InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Special Announcements: This will be the last daily update for the High Cascades Complex East Zone. When available, updated fire and closure information will be shared on Inciweb and the Rogue River-Siskiyou, Fremont-Winema and Crater Lake National Park websites. On Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:00 a.m. Great Basin Team #4 will transfer command of the North Pelican, Blanket Creek and Spruce Lake Fires back to their local units. Summary: Fire personnel worked hard this week identifying and repairing damage resulting from months of fire suppression activities. Hand crews moved down the line meticulously covering areas bare of vegetation, removing debris from blocked culverts and repairing roads damaged by heavy equipment. East Zone Acres Burned: Fremont-Winema NF – 13,541 acres; Rogue River-Siskiyou NF – 19,168 acres; Crater Lake NP– 20,027 acres. Spruce Lake: (100% repair completion, 28% contained) Crews completed all the identified repair work on...

Update for Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, 9 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 719-8371 Online: inciweb.nwcg.gov/unit/3860 https//facebook.com/WillametteWildfires2017 Willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Rebel Fire: 8,709 acres Horse Creek Complex: Olallie Lookout Fire, 1,586 acres, 14 increase; Roney Fire, 3,575 acres, 14 increase; Avenue Fire, 3,587 acres, 283 increase; Separation Fire, 18,086 acres, 13 increase; Nash Fire, 6,747 acres, 9 increase; Potato Hill, 199 acres. Total all fires: 42,489 acres, an increase of 42. An infrared flight on Sept. 27 at 8:46 p.m. provided a more accurate count of acreage. Resources: Personnel, 166; Crews, 2; Helicopters, 1; Engines, 3; Water Tenders, 1; Skidgen, 1; Excavators 4; Road Grader, 1. Forest Roads Open: The following Forest Service Roads along Highway 126 are open to the public: FSR 2664, Robinson Lake Road; FSR 2657, Olallie Creek Road; FSR 2653, Boulder Creek Road; FSR 2649, Scott Creek Road; FSR 2647, Cupola Road; FSR 2643, Foley Ridge...

Community Meetings The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is hosting two public meetings today to provide a Chetco Bar Fire history and update:· 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Agness RV Park Event Center, 4215 Agness Road, Agness, OR· 6:00­–7:00 p.m. at the Curry County Fairgrounds-Event Center on the Beach, 29392 Ellensburg Ave, Gold Beach, ORToday Crews will continue to seek out and extinguish lingering pockets of heat, repair areas damaged during firefighting efforts, and monitor and patrol secured areas. Nearly 60 miles of dozerline and 50 miles of handline have been restored to a more stable, natural state by chipping, dragging brush, and installing waterbars. Helicopter water drops assisted crews in securing a key piece of remaining uncontained line east of Mount Emily yesterday. A flyover confirmed full containment in the Illinois River drainage area in the northeast portion of the fire. A slight two-acre increase in fire size is due to the burning of interior pockets of fuel...

Umpqua North ComplexFact Sheet UpdateSeptember 29, 2017 – 9:00 a.m.Fire Information: 541-378-6944 (8:00 am to 8:00 pm)Inciweb address: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incidnet/5505/#Start Date: August 11, 2017 Cause: Lightning Fuels: Timber, forest litter, grass & shrubsAcres: 43,158 Percent Completed: 79%Current Situation: At 0700 this morning, the Umpqua North Complex will be handed from the Great Basin Type 2 IMT Team #3 to the Nevada Type 3 IMT, led by Incident Commander Carrie Thaler. Outgoing IC Taiga Rohrer would like to extend his thanks and gratitude to ODOT, Pacific Power, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office and the residents & businesses along HWY 138 for their cooperation and understanding during this incident. IC Taiga would also like to welcome Nevada Type 3 IMT and wishes them continued success with the Umpqua North Complex.As operations on the Umpqua North Complex are winding down suppression repair completion is at 74%. The Fall Creek fire suppression repair is complete and...

