InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Officials have reduced the Miller Complex closure area. The updated closure will go into effect September 25, 2017. For more information please see Forest Order No. 06-10-22-17-37.

Rebel Fire/Horse Creek Complex Update for Sunday, September 24, 2017, 9 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 719-8371 Online: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ https://facebook.com/WillametteWildfires2017 Willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Rebel Fire: 8,703 acres Horse Creek Complex: Olallie Lookout Fire, 1,572 acres; Roney Fire, 3,548 acres; Avenue Fire, 3,398 acres; Separation Fire, 17,914 acres; Nash Fire, 6,738 acres. Total all fires: 41,873 acres (An infrared flight was conducted on September 23, resulting in an increase of 603 acres.) Resources: Personnel, 337; Crews, 5; Helicopters, 1; Engines, 15; Water Tenders, 3; Skidgen, 1. Weather: The weather continues to accommodate suppression repair on the Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire. Partly cloudy to sunny skies with temperatures climbing into the 60s are forecast for today, accompanied by lower humidity levels. The warming and drying trend will continue through the week. The remaining fires may smolder and...

Nash Fire/Horse Creek ComplexUpdate for Sunday, September 24, 2017, 9 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 719-8371 Online: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ https://facebook.com/WillametteWildfires2017 Willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Rebel Fire: 8,703 acres Horse Creek Complex: Olallie Lookout Fire, 1,572 acres; Roney Fire, 3,548 acres; Avenue Fire, 3,398 acres; Separation Fire, 17,914 acres; Nash Fire, 6,738 acres. Total all fires: 41,873 acres (An infrared flight was conducted on September 23, resulting in an increase of 603 acres.) Resources: Personnel, 337; Crews, 5; Helicopters, 1; Engines, 15; Water Tenders, 3; Skidgen, 1. Weather: The weather continues to accommodate suppression repair on the Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire. Partly cloudy to sunny skies with temperatures climbing into the 60s are forecast for today, accompanied by lower humidity levels. The warming and drying trend will continue through the week. The remaining fires may smolder and...

Horse Creek Complex and Rebel FireUpdate for Sunday, September 24, 2017, 9 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 719-8371 Online: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ https://facebook.com/WillametteWildfires2017 Willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Rebel Fire: 8,703 acres Horse Creek Complex: Olallie Lookout Fire, 1,572 acres; Roney Fire, 3,548 acres; Avenue Fire, 3,398 acres; Separation Fire, 17,914 acres; Nash Fire, 6,738 acres. Total all fires: 41,873 acres (An infrared flight was conducted on September 23, resulting in an increase of 603 acres.) Resources: Personnel, 337; Crews, 5; Helicopters, 1; Engines, 15; Water Tenders, 3; Skidgen, 1. Weather: The weather continues to accommodate suppression repair on the Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire. Partly cloudy to sunny skies with temperatures climbing into the 60s are forecast for today, accompanied by lower humidity levels. The warming and drying trend will continue through the week. The remaining fires may smolder...

As a result of weather and anticipated fire behavior, the Fremont-Winema National Forest has modified its fire area closures. The order and map of the area, road and/or trail closure information is available under the closure tab of

FIRE EMERGENCY CLOSURE - FREMONT-WINEMA NATIONAL FOREST Order Number 06-02-13-17-14 Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. §551 and Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations §261.50(b), the following acts are prohibited on the following described National Forest System Roads and Trails located on the Klamath Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest, as described below and shown on attached Exhibit A. PROHIBITION: (1) BEING UPON A CLOSED ROAD (2) BEING ON A CLOSED TRAIL 36 C.F.R. §261.54(e) 36 C.F.R. §261.55(a) The Forest Service Roads (FSR) and Trails listed below will be closed to public access due to hazards or hazardous situations created as a result of the North Pelican Fire. This prohibition will become effective immediately upon the time and date of the signature on this Order and will remain in effect until December 31, 2017 or until rescinded. AFFECTED ROADS: FSR 3519 in its entirety; starting at its junction with County Road 531 (Westside Road) in Township 35 South,...

FIRE EMERGENCY CLOSURE - FREMONT-WINEMA NATIONAL FOREST Order Number 06-02-13-17-13 Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. §551 and Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations §261.50(b), the following acts are prohibited on the following described National Forest System Roads and Trails located on the Klamath Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest, as described below and shown on attached Exhibit A. PROHIBITION: (1) BEING UPON A CLOSED ROAD (2) BEING ON A CLOSED TRAIL 36 C.F.R. §261.54(e) 36 C.F.R. §261.55(a) The Forest Service Roads (FSR) and Trails listed below will be closed to public access due to hazards or hazardous situations created as a result of the Blanket Creek Fire. This prohibition will become effective immediately upon the time and date -of the signature on this Order and will remain in effect until December 31, 2017 or until rescinded. AFFECTED ROADS: FSR 3282 in its entirety; starting at its junction with FSR 3228 in Township 33 South, Range 6 East, Section 3...

