of State, Federal and Private land is impacted. The terrain is difficult, and the fire is burning in...

 Public Affairs Officer: Jean Nelson-Dean, Deschutes National Forest, 541-280-3469For Release:  September 13,

 EVACUATION LEVEL CHANGESFire movement has slowed over the past 24 hours. New guidance:  - Level 2 (Set): Index - reduced from a Level 3. Residents can return home. - Level 1 (Ready): Between Index and Zeke's Drive In - reduced from a Level 2. - From Zeke's to Gold Bar east city limits, no longer at Ready level. - Baring and Grotto and area along U.S. 2 after milepost 48 (east of Money Creek tunnel) will remain at Level 3. Additionally, FS Road 65 (Beckler River Road) is at Level 3. Skykomish will remain at Level 1.  - U.S. 2 remains closed from Index-Galena Road to milepost 49 (east end of Skykomish). The highway remains unsafe to travel due to rock fall and fire debris. Please understand that the fire remains active and conditions could change quickly. Evacuations could again become

   Evacuations:   Due to moderating fire weather and additional resources on the Kalama Fire the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service and Washington Department of Natural Resources, has issued updated evacuation notifications for the “Kalama Fire” in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Southwest of Mount St. Helens (which is not affecting the City of Kalama or residents along the Kalama River Road at this time). The following updates are effective immediately:  View an evacuation map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060104.pdf Level 2, Set Evacuation Level: ·        North to South: From the Headwaters of the South Fork of the Toutle River, south to Forest Road 7550. ·        East to West: From the Skamania County/Cowlitz County border west 5 miles into Cowlitz County. Level 1, Ready Evacuation Level: ·        North to South: South from Forest Road 7550 to south of Merrill Lake. ...

 As of September 13th at 1:30pm, power is restored in the town of

Cedar Creek Fire septiembre 13, 2022 Actualización diaria – 7:30 AM   Datos rápidos del Incendio Cedar Creek Tamaño: 92,548 acres Contenido: 0% Fecha de inicio: 1 agosto 2022 Origen: 15 millas al este de Oakridge, Oregón Causa: Tormenta eléctrica Personal total: 1,260 Recursos: 68 camiones de bomberos, 23 tripulaciones, 86 equipos pesados, y 9 helicópteros Situación actual: La Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Lane (Lane County Sheriff’s Office) redujo los niveles de evacuación el lunes para elevar toda el área de Oakridge del Nivel 3 (Go Now/Vaya Ahora) al Nivel 2 (Set/Establece). El este del condado de Lane, el este del lago Waldo Lake y el norte de Waldo Lake Wilderness y el oeste del condado de Deschutes permanecen en el Nivel 3 (Go Now/Vaya Ahora). Los bomberos continuarán trabajando con la policía local para comunicar las condiciones del incendio y mantener segura a la comunidad. Se recomienda a las personas con limitaciones de movilidad o especialmente...

  CEDAR CREEK FIRE EVACUATION UPDATE(9/13/22 @ 11:00 a.m.)Good news! The Lane County Sheriff’s Office, in consultation with the fire team, is able to reduce the following areas to Level 1 (Be Ready): The City of Westfir Oakridge between Laurel Butte and the Middle Fork Willamette River west of Fish Hatchery RoadOther areas that were reduced to Level 2 (Be Set) yesterday, remain at Level 2 (Be Set), including: High Prairie area Hills Creek Reservoir area Oakridge north of Laurel Butte Road and east of Fish Hatchery RoadFire crews are still operating heavily in the area. Residents are asked to be aware of increased fire related traffic, drive safely, and obey all road closures and traffic safety laws. An updated map of the evacuation areas is available at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/CedarCreekWhile every effort is being made to protect the communities of Oakridge, Westfir and High Prairie, it is possible that conditions may require moving back to a Level 2 (Be Set) or a Level 3 (GO NOW)...