Daily Update Eagle Creek Fire September 29, 2017 - 9:00 a.m. Fire Information: 541-392-1632 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) eaglecreekfire2017@gmail.com Approximate Fire Size: 48,831 acres Approximate Fire Containment: 46% Summary: A reconnaissance flight flown yesterday confirmed very limited fire activity in spite of warm temperatures and low relative humidity. Smoke, however, continued to drift across Interstate 84 and suppression crews were deployed to mop up residual fire to minimize smoke impacts to drivers. A cold-front arrived in the area as predicted and rain is forecast to start this morning and spread across the fire. Rain and cooler temperatures are predicted to last throughout the weekend, which is anticipated to further diminish fire activity. While the arrival of rain is welcomed for fire suppression, it can complicate repair work and increase the potential for erosion. It also serves as a reminder that more significant storms are likely as fall storm season approaches. With this...

Final Daily Update Jones Fire / Kelsey Fire 9/29/2017 - 8 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 937-5219 Starting Sunday, October 1 please call 541-222-9241 for fire information jonesfire2017@gmail.com Jones Fire - Size: 10,114 acres Containment: 80% Cause: Lightning Kelsey Fire - Size: 441 acres Containment: 50% Cause: Lightning General Western Oregon Deer season starts tomorrow. Hunters are reminded to “KNOW BEFORE YOU GO” and stay informed about area and road closures. Closure info: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices Northwest Incident Management Team 7 will transition command of the Jones & Kelsey Fire to a local type 3 incident management team on Saturday, September 30 at 8 p.m.Yesterday’s Activity – On both fires, repairing suppression lines is an emphasis at this stage. Stabilization measures taken by crews help prevent soil erosion, aid vegetation recovery, minimize damage to prime fish habitat, and conserve water quality. On the...

Final Daily Update Jones Fire / Kelsey Fire 9/29/2017 - 8 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 937-5219 Starting Sunday, October 1 please call 541-222-9241 for fire information jonesfire2017@gmail.com Jones Fire - Size: 10,114 acres Containment: 80% Cause: Lightning Kelsey Fire - Size: 441 acres Containment: 50% Cause: Lightning General Western Oregon Deer season starts tomorrow. Hunters are reminded to “KNOW BEFORE YOU GO” and stay informed about area and road closures. Closure info: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices Northwest Incident Management Team 7 will transition command of the Jones & Kelsey Fire to a local type 3 incident management team on Saturday, September 30 at 8 p.m. Yesterday’s Activity – On both fires, repairing suppression lines is an emphasis at this stage. Stabilization measures taken by crews help prevent soil erosion, aid vegetation recovery, minimize damage to prime fish habitat, and conserve water quality. On...

High Cascades Complex - West Zone Update Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander: Tim Keith September 29, 2017 Special Announcements: Smoke from California wildfires has drifted north into the area. Please check the Air Quality websites below for the most up to date information on smoke in your specific location. The significant rain event previously predicted for the area on Tuesday has been downgraded to where even a wetting rain might not materialize. Forecast models are no longer showing the 1/2 to 1 inch of rain. Fire Information Center: (541) 316-8352 Available 8:00 am to 9:00 pm. Information Websites: Inciweb – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5503 and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/R6RRSNF and https://facebook.com/UmpquaNationalForest/ Incident Management Team: Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander, Tim Keith, is managing the High Cascades Complex - West Zone. The incident command post (ICP) is located at...

Please see the attached BAER briefings describing the purpose of BAER teams and their work within wildfire recovery. Forest Service BAER OverviewKey Elements of the BAER AssessmentThree Phases of Wildfire

A Look Behind The Scenes – Meet the Crew that Keeps Our Firefighters Going In the small town of Fort Klamath, a unique group is gathered under a bright yellow tent near the Supply Unit. The tent was the brain child of one of the camp crew members, Hannah from South Dakota, when temperatures plummeted to 28 degrees and rain continued to pour on the Incident Command Post (ICP). They come from all over the world, Congo, Ethiopia, Thailand, Kenya and South Dakota. This young crew is part of the Boxelder Job Corp located in South Dakota. Because of their high performance in the school, they get the opportunity to sign up for camp crew assignments and travel to fires all around the United States to support our firefighters. Many consider themselves lucky to be here, having left refugee camps in countries dealing with unrest and hardships many of us will never experience. Their stories are heart breaking and inspiring all at once. Money earned working 14 hour days will be sent to...

