InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

FIRE SUMMARY The California Central Coast Incident Management Team is in command of the Norse Peak and American fires. Fire activity continued to be minimal to moderate due to the current weather conditions. This weather trend is expected to change Monday and into Tuesday as high pressure builds into the area. This could bring increased fire behavior due to temperature increases and lower relative humidity. Wednesday into Thursday will bring another low pressure system resulting in lower temperatures and increased humidity. At this point however, it appears that the fire will not receive any wetting rain. We continue to see additional resources arriving and the Washington National Guard is continuing to aid the firefighting efforts. NORSE PEAK FIRE (49,997 acres): Crews continued to work in the State Highway 410 area and we noted an increase in smoke production and moderate fire movement mostly contained to the under story. The fire is still contained to the north side of State...

We are seeing a warmer and drier trend over the next couple of days with light winds in the afternoon. Exposed areas and ridges will see the most drying whereas shaded areas will see less drying. Fire behavior should be minimal in shaded areas moving to moderate during the afternoon in the more exposed areas. Throughout the last few weeks, it has been difficult because of either cloud cover, dense smoke or limited availability of night infrared flights to know exactly where the fire perimeters were and where they were burning the hottest. To help resolve this problem the Incident Management Team is working with the Oregon Army National Guard to use one of their specialized aircraft, a Lakota helicopter. This Lakota helicopter is equipped with sophisticated daytime infrared capabilities and will increase the real-time information about the fires available to the team. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) areas remain in effect....

We are seeing a warmer and drier trend over the next couple of days with light winds in the afternoon. Exposed areas and ridges will see the most drying whereas shaded areas will see less drying. Fire behavior should be minimal in shaded areas moving to moderate during the afternoon in the more exposed areas. Throughout the last few weeks, it has been difficult because of either cloud cover, dense smoke or limited availability of night infrared flights to know exactly where the fire perimeters were and where they were burning the hottest. To help resolve this problem the Incident Management Team is working with the Oregon Army National Guard to use one of their specialized aircraft, a Lakota helicopter. This Lakota helicopter is equipped with sophisticated daytime infrared capabilities and will increase the real-time information about the fires available to the team. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) areas remain in effect....

Smoke impacts today will be generally moderate in communities surrounding the Chetco Bar fire. Light northeasterly winds will drift smoke generally southwest and down drainages into communities such as Brookings-Harbor and Gold Beach. Little smoke is likely in these coastal communities south of the fire this morning, then increasing later in the afternoon. Inland communities, including Cave Junction, will see a slow rise in smoke impacts through the day and tonight. Areas north and west of the fire, such as Gold Beach and Agness, are expected to see good conditions worsening to moderate later in the day. With warmer and drier weather, smoke impacts are likely to slowly increase with a forecast increase in fire activity. Fire: Low/Moderate fire behavior is expected today with an increasing trend over the next days, due to warmer, drier predicted weather. The fire is 182, 844 acres burned and is 5% contained.Other: The Brookings monitor is currently online. We are still working to...

We are seeing a warmer and drier trend over the next couple of days with light winds in the afternoon. Exposed areas and ridges will see the most drying whereas shaded areas will see less drying. Fire behavior should be minimal in shaded areas moving to moderate during the afternoon in the more exposed areas. Throughout the last few weeks, it has been difficult because of either cloud cover, dense smoke or limited availability of night infrared flights to know exactly where the fire perimeters were and where they were burning the hottest. To help resolve this problem the Incident Management Team is working with the Oregon Army National Guard to use one of their specialized aircraft, a Lakota helicopter. This Lakota helicopter is equipped with sophisticated daytime infrared capabilities and will increase the real-time information about the fires available to the team. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) areas remain in effect....

Two community meetings will be held on Monday, September 11, to share information about the Eagle Creek Fire:6 p.m. at the Edgefield Amphitheater, 2126 Halsey Street, in Troutdale and7:00 p.m. at the Marine Park Pavilion in Cascade LocksSummary: Conditions were calm over the Eagle Creek Fire for most of the day, yesterday. As early smoke and clouds cleared later in the day, fire managers took the opportunity to make aerial observations of the fire. Their flight showed many reasons to be positive about progress being made toward containing the fire. Firefighters continued to close off the western end of the fire near Bridal Veil by strengthening line with burnouts. That burn didn’t really take hold until the afternoon hours when it finally got some sun and lower humidity. Much of the southwest side, difficult to reach because of steep, rugged conditions actually burned back on itself throughout the day. The aerial reconnaissance detected very little smoke in the critical area...