Goat Rocks FireSeptember 13, 2022 11:00 a.m. updateAcres: 3,096Containment: 0%Personnel: 198    Overview: The fire is burning 1.5 miles northeast of the town of Packwood, Washington. Suppression efforts continue to be challenged by steep rugged terrain in dense stands of timber in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Public and firefighter safety remain the highest priority on the Goat Rocks Fire. Community Meeting:  On Wednesday September 14, beginning at 7:00 p.m. there will be a meeting held at the Packwood Community Center, and broadcast on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Facebook page. Fire officials will update the public on the current fire situation on the Goat Rocks Fire. Fire Activity: Yesterday, crews finished prepping structures in Timberline and moved on to other areas along US-12. With the continued fire spread to the south, crews began prepping the 1266 road system to the south and the 46 road system to the north of the fire. Due to the moderated fire activity,...

Rum Creek Fire quietMERLIN, Ore. – Monday was another quiet day on the Rum Creek Fire, with no increase in size and containment rising to 80%. The light rain Sunday night and Monday morning helped cool the fire, reducing the amount of residual heat. Today, fire personnel continue to patrol the fire’s perimeter, finding scattered hot spots and extinguishing them. They are also pulling hose lays and other surplus equipment, and hauling them back to camp near Merlin. The primary fire lines around the fire are holding, with no heat found outside them for several days. In areas where the Rum Creek Fire is contained, contingency lines constructed as a “catcher’s mitt” around the fire are no longer needed. The contingency lines are a combination of dozer lines and roads. They are being assessed for repair, stabilization and erosion prevention needs, and excess woody debris will be removed. As part of the repair process, dozer lines are usually waterbarred to reduce erosion....

Estimated size: 9,440 acresContainment: 5%Start Date/Time: 9/10/2022 at 5:15 amArea of Origin: King Co. North of SkykomishCause: Under InvestigationStructures Damaged: one out-buildingThe Bolt Creek Fire started on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at 5:15 am near Beckler Road. The cause of the fire is undetermined. Northwest Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander Kevin Stock, assumed management of the fire from Western Washington Incident Management Team 3 this morning. Team 8 appreciates all the hard work completed by firefighters and Western WA Team on this fire to date.Yesterday, the fire was moderately active and backing downhill toward the Highway 2 corridor. Individual small columns of smoke were visible from Highway 2. The fire remained north of Highway 2 except at the Money Creek Tunnel where fire burned directly on top of the tunnel. Visibility was adequate to safely launch a heavy helicopter to provide water bucket drops to check the fire spread. The fire has burned...

 Klamath Falls, Ore. – Containment has grown to 60 percent on the Van Meter Fire 13 miles southeast of Klamath Falls. Operations Section Chief Matt Flock shared with nightshift crews that there will be less resources assigned to night shift which means that things are ramping down.  He then reminded them that there was still work to be done in the southern section of the fire. The fire is in a good position on the northern divisions and crews are being moved to other priority areas around the fire. Pace and purpose are being preached to the firefighters as they enter full mop-up mode. Complacency can set in at this point in the fire where accidents are more likely to occur. With just two minor injuries recorded, this fire’s excellent safety record is a testament to firefighters’ attention to detail and situational awareness. Cooler weather, higher humidity and minimal wind have contributed to the success of mop-up operations and keeping the fire within the containment...

 Cedar Creek Fire Evacuation Level Changes: 09/12/22The Lane County Sheriff’s Office continues to work closely with the fire teams. At this time we are able to reduce the following areas to Level 2 (BE SET): High Prairie area, including all of High Prairie Road, Brock Road, Bar BL Ranch Road, Nubian Way, Mountain View Road, and Huckleberry Lane Westfir-Oakridge Road from Westfir city limits to Roberts Road McFarland Road Oakridge north of Laurel Butte RoadThe City of Westfir, and areas of the City of Oakridge that were reduced to Level 2 (Be Set) yesterday, remain at Level 2 (Be Set). Many forest and road closures are still in effect.Fire crews are still operating heavily in the area. Residents are asked to be aware of increased fire related traffic, drive safely, and obey all road closures and traffic safety laws. An updated map of the evacuation areas is available at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/CedarCreek.While every effort is being made to protect the communities of Oakridge, Westfir...