EMERGENCY CLOSURE OF PUBLIC LANDS REDUCED TO HORSE PRAIRIE FIRE PERIMETER IN DOUGLAS COUNTYRoseburg, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management, Roseburg District is issuing a revised emergency closure of public lands in Douglas County, Oregon. This closure affects public lands within and adjacent to the Horse Prairie fire, on lands administered by the BLM.Due to reduced fire and suppression activity, the emergency closure has been limited to the Fire Perimeter (Please see the attached map and full closure notice for specific Township, Range and Section information).This emergency closure is necessary to ensure public safety from the continued risks of falling trees, landslides, and moving rocks and logs. The BLM will post closure signs at main entry points to this area. Maps and information on the closure area are available at the Roseburg District office and at: https://www.blm.gov/press-release/emergency-closure-public-lands-reduced-horse-prairie-fire-perimeter-douglas-countyTravel on...

Reunion de la Comunidad: Hoy se llevara a cabo una reunion para la comunidad auspiciada por el Servicio Forestal del Bosque Nacional Rogue River-Siskiyou. Esta reunion incluira topicos tales como la Cronologia del Incendio y noticias recientes del mismo. A las 6:00 pm, en la Escuela Secundaria en Brookings (525 Pioneer road, Brookings, OR). El dia de hoy: El dia Miercoles, aviones equipados con sensores de calor, realizaron vuelos sobre el area del incendio para capturar la localizacion de emanaciones de calor que aun se encuentran en el area afectada. La cuadrilla continuara patrullando y monitoreando esas areas, una vez que encuentran el area caliente, se dan a la tarea del barrido del fuego. Los bomberos estan limpiado la maleza, gradeando el terreno y astillando la madera, con solo proposito de reparar las lineas de supresion. Este trabajo es necesario de realizar para reparar danos y la perturbacion causada por las acciones tomadas en la suppression del incendio. El dia de ayer,...

Miller Complex Fire Update September 28, 2017 – 9:00 a.m.Acres: 36,496 Percent Contained: 80% Start Date: August 14, 2017 Cause: Lightning Total Personnel: 187 Location: Private land and federal land on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest 20 miles west of Ashland, OR. Fire Information: 541-838-0770, Email address: millercomplex2017@gmail.comToday will bring more warm and dry weather over the fire and a visible smoke column is expected in the area as fire activity increases in response to these trends. Crews are engaged along the active portions and are providing real time observations on fire behavior and progression. The fire is well within designated containment lines that include road systems and natural barriers. Today will likely be the last day of active burning as a cold front will arrive tomorrow and bring more fall-like weather over the weekend. Some light rain is expected on Friday but wetting rain is unlikely. The Creedence and Burnt Peak fires are each at 95%...

Location: 11 miles NNW of Mazama, WA Total Personnel: 37 Acres: 128,272 total acres Cause: Under Investigation Containment: 80% Start Date: July 23, 2017 Note: The containment reflects the percent of operational objectives completed. Significant progress in suppression repair on the Diamond Creek Fire Current Activities: Yesterday was a productive first operational day for the Type 3 Incident Management Team led by Incident Commander Gabe Holguin. The Type 3 Organization is made up of resources that were previously assigned on the fire, as well as local district personnel. Suppression repair of contingency line continues today with heavy equipment. Similar to previous operational periods, resource advisors will continue evaluation of the remaining suppression repair activities. Air and ground resources will continue to monitor fire activity. Various heavy equipment and overhead personnel remain assigned to the fire. Approximately 97,140 acres in the U.S. and 31,132 acres in...

Update for Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, 9 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 719-8371 Online: inciweb.nwcg.gov/unit/3860 https//facebook.com/WillametteWildfires2017 Willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Rebel Fire: 8,703 acres Horse Creek Complex: Olallie Lookout Fire, 1,586 acres, 14 increase; Roney Fire, 3,561 acres, 13 increase; Avenue Fire, 3,857 acres, 283 increase; Separation Fire, 18,073 acres, 159 increase; Nash Fire, 6,738 acres. Total all fires: 42,518 acres, an increase of 469. An infrared flight on Sept. 26 at 11:27 p.m. provided a more accurate count of acreage. Resources: Personnel, 170; Crews, 2; Helicopters, 1; Engines, 3; Water Tenders, 1; 2 masticators; Skidgen, 1. Notice: The McKenzie River Type 3 Team assumed management of the fires this morning. The team, under the direction of Incident Commander Mike Bournazian, is mainly made up of Willamette National Forest McKenzie River Ranger District Fire Management personnel. They will continue the suppression repair...

