InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Numerous hazards brought on by the Norse Peak Fire on the Snoqualmie Ranger District has required the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest to close down sections of the affected area to provide for public safety. The closure order can be viewed here. Click on Exhibit A and Exhibit B to view the closure map and a list of closed roads and trails.

View the full report

View the full report

View the Norse Peak Hydrology Report here. You may also be interested in the Norse Peak Geology and Soils Reports.

Norse Peak Geology ReportObjectivesThe objectives of this report are to: 1. Identify debris flow hazards potentially affected by the fire. 2. Identify both emergency and long-term actions that could mitigate potential hazards. View the full report here and the USGS Preliminary Hazard Assessment (debris flow prediction model outputs) here.

View the Norse Peak Hydrology Report here. You may also be interested in the Norse Peak Geology and Soils Reports.

Norse Peak Geology ReportObjectivesThe objectives of this report are to: 1. Identify debris flow hazards potentially affected by the fire. 2. Identify both emergency and long-term actions that could mitigate potential hazards. View the full report here and the USGS Preliminary Hazard Assessment (debris flow prediction model outputs) here.

Norse Peak Soils ReportObjectives: This purpose of this soil assessment is to: ● Summarize the soil types within the fire and briefly discuss the management importance of each type ● Describe the Soil Burn Severity (SBS) within the fire area ● Estimate soil erosion in watersheds determined sensitive to erosion and sediment transport ● Determine whether threat to soil productivity and threat of erosion constitute an emergency ● Determine any needed treatments ● Make recommendations to Forest management View the full report

Norse Peak Soils ReportObjectives: This purpose of this soil assessment is to: ● Summarize the soil types within the fire and briefly discuss the management importance of each type ● Describe the Soil Burn Severity (SBS) within the fire area ● Estimate soil erosion in watersheds determined sensitive to erosion and sediment transport ● Determine whether threat to soil productivity and threat of erosion constitute an emergency ● Determine any needed treatments ● Make recommendations to Forest management View the full report

Officials on the northern portion of the Forest, Blue Mountain and Prairie City Ranger Districts, may continue with prescribed burning operations later this week. Conditions, such as weather and potential smoke impacts will be monitored closely throughout the week. Active project areas include, on the Prairie City Ranger District, Axe, Punch, and Lunch, and Cup (Galena area) on the Blue Mountain Ranger District. Both districts will continue monitoring units ignited over the past couple weeks. On the southern portion of the Forest, Emigrant Creek Ranger District officials will work through prescribed burning of brush piles at campgrounds, and evaluate conditions for broadcast prescribed burning.

The fire area closure spans across the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Mt. Hood National Forest. There are perilous conditions that greatly compromise public safety within the closure area, such as debris flow, rock fall and land slides.The decision to maintain the area closure was not taken lightly. Forest administrators weighed many factors and concluded that it is necessary to protect the life and safety of the public and of firefighters and emergency responders, as hazards have not yet been mitigated. Our efforts to inform visitors regarding the fire area closure has spanned many weeks, and many warnings and citations have been issued. DUE TO CONTINUED BREACHES WITHIN THE AREA CLOSURE, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WILL ISSUE CITATIONS TO ALL UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS FOUND WITHIN THE AREA CLOSURE.Many trails no longer exist as we know them, and the possibility of getting lost or injured is very high. Please respect the area closure, and your life and safety as well as the...

The fire area closure spans across the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Mt. Hood National Forest. There are perilous conditions that greatly compromise public safety within the closure area, such as debris flow, rock fall and land slides.The decision to maintain the area closure was not taken lightly. Forest administrators weighed many factors and concluded that it is necessary to protect the life and safety of the public and of firefighters and emergency responders, as hazards have not yet been mitigated. Our efforts to inform visitors regarding the fire area closure has spanned many weeks, and many warnings and citations have been issued. DUE TO CONTINUED BREACHES WITHIN THE AREA CLOSURE, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WILL ISSUE CITATIONS TO ALL UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS FOUND WITHIN THE AREA CLOSURE.Many trails no longer exist as we know them, and the possibility of getting lost or injured is very high. Please respect the area closure, and your life and safety as well as the...

The Chemult Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest will begin prescribed fire operations starting the week of October 25th through December 31st as weather and air conditions permit. Pile Burning – 647 acres of prescribed pile burning planned, located approximately in various locations east of Highway 97, approximately 40 miles from Chemult. The prescribed fire activities will: Remove hazardous fuels from earlier thinning treatments and brush.Improve firefighter safety during future suppression activities.Improve wildlife habitat in the area and create more resilient forests. For visitor and firefighter safety: Watch for prescribed fire signs in the areaBe aware of smoke in the area both during and after ignitions, which may affect visibility on area roadsIncreased fire personnel and vehicles in the area and additional Forest Service traffic For more information, please contact Chemult Ranger District Assistant Fire Management Officer Ken Gregor at 541-365-7057,...

The Chemult Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest will begin prescribed fire operations starting the week of October 25th through December 31st as weather and air conditions permit. Pile Burning – 647 acres of prescribed pile burning planned, located approximately in various locations east of Highway 97, approximately 40 miles from Chemult. The prescribed fire activities will: Remove hazardous fuels from earlier thinning treatments and brush.Improve firefighter safety during future suppression activities.Improve wildlife habitat in the area and create more resilient forests. For visitor and firefighter safety: Watch for prescribed fire signs in the areaBe aware of smoke in the area both during and after ignitions, which may affect visibility on area roadsIncreased fire personnel and vehicles in the area and additional Forest Service traffic For more information, please contact Chemult Ranger District Assistant Fire Management Officer Ken Gregor at 541-365-7057,...

