InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Update for Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017, 9 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 719-8371 Online: inciweb.nwcg.gov/unit/3860 https//facebook.com/WillametteWildfires2017 Willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Rebel Fire: 8,653 acres Horse Creek Complex: Olallie Lookout Fire, 1,572 acres; Roney Fire, 3,548 acres; Avenue Fire, 2,962 acres; Separation Fire, 17,747 acres; Nash Fire, 6,738 acres. Total all fires: 41,220 acres (The last infrared flight was conducted on 9/15. No change in acreage has been measured since 9/15.) Resources: Personnel, 449; Crews, 8; Helicopters, 2; Engines, 21; Dozers, 2; Water Tenders, 6. Weather: Widespread rain and snow continued to fall on Wednesday, bringing the total amount of precipitation over the fire area to 4-5 inches in the past four days. Scattered rain and snow showers were expected to continue into Wednesday night, with skies beginning to clear after midnight. Temperatures were forecast to drop into the upper 20s overnight. Scattered rain and snow...

Update for Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017, 9 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 719-8371 Online: inciweb.nwcg.gov/unit/3860 https//facebook.com/WillametteWildfires2017 Willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Rebel Fire: 8,653 acres Horse Creek Complex: Olallie Lookout Fire, 1,572 acres; Roney Fire, 3,548 acres; Avenue Fire, 2,962 acres; Separation Fire, 17,747 acres; Nash Fire, 6,738 acres. Total all fires: 41,220 acres (The last infrared flight was conducted on 9/15. No change in acreage has been measured since 9/15.) Resources: Personnel, 449; Crews, 8; Helicopters, 2; Engines, 21; Dozers, 2; Water Tenders, 6. Weather: Widespread rain and snow continued to fall on Wednesday, bringing the total amount of precipitation over the fire area to 4-5 inches in the past four days. Scattered rain and snow showers were expected to continue into Wednesday night, with skies beginning to clear after midnight. Temperatures were forecast to drop into the upper 20s overnight. Scattered rain and snow...

Smoke: Smoke should remain minimal throughout the day. Pockets of light smoke may be seen within the fire area, but no impacts to communities are expected. Rain showers should continue to clean out the air-shed before a drying trend comes back to the area starting Friday.Fire: Rain the last few days has slowed the fires down and allowed firefighters to aggressively fight the fires, however it was not enough rain to end the fire season. As temperatures rise and fuels dry out the fires should slowly pick up in a few locations.Other: With a large amount of firefighting equipment and fire personnel in the area use caution when driving near fire locations and

Umpqua North Complex Update September 21, 2017 – 9:00 a.m. Fire Information: 541-378-6944 (8:00 am to 8:00 pm) Start Date: August 11, 2017Cause: Lightning Fuels: Timber, forest litter, grass & shrubs Acres: 43,139 (+364) Percent Contained: 50% Current Situation: Due to the recent storm that entered the region Tuesday afternoon, fire suppression efforts on the Umpqua North Fire Complex has now shifted to suppression repair, backhauling equipment and hoses from the fire line. The Umpqua North Fire Complex involves six separate wildfires located along 35 miles of the Highway 138 corridor and spread across 179,279 acres of the North Umpqua and Diamond Lake Ranger Districts. Fire acreage over the last few days has not changed from Monday’s 43,139 acres, since infrared over-flights have not been possible because of the passing storm. Transmission lines are being restored by Pacific Power, with one line still out of operation due to damage by the fire. Cultural and...

Intermittent rain showers and lower temperatures contributed minimal fire activity on Wednesday. The combination of higher humidity and cooler temperatures kept fire behavior in the upper Pistol River, upper Winchuck River, and the Illinois River south of Deadman Bar to smoldering and creeping. Fire crews utilized this opportunity to conduct patrols identifying areas for mop up and continued fire suppression rehabilitation work.Chipping slash and equipment recovery continued as part of ongoing efforts to remediate containment lines for the upcoming fall rains. These operations along with the installation of water bars will help to properly direct runoff from rainstorms, preventing erosion and possible landslides.Light western winds combined with showers and smoldering fire activity has limited smoke impact for local communities. This as lead to substantially improved air quality and visibility throughout Southwest Oregon.Closures and Evacuations: On September 19, 2017 at 6:00 pm,...

