InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Camp Sherman, Ore. - Firefighters took advantage of mild winds and lower temperatures yesterday to make significant progress on the Green Ridge Fire. The fire perimeter did not grow, and crews were able to focus on holding and improving the line. The fire remains 4,169 acres and 1 percent contained. Firefighters will concentrate on improving the line today and beginning to mop up hotspots located near the line. Crews will grid around the fire perimeter to locate and suppress spot fires caused by embers landing in extremely dry vegetation outside the line. In addition, crews on the west side of the fire will continue to construct line for a small burnout operation that will remove unburned material on the western edge of the fire. The burnout will be conducted in the early evening when weather and wind conditions are the safest.The Green Ridge Fire is now managed by Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Team 3. This Type 1 Incident Management Team took over the fire today due to...

NEWS  RELEASE :  Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020 The White River Fire is currently 1102 acres.  Firefighters continue to make progress along Forest Road 48.  The road is a control line on the north side of the fire. Rather than working directly on the fire edge, firefighters are bringing the fire to the control line using low intensity fire to remove fuels between the road and the main fire. The Barlow Road and the White River are on the south side of the fire. There firefighters are watching for spot fires outside control lines.  The river is in a steep canyon and difficult to reach.  Crews are putting in hand line on the west side of the fire between the 48 road and the river. Fire managers said that securing lines and bringing fire to the lines will take several days. They are coordinating with local agencies to protect forest, cultural and scenic resources, while containing the fire. Much of the smoke people are seeing in nearby communities could be from the White River Fire or from...

See the attached PFD for today's Air Quality Report and

See the attached PDF for today's Air Quality Report

Fire Summary:  Yesterday, excellent progress was made across all fires.  Lighter winds, cooler temperatures, and lower relative humidity allowed firefighters to stop the spread of fire and hold fire lines.  Today, fire crews will continue to strengthen control lines, extinguish hot spots, and mop up. More accurate mapping has updated the Steet Mountain Fire to 701 acres, and the Laurel Fire held at 1,280 acres.  The Laurel Fire is burning on lands managed by Prineville BLM, the Wheeler County Rangeland Fire Protection Association, and ODF protected private lands six miles south of Spray in Wheeler County. Air resources will continue to support ground crews with water today. Narrow roads with dusty conditions has made access to water difficult for firefighters on the ground. Warmer temperatures, and increased afternoon winds are expected today. These conditions will challenge fire crews as they continue to make progress in holding and strengthening fire lines.  There is a slight...

Fire Summary:  Yesterday, excellent progress was made across all fires.  Lighter winds, cooler temperatures, and lower relative humidity allowed firefighters to stop the spread of fire and hold fire lines.  Today, fire crews will continue to strengthen control lines, extinguish hot spots, and mop up. More accurate mapping has updated the Steet Mountain Fire to 701 acres, and the Laurel Fire held at 1,280 acres.  The Laurel Fire is burning on lands managed by Prineville BLM, the Wheeler County Rangeland Fire Protection Association, and ODF protected private lands six miles south of Spray in Wheeler County. Air resources will continue to support ground crews with water today. Narrow roads with dusty conditions has made access to water difficult for firefighters on the ground. Warmer temperatures, and increased afternoon winds are expected today. These conditions will challenge fire crews as they continue to make progress in holding and strengthening fire lines.  There is a slight...

  Actualización del Incendio Indian Creek para el Domingo 23 de Agosto   Brian Gales, Incident CommanderLonnie Click, Deputy Incident Commander   Fecha de Inicio:16 de Agosto 2020 Ubicación: 9 mil. E de Juntura, OR. Causa: Humana/Bajo investigación Tamaño del Incendio: 48,942 acres Contención: 20% Personal Total : 374     VALE, Ore. – Con las líneas de contingencia en su lugar, el personal de combatientes está trabajando agresivamente para suprimir la progresión del incendio al noroeste y noreste.   “Realmente apreciamos la coordinación de los propietarios de tierras privadas con el BLM durante el esfuerzo de supresión", dijo Renee Straub, Administradora de Agencias de Vale Bureau of Land Management.   Para el Sábado al anochecer el incendio estaba estimado a 48,942 acres, con 20% de contención. Una varianza de mapeo resultó en un ajuste de acres del incendio a partir del 22 de agosto.   Los combatientes están utilizando brechas/líneas de dozer existentes...

Palmer Fire Daily Update 8/23/20Successful backburning operations were conducted near Loomis yesterday reinforcing the firelines north of town.  Today, crews will be mopping up and patrolling that area.  There will be more burn-out operations today creating additional smoke.  Night operations are expected to continue throughout the week.Air Operations Branch Director, Norm Sealing, shared that “The success of the aviation operation on the Palmer Fire has been the result of a strong collaboration between the federal land management agencies, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Washington National Guard.”Temperatures today are anticipated to be in the upper 80’s with less humidity and moderate winds with gusts from the south possible in the afternoon.All previous evacuation levels remain in place.Level 3 Evacuations - GO! (evacuate now, leave immediately): -Wannacut Lake Road (East) from Washburn to Ellemeham Mtn Road. -Toats Coulee Road to Chopaka...

