InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Smoke: Light winds will allow smoke to drain downhill, creating periods of Unhealthy air in Agness, while coastal communities will experience more moderate conditions today. Inland, Cave Junction, Grants Pass, Medford and other Rogue Valley communities will remain in Unhealthy with periods of Very Unheallthy through the day due to limited air movement. Fire: Low, with pockets of active fire behavior is expected today on Chetco Bar and Miller Complex, with more active fire behavior on the Indigo fire. The Chetco Bar Fire is 189,562 and 43% contained. Chetco Fire Information: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5385/ Miller Complex is 34,500 acres, and 59% contained. Miller Complex: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5514/ The Chetco Bar Fire is 189,562 and 43% contained. Chetco Bar Fire Information: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5385/Miller Complex is 34,500 acres, and 59% contained. Miller Bar Fire Information: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5514/

Sawmill Creek Fire Update for September 17, 2017Enumclaw Washington, September 17, 2017 - The Sawmill Creek Fire is currently 1098 acres with 0% containment. No structures have been damaged or destroyed.Firefighters remain on the line today, making their way towards the fires edge and building direct containment lines. Divisions continue to focus efforts on The Dalles, Crystal Mountain Communities, and Alta Crystal Resort areas; they have completed control lines and have placed sprinkler systems to assist in structure defense. As the fire backs down slopes in the area firefighters are mopping up near the control lines. The fire continues to threaten the watershed for the City of Tacoma, industrial timberland, DNR protected lands, and the United States Forest Service lands.State Highway 410 remains closed at SR 123, east of Cayuse Pass; the closure includes Bumping River Road and its associated trails.A storm system will impact the fire area starting today. We will see cooler...

Crews continue to strengthen control lines along the northwest perimeter near Snow Camp Mountain, making significant progress in containing the existing fire. As of yesterday, two hotshot crews connected firelines in what is called a ‘handshake’, securing a significant section of the western perimeter. Some mop up operations have commenced in this area, including hand line rehabilitation in the Snow Camp meadows. Crews plan to unwrap most structures, lookouts and campground signs along the northern perimeter starting today. Patrol and mop up operations continue along the western side of the fire. The focus of operations in these areas is shifting from fire suppression to suppression rehabilitation. Crews are working to repair hand and dozer lines, retrieve hoses, and install water bars to prevent erosion in areas blacklined across the perimeter. As cooler temperatures move through the region, active surface fires give way to smoldering and creeping. Fire activity in the Mt. Emily...

Location: High Cascades Ranger District, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Klamath Ranger District, Fremont-Winema National Forest, Crater Lake National Park Start Date: North Pelican August 10, 2017, Spruce Lake July 29, 2017, Blanket Creek July 26, 2017 Cause: Lightning Size: 52,737 Acres Percent Contained: 16% (% encompasses total of both East and West zone of the complex excluding Spruce Lake fire from the Complex) Vegetation: timber, brush, heavy logging slash Resources Assigned: 326 Incident Commander: Steve Millert/Dave Gesser with the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 3 Closure Information: As a result of the fires in the High Cascades Complex, a number of area road and trail closures are in place within Crater Lake National Park, Rogue River-Siskiyou, Umpqua, and Fremont-Winema National Forests. More road and trail closures may go into effect as the fires progress. For specific closure information, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5503....

Rebel Fire UpdateUpdate for Sunday, Sept. 17, 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 Current Situation: Rebel Fire: Crews will hold and improve their control lines, as impending weather may push the fire to challenge their work. Weather: The Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire crews are bracing for a significant weather event beginning Sunday. Southwest winds gusting up to 30 mph are forecast to be followed by several days of rain which could bring up to 3.48”. Snow is possible at elevations above 6000 feet. Still, dry fuels could see fire growth in drainages that align with the wind. During this event, firefighter welfare becomes a priority. Incident managers will use judgement to adjust how crews approach the fires. Incident Commander Tom Kurth summed it up well, “Sunday promises to be an interesting day.” Avenue Fire: The Avenue fire...

Umpqua North Complex Update September 17, 2017 – 9:00 a.m. Fire Information: 541-378-6944 (8:00 am to 8:00 pm) Start Date: August 11, 2017 Cause: Lightning Fuels: Timber, forest litter, grass & shrubs Acres: 43,139 (+364) Percent Contained: 38% Current Situation: The Great Basin Incident Management Team #3 is currently managing 10 active fires within the Complex, located along 35 miles of the Highway 138 corridor and spread throughout 179,279 acres of the North Umpqua and Diamond Lake Ranger Districts. The fires are prioritized according to proximity to communities, infrastructure, and private lands. Transmission lines are threatened and GBIMT #3 is working with Pacific Power to protect infrastructure to the east and west. One line is currently de-energized, but all customers have power. Umpqua NF campgrounds and improvements are threatened and evacuation notices remain in place. Cultural natural resources are at risk. USFS timber sales and private commercial timber...