FIRE AREA EMERGENCY CLOSURE - FREMONT-WINEMA NATIONAL FOREST Order Number 06-02-13-17-12 Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. §551 and Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations §261.50 (a) and (b), the following act is prohibited on National Forest System lands, road , and trails within the following described area on the Klamath Ranger District, Fremont-Winema National Forest, as described in attached Exhibit A. PROHIBITION: (1) GOING INTO OR BEING UPON AN AREA. 36 C.F.R. §261.52(e) The area described below will be closed to public access/entry due to hazards and hazardous conditions created as a result of the Blanket Creek Fire. This prohibition will become effective immediately upon the time and date of the signature on this Order and will remain in effect until Decemher 31, 2017 or until rescinded. AFFECTED AREA/ CLOSURE AREA: A portion of Sky Lakes Wilderness - Starting at the Northwest corner of the Klamath Ranger District where is meets the Rogue River- Siskiyou National Forest and...

There is an old adage, whether from the military or wildfire realms, it holds equally true for both, "that without the right supplies, the best plans are only a dream". That especially holds true for the Umpqua North Complex of 10 separate fires. And what goes out, must be retrieved, accounted for, and made ready or replaced for the next assignment. For 10 fires spread out across 179,279 acres ( 280 square miles or 725 square kilometers) the task becomes truly daunting. Great Basin Type 2 IMT #3 Supply Unit Leader Darin Berry explains a bit more about what is required to help drive the tip of the spear from a logistical standpoint.Link to Supply Unit Leader Darin Berry

Whitewater Fire - including Little Devil, Scorpion, Clagett Lake, Slideout, Section Line, French and Potato Hill FiresSeptember 24, 2017 Daily Update Fire Information Line: 541-719-8371, willamettewildfires2017@gmail.comLocation: Willamette National ForestWillamette National Forest Closures: 541-225-6350, https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-noticesSize: 14,652 acres (total for reported fires) Containment: 47%Resources Assigned: 403 personnel (total for reported fires) Saturday, crews continued to make progress on suppression repairs, including cutting stumps low to the ground along Forest Service Road 46, removing timber slash, chipping branches and clearing debris from roads. The drier weather is allowing dirt roads and constructed fire lines to dry out, which then permits crews to access areas for suppression repair. This includes adding water bars into roadways and hillsides to minimize water runoff and erosion. Crews continue to stage and remove equipment from the...

Planning Operations Section Chief trainee Bill Panagopoulos, Great Basin Type 2 Incident Management Team #3 walks us around the horn on the actions being taken today on the 10 fires that comprise the Umpqua North Complex this Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017.Link to Ops Brief for Sunday,

El Equipo # 2 del Manejo de Incidentes Tipo 1 en el Noroeste del Pacifico, asumio el mando del Incendio ayer a las 4:00 pmEl dia de hoy: Bomberos continuan: asegurando lineas, barrido del fuego, implementacion de reparar la suppression, recuperacion y traslado del equipo y limpiando los escombros de la madera. Todavia persiste algo de humo dentro del perimetro del fuego en el area de Meadow Creek, al Este de la bifurcacion del rio Pistol, el riachuelo Emily y los drenages del Rio Illinois. Se espera que en algunos espacios que han sido quemados y mantienen una alta temperatura, las llamas se deslicen y se mantengan latentes sin una expansion significativa. En este periodo del incendio se esta enfatizando en las lineas de reparacion para la supresion del mismo. El batallon esta tomado medidas de estabilizacion despues de la supresion con el fin de : prevenir la erosion del suelo, ayudar a la recuperacion de la vegetacion, minimizar los danos al habita acuatico y conservar la calidad...

Location: 11 miles NNW of Mazama, WA Total Personnel: 202 Acres: 127,498 total acres Cause: Under Investigation Containment: 77% Start Date: July 24, 2017 Note: The containment reflects the percent of operational objectives completed. Resources continue to make excellent progress on Diamond Creek Fire Update: Ground resources continued suppression repair work on contingency lines on the southern and eastern flanks of the fire area. Excavator work along 400 Road was completed as well. There was one recon flight over the fire. As was expected with the slight raise in temperature; fire behavior was minimally increased within the perimeter of the fire yesterday. The Monument Creek area continues to carry heat, as well as the Pat Creek area. Approximately 97,043 acres in the U.S. and 30,454 acres in Canada have burned. No significant growth is expected in the U.S; however, increased fire activity is still possible with the drying weather pattern. Today’s Activities: Chipping,...

Fire Information: 541-392-1632 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) eaglecreekfire2017@gmail.com Approximate Fire Size: 48,668 acres Approximate Fire Containment: 46% Summary: Crews continued to make good progress yesterday doing repair work on contingency lines that were built near the southern perimeter of the fire. One hotshot crew worked along the southeast area of the fire line, using a chipper to process felled material. A hand crew worked near the area of Wahtum Lake low stumping high cut stumps along the contingency line. This work will continue today along with a falling team working along Palmer Mill Road, which remains closed to the public. Larch Mountain road is also closed to all traffic as there is heavy equipment working along this corridor. These closures apply to cyclists, pedestrian, and vehicular traffic. Resource Advisors (READs) are working directly with each division to guide suppression repair efforts with an emphasis on erosion control and streamside restoration. A Burned...