Incident Commander: Eric Knerr, Northwest Team 7 Fire Information:  971-277-5075 This update is for the P-515 Fire and Lionshead Fire burning on the Warm Springs Reservation. Both fires continue to be managed for full suppression. The Quartz Butte Fire is in mop-up with no new fire activity to report. Four of the 8 helicopters assigned to the fires are Air National Guard Blackhawk helicopters. Current Situation: The P515 fire is 4,338 acres and now 15% contained.  Because of current favorable conditions crews are building fire line directly at the burning perimeter where feasible to better secure the line. Burnout operations are being utilized in the northern and southern flanks to secure indirect lines and remove unburned pockets of fuel between the fire and the fire line. The swing shift worked to continue securing the northern flank. The Lionshead Fire has spotted over to the south side of the Whitewater River and is currently being held to 1 acre by aircraft. Yesterday, crews...

NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12 Incident Commander: Jeff Dimke  There will be Virtual Community Meetings about the Crane Fire tomorrow, August 24 at 12 p.m. (English) and 12:45 p.m. (Spanish) via Facebook Live. The Crane Fire continues to burn approximately 10 miles southeast of Lakeview, Oregon. Today’s temperatures will be 80-84 degrees with winds 22-24 mph, gusting to 35 mph in the afternoon. A Red Flag Warning is in effect this afternoon and evening for strong, gusty winds with low relative humidity. Isolated thunderstorms are possible starting tonight, with another Red Flag Warning overnight through Monday night for possible lightning on dry fuels. Smoke from fires in California are expected to continue to affect Lake County. Yesterday’s operations: Fire crews increased the depth of control lines during mop-up operations on the western side of the fire and burned islands of remaining fuels on the eastern side of the fire. Firefighters used hand tools to construct a...

Update-August 23, 2020 For Immediate Release Incident Commander: Eric Knerr, Northwest Team 7 Fire Information:  971-277-5075 This update is for the P-515 Fire and Lionshead Fire burning on the Warm Springs Reservation. Both fires continue to be managed for full suppression. The Quartz Butte Fire is in mop-up with no new fire activity to report. Four of the 8 helicopters assigned to the fires are Air National Guard Blackhawk helicopters. Current Situation: The P515 fire is 4,338 acres and now 15% contained.  Because of current favorable conditions crews are building fire line directly at the burning perimeter where feasible to better secure the line. Burnout operations are being utilized in the northern and southern flanks to secure indirect lines and remove unburned pockets of fuel between the fire and the fire line. The swing shift worked to continue securing the northern flank. The Lionshead Fire has spotted over to the south side of the Whitewater River and is currently being...

Indian Creek Fire Update for Sunday, August 23, 2020 Brian Gales, Incident CommanderLonnie Click, Deputy Incident Commander Start Date: August 16, 2020 Location: 9 miles east of Juntura, OR Cause: Human/under investigation Fire size: 48,942 acres Containment: 20% Total personnel: 374     VALE, Ore. – With contingency lines in place, fire personnel are aggressively working to suppress and contain the fire's progression to the northwest and northeast. “We really appreciate the coordination of private land owners with the BLM during the suppression effort,” said Renee Straub, Agency Administrator for Vale Bureau of Land Management.Saturday evening the fire was estimated to be 48,942 acres, with 20 percent containment. A mapping variance resulted in a fire acreage adjustment from August 22.Firefighters are using dozer lines and existing roads to extend and clean up fire lines along the western edge around Westfall Butte. Efforts continue along the northern perimeter to keep fire...

Fire Information Line: 458-206-6192 Email: 2020.meacham@firenet.gov Incident Commander:  Mike Almas, Northern Rockies Incident Management Team InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7038/    Mike Almas’ Northern Rockies Type 2 Incident Management Team began managing the Meacham Complex on Friday, August 21, 2020, at 6:00 a.m. The Meacham Complex of fires includes the Hager Ridge Fire, Horse Fire, 896 Fire, 943 (Grey Rock) Fire, and several other smaller fires in the vicinity. Multiple agencies are coordinating on Meacham Complex fire suppression, including United States Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), Bureau of Indian Affairs, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, local volunteer fire departments, and various aerial resources.  The majority of the Meacham Complex fires are staffed, most are small, and many are contained or now in patrol status.  At present, the larger or more active fires in the Meacham Complex are...

Frog Fire Update Northwest Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander, Doug Johnson August 23, 2020 - 9:00 AM The safety of the public and all wildland fire responders is always the number one priority for all wildland fire agencies.  To keep firefighters and communities healthy and safe, all firefighters are asked to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the spread of illness.  This also includes limited entry into the incident command post and spike camp.  Please see the websites below or contact the Frog Fire information center at 541-670-0812 for further fire information.   General Updates: Overnight the fire remained in the current footprint of approximately 3, 997 acres with 30% containment. Fire operations for the next few days will include establishing and reinforcing perimeters, watching for possible spots beyond current control lines, mopping up areas where fire activity allows and implementing repair processes to meet...

