InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Links to the July 24 Hendrix Fire Factsheet, and the Smoke Outlook for the Oregon California Border have been posted. Please find the links below.

[Morrow County, Ore.] Firefighters made significant progress overnight building fireline around the Wilson Prairie Fire, located in the southwest corner of Morrow County. The fire originated on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and spread onto the Umatilla National Forest. The fire is estimated to be 120 acres, burning in grass, brush, and timber. Yesterday firefighters were challenged with the fire spotting in pockets of dead white fir. Overnight the fire held inside the existing retardant lines used to “box in” the fire and check the spread. There are currently no evacuations or closures in place around the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Today additional resources are arriving to relieve firefighting personnel who worked throughout the night to stop the spread of the fire. Since the fire was reported yesterday afternoon firefighters were able to use dozers to build fireline around most of the fire. Firefighters will work to complete...

Weather & Fire Behavior: The hot and dry weather will persist allowing for continued fire perimeter growth and challenges from spot fires. Smoke is expected in the morning over the fire areas but should clear in the afternoon. For smoke information, visit: https://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/ Yesterday’s Activities: Klondike Fire: The fire spotted across the Illinois River to the north establishing itself in the York Creek drainage and grew to about 100 acres inside the wilderness. Helicopter bucket drops were used to limit spread and slow growth of the spot and to hold the fire west of the Illinois River. Structure protection activities in the Oak Flat area of Josephine County continued. Fallers continued to remove hazard trees and dozers removed vegetation on roads to be used as alternate containment lines to the north and west of the Illinois River. Firefighters began work along Road 087 to Pearsoll Peak and along Roads 4103 and 4105 for use as containment lines. ...

Weather & Fire Behavior: The hot and dry weather will persist allowing for continued fire perimeter growth and challenges from spot fires. Smoke is expected in the morning over the fire areas but should clear in the afternoon. For smoke information, visit: https://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/ Yesterday’s Activities: Klondike Fire: The fire spotted across the Illinois River to the north establishing itself in the York Creek drainage and grew to about 100 acres inside the wilderness. Helicopter bucket drops were used to limit spread and slow growth of the spot and to hold the fire west of the Illinois River. Structure protection activities in the Oak Flat area of Josephine County continued. Fallers continued to remove hazard trees and dozers removed vegetation on roads to be used as alternate containment lines to the north and west of the Illinois River. Firefighters began work along Road 087 to Pearsoll Peak and along Roads 4103 and 4105 for use as containment lines. ...

Prospect, Oregon – There are nineteen fires on the High Cascades Ranger District west of Crater Lake National Park (CLNP) managed under the collective name Sugar Pine, which is also the name of one specific fire. Approximately 1,077 total acres have burned on all fires combined. The four largest fires are Sugar Pine, Goodview, Round Top and Union. Firefighters completed fireline around the Round Top Fire (154 acres) and are conducting firing operations to consume unburned fuel within the fireline. Burnout operations are expected to continue for one more day. Mop-up on the Union Fire (106 acres) will be completed today. Crews and heavy equipment including dozers, masticators and chippers are constructing indirect firelines to the east and south of the Sugar Pine (395 acres) and Goodview (398 acres) fires. A contingency fireline will also be created along a powerline corridor near the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (RRSNF) border south of the fires. The incident...

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office issued a Level 2 Evacuation Notice on Monday for 49 residences located along the West Fork Trail Creek Road and other nearby addresses. The area is in the path of the Snowshoe Fire, which is moving to the southeast along the West Fork of Trail Creek. Firefighters were able to aggressively attack the Snowshoe Fire at the south end directly with dozers on Monday as the layer of atmospheric smoke shaded the fire and decreased the fire intensity. Spotting was still an issue, however, and the smoke lowered visibility to the point that aircraft were not able to fly in the area until very late in the day. Firefighters worked on the ground to locate and suppress the spots, but are hoping the expected clearer air today will allow more hours of flight time. Structure protection is in place today to ensure everything possible is done to keep the fire away from homes. Several crews were added to further strengthen the night-time suppression effort. Oregon...

Please find a detailed map of the area around the Hendrix Fire. Unless there are significant changes, this will be the last time we post the vicinity map.

Release Date: Jul 20, 2018 Contact(s): Tamara Schmidt CHEMULT, Ore. – An emergency closure order has been put in place on the Chemult Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest bordering Crater Lake National Park. This action is a result of the Timber Crater 6 Fire burning in the northeast corner of the National Park and approaching the Forest boundary.As of this afternoon, the fire was expected to cross into the Fremont-Winema National Forest within the next 12 to 24 hours.The closure area is on National Forest System lands from the Forest boundary approximately 3 miles west of Diamond Lake Junction on U.S. Highway 97 to the junction of the Pacific Crest Trail and State Highway 138 at the widest point, and from Forest Road 9777 and Cottonwood creek on the north end of the closure area to Forest Road 7033 and Pothole Butte on the south end.U.S. Highway 138 is not closed as a result of this closure order. Any potential closures along Highway 138 will be coordinated and...