HIGH DESERT TYPE 3 TEAMIncident Commander: Ron SimpsonSeptember 13, 2022 Weather: Today will have increased chance of thunderstorms. Gusty and erratic winds are likely near developing storm cells. Temperatures will be in the upper-70s, and the minimal relative humidity will be near 30 percent. Winds will be light, except near storm cells. Widespread smoke haze will be visible throughout the area. Operations: Yesterday crews continued suppression repairs along FSR 45, including chipping and spreading bales of straw. The straw will help reduce erosion by covering bare ground and slowing water run-off. Several hand crews worked closely with resource advisors scattering fuels and constructing water bars along containment lines. Today several excavators will begin suppression repairs along FSR 4555 and near Indian Rock Lookout. The excavators will be used to help spread heavy fuels, construct water bars and smooth out mounds of debris and dirt. Closures and Evacuations:  There are no...

Weather:  Weather conditions today will be within the norms of a seasonal weather pattern.  Relative humidity recovery overnight will be robust.  Cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity levels will prevail throughout the week.  Fire personnel are continuously monitoring the weather and anticipating its effect on fire behavior.     Overview:  Heavy equipment operators have nearly completed brushing the roadsides of Suiattle River Road (Forest Road 26) previously snagged by firefighters.  They are moving large pieces of debris and felled trees farther away from the roadway.  These measures are being used to reduce roadside hazards and deepen the fire confinement lines.  The Suiattle River Fire is active but remains well within the confinement lines.  Firefighters are closely monitoring fire behavior even as the weather moderates.  The fire will continue to burn until the area receives significant, long duration moisture.  Updated mapping of the fire...

Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo, Goat Mountain Two Fires September 13, 2022 Daily Update – 8:00 AM Highlights: Firefighters completed containment lines around the spot fire on the west side of the Imnaha River. Higher relative humidity, cooler temperatures, and light winds are forecast for the rest of the week, and firefighters feel confident the containment lines will limit further fire growth in that area. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, and infrared flights flew last night to check for heat around the spot fire. Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces have completed their structure preparation and protection operations and will demobilize today. Eagle Cap Wilderness Fires There are three lightning caused fires within the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The Nebo, Sturgill, and Goat Mountain 2 Fires are being managed to protect public and private infrastructure, while playing a natural role within designated Wilderness. Nebo Fire: 12,365 acres | 0% contained | 56 personnel...

Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo, Goat Mountain Two Fires September 13, 2022 Daily Update – 8:00 AM Highlights: Firefighters completed containment lines around the spot fire on the west side of the Imnaha River. Higher relative humidity, cooler temperatures, and light winds are forecast for the rest of the week, and firefighters feel confident the containment lines will limit further fire growth in that area. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, and infrared flights flew last night to check for heat around the spot fire. Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces have completed their structure preparation and protection operations and will demobilize today. Double Creek Fire: 155,297 acres | 15% contained |861 personnel assigned The lightning caused Double Creek Fire is a full suppression fire, and the protection of lives and property remain the primary objectives of this incident. Firefighters engaged in direct and indirect firefighting tactics to complete a containment...

Cedar Creek Fire September 13, 2022 Daily Update – 7:30 AM Cedar Creek Fire Cedar Creek Fire Quick Facts Size: 92,548 acres Contained: 0% Start Date: August 1, 2022 Origin: 15 miles east of Oakridge, Oregon Cause: Lightning Total personnel: 1,260 Resources: 68 engines 23 crews 86 heavy equipment 9 helicopters Current Situation: The Lane County Sheriff’s Office lowered evacuation levels Monday to lift the entire Oakridge area from Level 3 (Go Now) to Level 2 (Set). Eastern Lane County, east of Waldo Lake and north of Waldo Lake Wilderness, and western Deschutes County remain at Level 3. Fire officials will continue to work with local law enforcement to communicate fire conditions and keep the community safe. People who have mobility limitations or are particularly sensitive to smoke are encouraged not to return to Level 2 areas. Those who choose to remain in shelters will continue to receive services provided by the Red Cross. Smoke continues to create unhealthy air quality, which...