Frog Fire Update Northwest Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander, Doug Johnson August 22, 2020 - 9:00 PM The safety of the public and all wildland fire responders is always the number one priority for all wildland fire agencies.  To keep firefighters and communities healthy and safe, all firefighters are asked to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the spread of illness.  This also includes limited entry into the incident command post and spike camp.  Please see the websites below or contact the Frog Fire information center at 541-670-0812 for further fire information.   General Updates: Critically needed fire fighting resources are arriving to bolster the suppression efforts of the Frog Fire. Another day of favorable weather has allowed firefighters to move towards suppression objectives.  Firefighters will remain vigilant, paying close attention to any changes in the weather. Crews working in the northeast flank of the...

Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Team 3 will take over management of the Green Ridge Fire tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. This Type 1 Team, led by Incident Commander Link Smith, shadowed the outgoing Northwest Incident Management Team (IMT) 10 today to ensure a smooth transition. ODF is assuming command of the fire due to the large number of acres of ODF-protected lands within and adjacent to the fire’s perimeter. Northwest Team 10 Incident Commander Alan Lawson would like to thank our cooperators, stakeholders, the communities of Sisters and Camp Sherman, and the outlying communities and property owners for their cooperation in this firefighting effort. In particular, we would like to thank the Sisters School District and the Sisters Middle School for allowing the team to use their property as our Incident Command Post. Although we are already in a difficult fire season, especially with COVID-19 restrictions, it is the cooperation such as we have experienced here that has enabled us to...

EQUIPO 12 DE MANEJO DE INCIDENTES DEL NOROESTE Comandante del Incidente: Jeff Dimke 22 de agosto de 2020 El incendio de Crane continúa ardiendo a unas 10 millas al sureste de Lakeview, Oregon. Hoy, las condiciones meteorológicas serán cálidas y con presencia de humo, habrá una temperatura máxima de 85 a 88 grados y vientos de 12 a 17 mph, con ráfagas de hasta 25 mph por la tarde. Las condiciones meteorológicas cambiarán mañana y hay una alerta de ráfagas de viento fuerte y seco en efecto para la tarde y la noche del domingo. Se prevé que los impactos del humo de los incendios en California empeoren durante los próximos días y continúen afectando a Lakeview y New Pine Creek. Esta capa de humo sobre el fuego disminuye su actividad y limita la capacidad de los helicópteros para operar sobre el incendio y verter agua. Una vez más, se espera que la actividad del fuego aumente cuando la capa de humo se levante a mitad de la tarde. Operaciones del día de ayer: Las...

Detroit, OR Aug.19, 2020 – Fire management of the Beachie Creek fire will transition from a Type 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) to being managed by a National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) team. The NIMO team will provide command and control of all fire resources until all remaining suppression efforts are completed or their work to rest time limit of 14 days has been exhausted. The Beachie Creek Fire remains at 10 acres with 0% containment.   “Our Type 3 IMT has done an outstanding job of managing the fire until this point,” said Willamette National Forest Supervisor Dave Warnack. “The Beachie Creek Fire is situated in a remote and inaccessible section of the Opal Creek Wilderness, and the NIMO team is an ideal resource for fires expected to be longer in duration.”   The Beachie Creek Fire was originally located on Aug. 16, 2020, and initial attack began immediately using Type 1 helicopters and water drops. Two heavy helicopters continued work to slow fire...

Okanogan County Emergency Management  Level 3 IMMEDIATE EVACUATION: -Wannacut Lake Road (East) from Washburn to Ellemeham Mtn Road. -Toats Coulee Road to Chopaka Road, along the Loomis-Oroville RoadLevel 2 GET READY TO LEAVE:  -Ellemeham Mtn Road from Ellis Barns Road to Loomis-Oroville Road.  -Town of Loomis  For an interactive map of evacuations, please click here: https://arcg.is/151TvO1 If shelter is needed call the Red Cross at 509-670-5331 and they will assist

 Despite wind gusts up to 48 mph yesterday afternoon, firefighters prevented the fire from making any large gains. Operations focused on improving existing contingency lines and further expanding lines north of Washburn Road and to the east of Palmer Lake. Overnight, firefighters saw an increase in fire activity on the southwest side of the fire. Fire breached established dozer lines north of Loomis. The fire settled down after 3 AM, aided by lighter winds and cooler temperatures. As a precaution, the town of Loomis is now under a Level 2 (be ready to leave) evacuation. Today, efforts will continue to establish contingency lines around the perimeter of the fire and on structure protection. Burn-out operations may take place, which would bring an increase in smoke to the air. More aircraft have arrived and will be dropping water on the fire throughout the day.  All previous evacuation levels remain in place. Level 3 Evacuations (leave immediately):   -Wannacut Lake Road (East) from...