Kelsey Fire 9/17/2017 8 a.m. Fire Information: (541) 937-5219 jonescreekfire2017@gmail.com Northwest Incident Management Team 7 will be assigned management of the Kelsey Fire starting today and will begin managing the Jones Fire tomorrow at 6 a.m. The Incident Command Post, located at the Dexter State Recreation Site, is closed to non-fire traffic. To shorten driving distances and improve efficiency fire crews are working out of the Flat Creek Work Station just outside of Oakridge. The Kelsey Fire is burning on the Middle Fork Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest, near McCredie Hot Springs and approximately 10 miles east of the town of Oakridge, Oregon. The fire was reported on September 9, 2017 after a passing storm produced lightning and strong winds. Yesterday’s Activity - The Kelsey Fire continued to challenge the containment efforts on Bunchgrass Ridge and slopped over at several points yesterday. Hand crews successfully lined and secured...

Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire Update for Sunday, Sept. 17, 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 team was unable to conduct IR flights last night so no change in acreage could be measured.) Current Resources: Personnel, 496; Crews, 12; Helicopters, 2; Engines, 25; Dozers, 3; Water Tenders, 5; Masticators, 2; Skidgens, 2. Current Situation: Weather: The Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire crews are bracing for a significant weather event beginning Sunday. Southwest winds gusting up to 30 mph are forecast to be followed by several days of rain which could bring up to 3.48”. Snow is possible at elevations above 6000 feet. Still,...

Yesterday was a fairly quiet day across the fire. Due to active fire on Shellrock Mountain, resources stayed overnight to monitor fire activity. During Saturday’s morning shift, fire backed slowly on the southeastern and southern edges but had no major runs or growth. Type 1 (Heavy) helicopters continued doing bucket work in the Bell Creek area on the southwest side. This work has been successful in preventing the fire from spreading further into the Bull Run Watershed. Southeasterly changing to southwesterly winds are expected to help aid firefighting efforts by moving the fire away from the watershed today. There was very little activity along the I-84 corridor and we expect to have more containment here today. Engines will be rotating shifts and maintaining a presence at Multnomah Falls Lodge. Crews will also continue to monitor the I-84 corridor with focus on the northeast sections taking action where needed. Light rains are expected tonight, turning to heavy rains on...

NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM #10 Al Lawson-Incident Commander Firefighters Continue to Focus on Fire Repair Work Sunday, September 17, 2017 Fire: Uno Peak Completion: 20% Acres: 8,726 Start Date: August 30, 2017 Cause: Under Investigation Location: 15 miles NW of Manson, WA Total Personnel: 271 Fuels/Topography: Timber, grass, rugged terrain Yesterday: Majority of the active fire continues to be primarily in the Lone Fir Creek drainage on the northwest side of the fire. Crews continued to focus on fire suppression line repair and equipment backhaul on the alternate Coyote Ridge containment line. Most of the hose along Coyote Ridge was retrieved. The majority of the road improvement work has been completed; however, road maintenance will continue throughout the next couple days. Structure protection group continued to maintain the pumps and sprinkler system that was installed in the Canoe Creek and Llama Ranch areas. The Canoe Creek and the Llama Ranch...

Smoke: Communities adjacent to the fire such as Cascade Locks and Bonneville continue to have poor air quality. Conditions finally began to improve yesterday afternoon for areas to the east of the fire. Unfortunately, the eastern flow pushed much of the smoke into Portland and surrounding communities west of the fire. The strong cold front today will push the smoke back to the east once again. This morning AQ is observed to be USG or worse for most areas in the immediate vicinity of the fire. This evening an extended period of rain begins, greatly decreasing smoke production. Fire: Today’s approaching system will bring southwest winds ahead of the the rain event. This may encourage some fire spread on the eastern portions of the fire. Any growth will be slowed by high humidity and eventually a good amount of rain beginning this evening. Rain will likely last for at least a couple days and put a real damper on fire growth. Other: This morning, additional smoke monitors at...

Enumclaw Washington, September 17, 2017 - The Sawmill Creek Fire is currently 1098 acres with 0% containment. No structures have been damaged or destroyed. Firefighters remain on the line today, making their way towards the fires edge and building direct containment lines. Divisions continue to focus efforts on The Dalles, Crystal Mountain Communities, and Alta Crystal Resort areas; they have completed control lines and have placed sprinkler systems to assist in structure defense. As the fire backs down slopes in the area firefighters are mopping up near the control lines. The fire continues to threaten the watershed for the City of Tacoma, industrial timberland, DNR protected lands, and the United States Forest Service lands. State Highway 410 remains closed at SR 123, east of Cayuse Pass; the closure includes Bumping River Road and its associated trails. A storm system will impact the fire area starting today. We will see cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and wetting...

Smoke: Widespread haze and smoke will continue through Sunday. Heavier concentrations will occur in areas near active fire perimeters. Expect overnight smoke to settle in valley bottoms creating pockets of higher levels of PM 2.5. Fire: The Jolly Mountain fire is currently burning in the Yakima River basin on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, north of Cle Elum, WA. The current fire size is 36,808 acres an increase of 2,586 acres Moderate fire behavior with torching and backing. The Uno Peak fire is currently burning north of Lake Chelan with a current size of 8,726 acres an increase of 0 acres. Minimal fire behavior with isolated torching, flanking and backing. The Norse Peak fire is burning northwest of Yakima. The current size is 52,502 acres an increase of 0 acres. Moderate fire behavior with group torching, backing and creeping. Other: A moist weather system is working it's way into the Pacific Northwest. Precipitation on all fire areas is expected late Sunday evening. This...