There will be a Community Meeting in the parking lot of the Library in Prospect, Oregon on July 25, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.This will be an opportunity to learn more about current fire activity, operations and future planning for multiple fires burning on the High Cascades Ranger District.The Library is at 150 Mill Creek Drive, Prospect, Oregon

The July 24 Hendrix Fire infrared map has been posted to inciweb. The infrared flight interpreter estimated the acreage at 1067 (an increase of 6 acres from yesterday's infrared map). Containment of the Hendrix fire has been increased to 35%. Please keep in mind that the acreages are an approximation and can vary based on how they are determined, and are updated at different times of the

INCIDENT: Taylor Creek Fire Evacuation Updates INCIDENT DATE AND TIME: 7/23/18 @ 4:30 pm REPORTING DEPUTY: C. Krauss EVACUATION LEVEL DOWNGRADES: • Shan Creek Road: o Riverbanks Road to 989 Shan Creek Road, has been downgraded from a LEVEL 3 “GO” to a LEVEL 2 “BE SET.” Addresses above 989 Shan Creek Road remain on a LEVEL 3 “GO” notice. • Limpy Creek Road: o Riverbanks Road to 333 Limpy Creek Road, has been downgraded from a LEVEL 3 “GO” to a LEVEL 2 “BE SET.” Addresses above 333 Limpy Creek Road on a LEVEL 3 “GO” notice. As a reminder: A LEVEL 2 “BE SET” evacuation notification means that you must be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. This level indicates there is significant danger to your area, and residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or with family/friends outside of the affected area, or if choosing to remain, be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Residents MAY have time to gather necessary...

[Morrow County, Ore.] The Wilson Prairie Fire was reported around 3:30 p.m. Monday afternoon burning on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) protected lands within the Morrow County Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Park. The fire is located approximately twenty-three miles southwest of Heppner, Oregon. This evening the fire is estimated at 120 acres, burning in grass, brush, and timber. Cause of the fire is under investigation. There are currently no evacuations or closures in place around the fire. Aerial resources, including five Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs), two Type 2 helicopters, and two large air tankers will be engaged on the fire until they are no longer able to fly due to civil twilight restrictions. The SEATs and large air tankers are dropping retardant around the fire perimeter, effectively boxing in the fire along existing roads and “two track” OHV trails. Dozers are working adjacent to this retardant to reinforce the fireline. They will work late into the night to take...

Hendrix Fire Community Meeting, Ashland, OR Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at 6pm Middle Gymnasium, Ashland Middle School100 Walker AvenueAshland, OR 97520 The meeting will be live streamed and a recording posted to https://tinyurl.com/yczf47z9

Community MeetingWednesday July 25, 2018 Natchez Fire Information & Update 6:00 p.m. Happy Camp Grange 2nd Street, Happy Camp, CA For further Natchez Fire information, please visit: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5948/

7/23/18 Klondike Fire Update Weather & Fire Behavior: The hot and dry weather will continue, allowing for continued fire growth. Smoke present over the fire area in the morning is expected to clear by the afternoon.Yesterday’s Activities: Klondike Fire: Firefighters working throughout the day and evening continued structure protection activities in the Oak Flat area of Josephine County. Helicopters utilized strategic water drops to slow fire spread and hold the fire to the south and west of the Illinois River. Fallers continued to remove hazard trees from old roads and dozer lines, and dozers were used to remove vegetation, further reinforcing these control lines. Fire personnel also scouted areas along Forest Service Road 087 to Pearsoll Peak and along Roads 4103 and 4805 to assess opportunities for a control line.Natchez Fire: Firefighters working both day and night shifts continued to burnout fuels along control lines as conditions allowed. These burnouts are utilized to...

A Joint Information Center has been opened through a partnership of federal, state, and county agencies. This update of Southwestern Oregon fires has been published today, July 23, 2018. Follow link below.

Update July 23 at 2:30 p.m.:WIMER, Ore. – As the Grave Fire pushes south, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is expanding the current Level 2 evacuation in the Pleasant Creek area. The following areas are now at Level 2:LEVEL 2 (Be Set): 3760 to 5090 Pleasant Creek Road, 3997 to 36505 Ditch Creek Road, 155 N Ford Road to 17101 Ford Road (map sections 27, 28, and 29). Jackson County deputies and search and rescue staff will be in the area providing information and evacuation notices. Residents will also be notified by Citizen Alert. To sign up for Citizen Alert, go to www.jacksoncounty.org/alert.All other evacuation levels remain the same for the Pleasant Creek and Graves Creek area.A downloadable map attached to this release includes a general area map with current evacuation zones and map sections noted. As before, be aware that some addresses within the address range given may or may not be included in an evacuation zone. The zones are based on geographical areas, not specific...

The July 23 Hendrix Fire Update has been posted to inciweb.

As of July 23, the Silver Creek Fire is 95% contained at 27 acres; no new growth is expected. Crews will continue to patrol the fire area through the summer. With the exception of one trail closure (see Closures Section for more detail), operations at Silver Falls State Park are no longer impacted by the fire. Waterfall areas remain accessible during normal Park

INCIDENT: Current Fire Evac Levels and Road Blocks in Josephine County INCIDENT DATE AND TIME: 7/22/18 @ 10:00 pm REPORTING DEPUTY: C. Krauss Current evacuation levels: Level 3 - West Pickett Creek Road Level 3 - Upper end of Shan Creek Road Level 3 - Upper end of Limpy creek Road Level 3 - Oak Flat community at the end of Illinois River Road Level 2 - Lower end of Shan Creek Road Level 2 - Lower end of Limpy Creek Road Level 2 - Pickett Creek Road, including secondary roads Level 2 - Dutcher Creek Road, including secondary roads Level 1 - Riverbanks Road between Limpy Creek Road and Pickett Creek Road including all secondary roads and streets Due to the Taylor Creek wildfire, road blockshave been established to prevent non­ essential vehicle traffic from interfering with residents attempting to evacuate and emergency services vehicles engaged in firefighting activities. Current road block locations: West Pickett Creek Rd at Pickett Creek Rd Shan Creek...