Jones Fire / Kelsey Fire 9/21/2017 - 8 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 937-5219 jonesfire2017@gmail.com Jones Fire - Size: 10,017· acres Containment: 75% Cause: Lightning Kelsey Fire - Size: 527 acres Containment: 15% Cause: Lightning The rain continued to fall in the Jones and Kelsey Fire areas yesterday creating hazardous conditions for firefighters. Since Monday some areas have received as much as 2-3 inches of precipitation. This has made for slippery, impassible roads, difficulty in hiking steep rocky terrain, and increased danger from fire weakened trees. Yesterday’s Activity - On the Jones Fire crews have transitioned from fire suppression to retrieval of equipment (hose, nozzles, pumps), and preparing for suppression repair activities. During breaks in heavy rainfall yesterday crews continued removing material cut during the preparation of contingency firelines and began chipping along roadsides on the west flank. Hot Shot crews scouted the...

Jones Fire / Kelsey Fire 9/21/2017 - 8 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 937-5219 jonesfire2017@gmail.com Jones Fire - Size: 10,017· acres Containment: 75% Cause: Lightning Kelsey Fire - Size: 527 acres Containment: 15% Cause: Lightning The rain continued to fall in the Jones and Kelsey Fire areas yesterday creating hazardous conditions for firefighters. Since Monday some areas have received as much as 2-3 inches of precipitation. This has made for slippery, impassible roads, difficulty in hiking steep rocky terrain, and increased danger from fire weakened trees. Yesterday’s Activity - On the Jones Fire crews have transitioned from fire suppression to retrieval of equipment (hose, nozzles, pumps), and preparing for suppression repair activities. During breaks in heavy rainfall yesterday crews continued removing material cut during the preparation of contingency firelines and began chipping along roadsides on the west flank. Hot Shot crews scouted the...

https://www.facebook.com/EagleCreekandIndianCreekFires2017/videos/125094831481366/?__xt__=33.%7B%22logging_data%22%3A%7B%22page_id%22%3A121832855140897%2C%22event_type%22%3A%22clicked_all_page_posts%22%2C%22impression_info%22%3A%22eyJmIjp7InBhZ2VfaWQiOiIxMjE4MzI4NTUxNDA4OTciLCJpdGVtX2NvdW50IjoiMCJ9fQ%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22www_pages_home%22%2C%22interacted_story_type%22%3A%22565413710334575%22%2C%22session_id%22%3A%22ec1fda8437c225bb7658bd360013cbc8%22%7D%7D Good morning, my name is Dan Pearson I’m with Southwest Incident Management Team 2. I’m the Fire Behavior Analyst for the team and today I’m going to be talking about the rain and its effect on the fire. So the Eagle Creek Fire is currently around 48,000 acres and we have been receiving precipitation for about the last two days however that rain is not coming in equal amounts on all parts of the fire. On the southwest corner of the fire we have received 3-5 inches depending on the location of rain in the last 48 hours. As...