Norse Peak Fire Update Sunday, September 24, 2017 – Morning Update CONTACT: Fire Information 253-666-8841 (7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.) https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5509/ NorsePeakFireINFO@gmail.com www.facebook.com/NorsePeakFire/ Date Started: Aug. 11, 2017; Cause: Lightning; Acreage: 52,056 (Norse Peak) and 3,853 (American) Percent Completed: 80% (Norse Peak) and 99% (American). Total Personnel: 217 which includes 3 Crews and 26 Engines. 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. Command of the southeast side of the fire has been transferred to the Naches Ranger District’s Type 4 organization. On the northwest side of the fire, command has transferred to a Type 3 organization with the Incident Command Post at the Expo Center in Enumclaw. The Norse Peak incident information phone number has changed to:...

Today is a day of transition. Northwest Team 6, which moved into the camp at Stewart State Park two weeks ago, will be working with incoming Northwest Team 8 throughout the day to familiarize them with the local terrain and fire conditions and to introduce them to the tasks that have been accomplished and those remaining to be completed. On the east side of the Pup Fire, engine crews are extinguishing any remnant heat from the most recent burnout operation along the road which serves as the fire break. Despite drier conditions, there has been no noticeable increase in fire activity on any part of the Pup or Broken Lookout Fires. Heavy equipment continues to clear the road approaching the Rocky Ridge Shelter at the north end of the Pup Fire. The shelter remains wrapped and well protected as the road work creates a greater barrier to fire expansion. Further down the road, crews are working to cut and chip vegetation that has encroached on the roadway. Chipping and “storage” of...

Summary: Suppression repair for the High Cascades Complex East Zone picked up substantially with the warmer and drier weather. Firefighters removed over 20,000 feet of hose within the Blanket Creek and North Pelican Fires. Removal of additional water pumps and hoses will continue over the next few days. On September 22, the East Zone flew an infrared mapping of the complex, which showed very few pockets of heat. The majority of heat signatures were scattered well within the interior of the three fires. Current weather forecast and an analysis completed by the incident’s fire behavior analyst does not suggest any significant fire spread in the East Zone in the coming week. The management team continues to assess the situation and employ the right tools to complete needed suppression repair work. Equipment and crews best suited for the job will continue to work on repair. Handcrews will be used to repair handline and clean blocked culverts impacted by the...

Miller Complex Fire UpdateSeptember 24, 2017 – 9:00 a.m. Acres: 36,496 Percent Contained: 70% Start Date: August 14, 2017 Cause: LightningTotal Personnel: 171Location: Private land and federal land on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest 20 miles southwest of Medford, OR. Fire Information: 541-838-0770Email address: millercomplex2017@gmail.comThe Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Type 3 IMT maintain public and firefighter safety as their top priority on the Miller Complex. Repair work continues and active fire is being monitored. Steep slopes, rugged terrain and heavy fuel loading all pose challenges for firefighters. All of these hazardous factors are taken into account as fire managers assess risks involved with operational tactics.As a warming and drying trend moves into the region, increased fire activity and visible smoke can be expected. Today will be sunny with temperatures around 70-75. Easterly winds overnight will cause humidity to drop. As humidity drops,...

Location: 11 miles NNW of Mazama, WA Total Personnel: 202 Acres: 127,498 total acres Cause: Under Investigation Containment: 77% Start Date: July 24, 2017 Note: The containment reflects the percent of operational objectives completed. Resources continue to make excellent progress on Diamond Creek Fire Update: Ground resources continued suppression repair work on contingency lines on the southern and eastern flanks of the fire area. Excavator work along 400 Road was completed as well. There was one recon flight over the fire. As was expected with the slight raise in temperature; fire behavior was minimally increased within the perimeter of the fire yesterday. The Monument Creek area continues to carry heat, as well as the Pat Creek area. Approximately 97,043 acres in the U.S. and 30,454 acres in Canada have burned. No significant growth is expected in the U.S; however, increased fire activity is still possible with the drying weather pattern. Today’s Activities: Chipping,...

Pacific Northwest Team 2, Type I Incident Management Team, assumed command of the Chetco Bar and Indigo Fires at 4 p.m. yesterday.Today Firefighters continue to secure line, mop up, implement suppression repair, backhaul equipment and chip downed woody debris. Isolated smokes persist within the fire perimeter in the Meadow Creek, East Fork Pistol River, Emily Creek, and Illinois River drainages. These hot spots are expected to creep and smolder without expanding significantly. Repairing fire suppression lines is an emphasis at this stage. Stabilization measures taken by crews post suppression help prevent soil erosion, aid vegetation recovery, minimize damage to prime fish habitat, and conserve water quality. Techniques include installing water bars and using heavy equipment to backfill soil from trenches and dozer lines. As natural slope contour is reestablished, crews disperse tree limbs, slash, and stones across the site, resulting in increased stability and a more naturalized...