The Indigo Fire (784 Fire) was active again yesterday, expanding mostly to the west, reaching 578 acres. This fire is located midslope along the west side of the West Fork of Indigo Creek and has not crossed east into Josephine County. Fire crews are building containment lines by widening and removing brush along existing forest roads on both its east and west sides. Although there is a significant amount of heat and burning potential present, the Indigo Fire’s activity is expected to diminish due to cooler, wetter weather starting today. The Chetco Bar Fire is currently 189,562 acres (same official size as yesterday) and has reached 43% containment. The most significant portion of its East Zone activity was within the horseshoe bend of the Illinois River at the north end of the fire. Here, the fire has been creeping northeast, smoldering and occasionally torching trees. Fire containment line is now completed from the California border to the Bear Camp area. Threat from the...

Smoke: Widespread haze and smoke will continue through Sunday. Heavier concentrations will occur in areas near active fire perimeters. Expect overnight smoke to settle in valley bottoms creating pockets of higher levels of PM

Umpqua North Complex Operations Daily Update for Saturday, September 16th, 2017 given Planning Operations Section Chief, PLOPS, for Great Basin Type 2 Incident Management Team #3 Dan Gustafson.Link to Ops Brief Video for Saturday.

Saturday, September 16, 2017 https://www.facebook.com/EagleCreekandIndianCreekFires2017/videos/124461938211322/Good morning, Rick Miller with your morning update. Per some requests I'm going to start on the east side and move to the west, so, starting out here on the Hood River Valley. The fire yesterday did do some growth mainly on the face of the Gorge out here. Our folks continue strengthening our indirect line if we need to burn it out to keep it from getting into Hood River. That was really successful. One thing that you'll see is that there is some pink up here on Mt. Defiance. That was yesterday when we had some clean air, we used a fixed wing to put some retardant around it to take sure that that infrastructure stays intact. So the fire continued to move, not greatly, but it did move all day yesterday and through the night over here on the east end, mainly in the Lindsey Creek area and it has come just a little further to the east. We did have a division and folks working...

Miller Complex Fire Update Sept. 16, 2017 NW Incident Management Team (IMT) 9, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Current Situation: The Miller Complex has grown slightly and is at 59% containment overall. Increased fire activity in the vicinity of the Middle Fork of the Applegate River and below Whiskey Ridge, produced increased smoke over the surrounding area yesterday. This increased activity was the result of continued low fuel moistures and a dry, cool front which passed over the complex allowing the fire to burn more actively. Firefighters continue to work hard to meet objectives using the resources available with safety as the top priority. Today, crews are expecting normal temperatures with dry conditions and the potential for active fire behavior in some areas within the perimeter. This could result in increased smoke in the vicinity of the Abney Fire. Fire behavior remains consistent with weather and environmental conditions and is expected to creep, burn and in some...

Se han reducido los niveles de Evacuacion en el Condado de Josephine County, efectivo a las 6:00 pm del dia de ayer, 15 de Septiembre, 2017El Nivel de Evacuacion No. 3 “Go” ordenado para los residentes en la carretera del Rio Illinois (Illinois River Road) dentro del limite que incluye la comunidad de Oak Flat, ha sido reducido a un Nivel de Evacuacion No. 2. Esto significa “BE SET” (este listo) para evacuar. Residentes deben estar preparados para salir al instante. Solamente residentes con una identificacion apropiada pueden entrar y salir de esta area y solamente en la noche entre las horas de las 6:00pm y 6:00 am. Ha sido removida, la orden No. 1 de Evacuacion para los residentes del Valle de Illinois (Illinois Valley), al Oeste de la carretera 199, desde Hayes hasta la linea fronteriza con el Estado de California. Se pide a los residentes el estar preparados por cualquier cambio den las condiciones del Incendio. Se pueden ver mapas de las notificaciones Corrientes de las...

General Joseph Lengyel, junto con varios invitados y miembros del equipo, visitaron a los bomberos del Campamento para el Incendio de Chetco Bar en Brookings. El Senador Merkley y el General Lengyel atendieron a la reunion operacional informative de las 6:00 am y entablaron conversacion con los bomberos.Despues de visitar el campamento, el grupo se dirigio al Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia en Brookings, donde se reunieron con los Oficiales de la ciudad y del condado para recibir una informacion al dia acerca de los efectos del Incendio en la comunidad. Esto estara seguido por un vuelo en helicoptero sobre el area del Incendio lo que permitira al Senador Merkley y al General Lengyel adquirir una informacion real del suceso.El perimetro sureste dentro de las tierras virgenes de Kalmiopsis, desde el Oeste del riachuelo Hawk (Hawk Creek) hacia Chetco Lake se encuentra contenido. Los bomberos continuaran con operaciones de quema para re-enforzar lineas de control sobre el perimetro...