Firefighter and public safety comes first on every fire, every time. Dan Albee, Safety Officer for Great Basin IMT #3 talks about the 'Incident Risk Assessment' tool he uses to help determine the probability and severity of hazards on a wildfire incident and actions we can take to reduce risk of exposure.Link to the Incident Risk Assessment video

For the first time since August 11, 2017 Oregon Highway 138 is open to unrestricted travel through the North Umpqua Complex burn area (milepost 45-53). No parking in hazard area. Use caution and watch for possible debris while driving through the area. ODOT crews will patrol 24/7 for

Tamaño de Incendio Eagle Creek: appx 48,668 acres Tamaño de Incendio Archer: appx 260 acres Contención de Incendio Eagle Creek Fire: 46% Contención de Incendio Archer: 100% Se cayo lluvia substancial sobre el incendio ayer, aumentando la cantidad total de lluvia que hemos recibido desde el domingo a 1-1½ pulgadas en las partes bajas, y 3-6 pulgadas en las partes mas altas. Gran parte del incendio esta quemando lentamente con baja intensidad, con la excepción del la parte noreste, la cual se ha visto quemar un poco mas. El incendio ha crecido solo 3 acres en las ultimas 24 horas. Todavía se ve humo en muchas partes del incendio, y se ocasionalmente se ven arboles incinerando completamente. Equipos siguen vigilando las orillas del incendio y apagando áreas calientes a través del perímetro. El campamento de mando en Odell fue desmovilizado ayer. Se ha establecido un nuevo campamento de mando en Cascade Locks en el Best Western Columbia River Inn. La datos de contacto para el...

Bomberos lograron contener el Incendio : 77% El 19 de Septiembre, 2017 a las 6:00 pm, el Equipo No. 1 para el Manejo de Incidente de la agencia de Great Basin, asumio el comando para la porcion del area Este de el Incendio de Chetco Bar. Este Incendio ya no va ha estar dividido en zonas. Todas las operaciones seran coordinadas por el Equipo No. 1 Great Basin. Las lluvias intermitentes y el clima mas fresco se presentara hasta el dia Miercoles. El fuego se vera reducido por temperaturas mas bajas y la alta humedad. Este fenomeno climatico permitira a los bomberos continuar re-enforzando y extendiendo las lineas de control. Se continua con el trabajo de supresion-rehabilitacion del fuego, donde los bomberos estan desmenuzando (rebajando) y reparando lineas a mano y de tractores. Para asegurar que el agua de lluvia no erosione el suelo, se han instalado barras de agua sobre las lineas de control. El trabajo de supresion-rehabilitacion se hace con el fin de que el Bosque reqgrese a su...

SR 410 Both Directions - SR-410 Chinook Pass will reopen to thru-traffic at noon on Thursday, Sept. 21. Fire crews are completing operations along the highway and pending more inspections, will tentatively reopen Thursday at noon. Please drive cautiously as fire crews will be monitoring areas along the SR 410 corridor.From milepost 65 to milepost

JOSEPHINE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE PRESS RELEASE SHERIFF DAVE DANIEL 1901 NE F St, Grants Pass, OR 97526 Office: (541) 474-5123 Fax: (541) 474-5114 E-mail: jocosheriff@co.josephine.or.us Release Date: 9/20/17 INCIDENT: Illinois River Road Evacuation Update REPORTING DEPUTY: C. Krauss DETAILS: Based on current weather and fire behavior, The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office and the Incident Command Team for the Chetco Bar Fire have decided the fire danger no longer warrants an imminent threat to the public and all evacuation levels for the residents of the Illinois River Road area have been dropped to level zero, effective 9/19/17 at 6:00 pm. The Forest Service forest closure will still be in effect until further notice as crews are still working in the area. The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the residents of Josephine County, especially those living in the rural parts of the County that we should all be in the Level 1 “Be Ready” mindset. Whether it...

Wednesday, September 20th operations briefing for the Umpqua North Complex. Great Basin IMT #3 Planning Operations Section Chief Dan Gustafson talks about today's plan for work across the fire complex.Link to video of the Wednesday 9/20/17 Operations

Effective immediately: Pierce County has dropped the level 3 evacuation for Greenwater Area 4, FS 7160 eastbound on SR 410 to Crystal Mountain Blvd, to fire danger advisory level 1.All other awareness and evacuation levels in the Greenwater area, to include Gold Hills and Crystal Mountain Resort, have been lifted. Level 1 means be alert. Be aware. Danger exists in your area. Monitor local media for information.