Daily Update Eagle Creek Fire September 28, 2017 - 9:00 a.m. Fire Information: 541-392-1632 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) eaglecreekfire2017@gmail.com Approximate Fire Size: 48,831 acres Approximate Fire Containment: 46% Summary: An infra-red flight was flown last night which showed minimal areas of active fire, none of which posed a threat to containment, but that continue to produce smoke that can be seen. With additional data analysis a more precise acreage estimate has been established at 48,831 acres. The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team assigned to Eagle Creek Fire has been hard at work since arriving on the 25th, assessing and prescribing emergency stabilization treatments for the areas that have been most affected by Eagle Creek Fire. The team is comprised of 20 members, representing a wide spectrum of resources specialists ranging from geologists, hydrologists and soil scientists to wildlife and fisheries biologists, to foresters, recreation specialists and archeologists. ...

Summary: Operations monitored hot spots near the fire perimeter today as temperatures increased. Varying amounts of small smokes could make an appearance as stumps carrying heat warm. Expectations today were clearly expressed by the Incident Commander and Forest Service to remain committed to the task at hand no matter how tedious. Repair work will continue to focus on chipping, handline and dozer repair and grading. Current Fire Information: Observations from the infrared flight shows a few scattered heat pockets on the northeast and southwest perimeter of the Blanket Creek Fire. Monitoring of these areas will occur over the next few days. Environmental factors will limit the amount of fire spread that may occur. Milestones reached today include: 76% of repair completion on Blanket Creek, 59% repair completion on North Pelican and 92% completion of repairs on the Spruce Lake. Overall, crews made substantial progress repairing line on Spruce Lake and will be complete...

Community Meeting There will be a public meeting, hosted by the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, providing history of the fire, at the Brookings Harbor High School (525 Pioneer Road, Brookings, OR) today at 6:00 p.m. Today Aircraft equipped with heat-sensing capability flew over the fire area Wednesday to capture the locations of any remaining heat. Crews will continue to patrol and monitor these areas of the fire, seeking hotspots and mopping-up. Firefighters work to repair suppression lines by clearing brush, chipping and road grading. This is necessary to repair damage and disturbance caused by the fire suppression actions taken. No visible smoke was seen on the Indigo fire yesterday. Repair work on the roads near the Indigo fire is completed. On Thursday morning, the Chetco Bar Fire transitioned from unified command to a single command structure under leadership of Chris Schulte, Pacific Northwest Team 2 – National Incident Management Team. Under unified command, Tom Savage...

Location: 11 miles NNW of Mazama, WA Total Personnel: 37 Acres: 128,272 total acres Cause: Under Investigation Containment: 80% Start Date: July 23, 2017 Note: The containment reflects the percent of operational objectives completed. Significant progress in suppression repair on the Diamond Creek Fire Current Activities: Yesterday was a productive first operational day for the Type 3 Incident Management Team led by Incident Commander Gabe Holguin. The Type 3 Organization is made up of resources that were previously assigned on the fire, as well as local district personnel. Suppression repair of contingency line continues today with heavy equipment. Similar to previous operational periods, resource advisors will continue evaluation of the remaining suppression repair activities. Air and ground resources will continue to monitor fire activity. Various heavy equipment and overhead personnel remain assigned to the fire. Approximately 97,140 acres in the U.S. and 31,132 acres in...

Fire Summary: Minimal fire growth is expected. Isolated pockets of slow surface spread where the fire is sheltered by the tree canopy and continued burning in the larger dead or down trees is still possible. The southeast side of the fire is under the command of the Naches Ranger District’s Type 4 organization. The northwest side of the fire is under the command of a Type 3 organization with the Incident Command Post located at the Expo Center in Enumclaw. Norse Peak Fire: On the northwest side of the fire, cleanup and fire suppression restoration work continues along Forest Road 70. Fire personnel are monitoring fire movement within the containment lines. American Fire: Any fire activity is expected to be minimal. 99% of the indirect lines are complete. CLOSURES: Incident management personnel on both sides of the fire are working closely with local agencies on decisions regarding road, campground and area closures. The safety of incident personnel and the public is the primary...