The Lakeview Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest will begin prescribed fire operations starting October 26, 2017 as weather and air quality conditions permit. West Drews Units 8, 9, 15, 16 – located 5 miles west of Drews Valley in the Secret Valley area. 1,000 acres of planned accomplishment. The prescribed fire activities will: Remove hazardous fuels from earlier thinning treatments and brush.Improve firefighter safety during future suppression activities.Improve wildlife habitat in the area and create more resilient forests. For visitor and firefighter safety: Watch for prescribed fire signs in the areaBe aware of smoke in the area both during and after ignitions, which may affect visibility on area roadsIncreased fire personnel and vehicles in the area and additional Forest Service traffic For more information, please contact Lakeview Ranger District Assistant Fire Management Officer Coley Neider at 541-219-2126 or Fire Information Officer Sarah Saarloos at...

The Chiloquin Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest will begin prescribed fire operations starting October 26, 2017 as weather and air quality conditions permit. Ninemile Natural Fuels Units 1 & 3 (WUI) – located 5 miles east of Chiloquin south of milepost 5 on Sprague River Road near Corbell Butte. 265 acres of planned accomplishment.Ninemile Natural Fuels Unit 43 (WUI) – located 10-11 miles west of Chiloquin north of Sprague River Road between mileposts 11 and 13. 45 acres of planned accomplishment. Yosshouse Natural Fuels Units 1 & 9 – located 15-20 miles northeast of Chiloquin in the Yoss Ridge area. Unit 1 is adjacent to the “Kirk” or Forest Road 43. Units total approximately 75 acres of planned accomplishment. The prescribed fire activities will: Improve wildlife habitat in the area and create more resilient forestsRemove hazardous fuels from earlier thinning treatments and brushImprove firefighter safety during future wildfires For visitor and...

The Lakeview Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest will begin prescribed fire operations starting October 26, 2017 as weather and air quality conditions permit. West Drews Units 8, 9, 15, 16 – located 5 miles west of Drews Valley in the Secret Valley area. 1,000 acres of planned accomplishment. The prescribed fire activities will: Remove hazardous fuels from earlier thinning treatments and brush.Improve firefighter safety during future suppression activities.Improve wildlife habitat in the area and create more resilient forests. For visitor and firefighter safety: Watch for prescribed fire signs in the areaBe aware of smoke in the area both during and after ignitions, which may affect visibility on area roadsIncreased fire personnel and vehicles in the area and additional Forest Service traffic For more information, please contact Lakeview Ranger District Assistant Fire Management Officer Coley Neider at 541-219-2126 or Fire Information Officer Sarah Saarloos at...

The Chiloquin Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest will begin prescribed fire operations starting October 26, 2017 as weather and air quality conditions permit. Ninemile Natural Fuels Units 1 & 3 (WUI) – located 5 miles east of Chiloquin south of milepost 5 on Sprague River Road near Corbell Butte. 265 acres of planned accomplishment.Ninemile Natural Fuels Unit 43 (WUI) – located 10-11 miles west of Chiloquin north of Sprague River Road between mileposts 11 and 13. 45 acres of planned accomplishment. Yosshouse Natural Fuels Units 1 & 9 – located 15-20 miles northeast of Chiloquin in the Yoss Ridge area. Unit 1 is adjacent to the “Kirk” or Forest Road 43. Units total approximately 75 acres of planned accomplishment. The prescribed fire activities will: Improve wildlife habitat in the area and create more resilient forestsRemove hazardous fuels from earlier thinning treatments and brushImprove firefighter safety during future wildfires For visitor and...

Link: Eagle Creek Fire Update 10/24/17 with Loretta Duke, Incident CommanderTranscript: Hi I’m Loretta Duke. I’m currently the Eagle Creek IC and the last Eagle Creek IC in a long line of them. You know, the fire area, there isn’t a lot of burning going on, there’s some interior burning. There’s a lot of gravity hazards out there. Because it is such a steep hillside we regularly have debris flows that happen even before this fire happened. All the rock was being held together with moss and now that the moss isn’t there, that stuff is sliding down- even without rainfall, it’s sliding down constantly. Just driving through there, one of the crew vehicles last week damaged two tires, one of them completely flat. And the other one scarred the sidewall. Then the hazard trees, a lot of those trees are on a very steep slope and many of them are shallow rooted. They burned deep into the soil and those trees just fall over. And some of them fall over and because it’s on such a...

Link: Eagle Creek Fire Update 10/24/17 with Loretta Duke, Incident CommanderTranscript: Hi I’m Loretta Duke. I’m currently the Eagle Creek IC and the last Eagle Creek IC in a long line of them. You know, the fire area, there isn’t a lot of burning going on, there’s some interior burning. There’s a lot of gravity hazards out there. Because it is such a steep hillside we regularly have debris flows that happen even before this fire happened. All the rock was being held together with moss and now that the moss isn’t there, that stuff is sliding down- even without rainfall, it’s sliding down constantly. Just driving through there, one of the crew vehicles last week damaged two tires, one of them completely flat. And the other one scarred the sidewall. Then the hazard trees, a lot of those trees are on a very steep slope and many of them are shallow rooted. They burned deep into the soil and those trees just fall over. And some of them fall over and because it’s on such a...