Eagle Creek September 20, 2017 10:00 a.m. Fire Information: 541-392-1632 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) or eaglecreekfire2017@gmail.com Eagle Creek Fire Size: approximately 48,668 acres Eagle Creek Fire Containment: 46% Archer Fire Size: approximately 260 acresArcher Fire Containment: 100% Summary: Substantial rain fell across the fire yesterday, increasing total rain since Sunday to one and one half to three inches on lower elevations and three to six inches on the upper elevations. Most portions of the fire are in a smoldering state, with the exception of the northeast corner where minimal creeping has been observed. Only 3 acres of growth occurred in the past 24 hours. Smoke can still be seen in many areas and occasional torching may be seen. Crews continue to patrol and mop up hot spots along the perimeter. The fire camp at the Hood River County Fairgrounds near Odell was demobilized yesterday. A new Incident Command Post has been established in Cascade Locks at the Best Western...

Norse Peak Fire UpdateWednesday, September 20, 2017 – Morning UpdateCONTACT: Fire Information 509-658-2475 (7:30am.-7:30p.m.)https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5509/ NorsePeakFireINFO@gmail.comwww.facebook.com/NorsePeakFire/ Date Started: Aug. 11, 2017; Cause: Lightning; Acreage: 52,056 (Norse Peak), 3,853 (American), 1,061 (Saw Mill); Percent Completed: 80% (Norse Peak), 95% (American), 95% (Saw Mill).Total Personnel: 753, which includes 19 Crews, 35 Engines, 7 Helicopters, 1 Bulldozer, 5 Water Tenders.Fire Summary: The heaviest rain is expected on the western and northern side of the fire.Norse Peak Fire is having minimal fire growth with isolated pockets of slow surface spread in heavy vegetation under forest canopy. State Route 410 is being cleared of debris and hazardous trees are being removed. Thinning, to remove hazardous trees along Forest Road 1900 is almost complete.On this incident, 80% of the fireline will be indirect, or not directly adjacent to the fire’s edge. The...

Horse Creek Complex and Rebel FireUpdate for Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, 9 a.m.Fire Information: (541) 719-8371Online: inciweb.nwcg.gov/unit/3860https//facebook.com/WillametteWildfires2017 Willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Rebel Fire: 8,653 acres Horse Creek Complex: Olallie Lookout Fire, 1,572 acres; Roney Fire, 3,548 acres; Avenue Fire, 2,962 acres; Separation Fire, 17,747 acres; Nash Fire, 6,738 acres. Total all fires: 41,220 acres (The last IR flight was conducted on 9/15. No change in acreage has been measured since 9/15.) Current Resources: Personnel, 412; Crews, 7; Helicopters, 2; Engines, 26; Dozers, 2; Water Tenders, 6; Skidgens, 1. Weather: As of Tuesday afternoon, 2 ½ to 3 ½”of precipitation had fallen on the Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire. Snow fell at and above the 4,500 foot elevation, with a very heavy and wet 1-2” of snow/slush at Hoodoo Incident Command Post and deeper snow at higher elevations. Another 1 ½-2” of precipitation is forecast to arrive, but...

Whitewater Fire - including Little Devil, Scorpion, Clagett Lake, Slideout, Fire #296 (Section Line) French and Potato Hill FiresSeptember 20, 2017 Daily UpdateFire 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: 14,416 acres (total for reported fires) Containment: 43%Resources Assigned: 429 personnel (total for reported fires) Rain will continue this morning and turn to a snow/rain mixture by this afternoon. As a result, fire crews have transitioned from fire suppression to repair activities including road, trail and terrain repair and retrieval of equipment on the Little Devil, Whitewater and Scorpion Fires. Fire activity has been minimal since Monday. Weather creates a number of safety hazards for firefighters including slippery, impassible roads, difficulty navigating steep, rocky terrain and the possibility of hazard...