Whitewater FireIncluding Little Devil, Scorpion, French and Potato Hill Fires September 10, 2017 Daily Update Fire Information Line: 541-719-8371 Location: Willamette National Forest willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Willamette National Forest Closures: 541-225-6350, https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-noticesSize: 13,339 acres (total for reported fires) Containment: 33% Resources Assigned: 299 personnel (total for reported fires) Inciweb Websites: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5420 https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5565/ Helicopters assigned to the Whitewater Fire were again loaned to assist with initial attack on new starts in Central Oregon and on the Detroit Ranger District yesterday afternoon. The public is reminded that not all areas received rainfall over the past few days and the fire danger remains very high. Please use caution when enjoying the outdoors. Evacuation Levels: The evacuation levels remain unchanged. For additional information of the...

Whitewater Fire Including Little Devil, Scorpion, French and Potato Hill Fires September 10, 2017 Daily Update Fire Information Line: 541-719-8371 Location: Willamette National Forest willamettewildfires2017@gmail.com Willamette National Forest Closures: 541-225-6350, Inciweb Websites: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5420 Size: 13,339 acres (total for reported fires) Containment: 33% https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5565/ Resources Assigned: 299 personnel (total for reported fires) Helicopters assigned to the Whitewater Fire were again loaned to assist with initial attack on new starts in Central Oregon and on the Detroit Ranger District yesterday afternoon. The public is reminded that not all areas received rainfall over the past few days and the fire danger remains very high. Please use caution when enjoying the outdoors. Evacuation Levels: The evacuation levels remain unchanged. For additional information of the...

Hand-line and brushing continues; Cooler weather slows spread Location: 11 miles NNW of Mazama, WA Total Personnel: 87Acres: 91,500 U.S; 14,000 Canada Cause: Believed to be HumanContainment: 30% Start Date: July 23, 2017 Yesterday: Cooler weather continued to moderate fire spread on Saturday. Incident Commander Rob Kephart viewed the fire from a helicopter on Saturday afternoon and was pleased with the burning pattern in the upper reaches of the Monument Creek drainage. The fire in that area is slowly backing down the slope with only occasional individual and group tree torching. He also observed some scattered smokes at higher elevations in the Pat Creek drainage. It was determined to focus helicopter bucket drops in this area where they will be most effective. Crews continued to strengthen the primary and contingency fire lines south of the fire’s edge. In the Mazama area firefighters constructed hand-line and prepared and improved roads. The fire continues to burn into steep,...

SmokeThe west wind from yesterday has pushed most ofthe smoke to the east. With a returning east wind todayexpect smoke to return in the evening. Smoke from theWhitewater Fire will continue to impact the forecast area.The communities of Mill City and Detroit will see improvedconditions to the west, while Brietenbush may see slightlyimproved smoke conditions. Sisters, Madras and Bend willsee improved smoke conditions while Black Butte Ranchand Redmond will see slightly improved smoke conditions.Smoke is expected to persist in canyons throughout theday.FireFire activity is expected to be minimal to moderatetoday due to the lower temperatures, higher relativehumidity and decreased stability.OtherLimited visibility along Highway 126 and Highway22 can be expected. Separate smoke forecast will beissued for communities east of the Cascade Crest.Whitewater Fire Information - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5420/

SmokeThe west wind from yesterday has pushed most of the smoke to the east. With a returning east wind today expect smoke to return in the evening. Smoke from the Whitewater Fire will continue to impact the forecast area. The communities of Mill City and Detroit will see improved conditions to the west, while Brietenbush may see slightly improved smoke conditions. Sisters, Madras and Bend will see improved smoke conditions while Black Butte Ranch and Redmond will see slightly improved smoke conditions. Smoke is expected to persist in canyons throughout the day. FireFire activity is expected to be minimal to moderate today due to the lower temperatures, higher relative humidity and decreased stability. OtherLimited visibility along Highway 126 and Highway 22 can be expected. Separate smoke forecast will be issued for communities east of the Cascade Crest. Whitewater Fire Information - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5420/

SmokeThe west wind from yesterday has pushed most of the smoke to the east. With a returning east wind tonight expect smoke to return in the overnight hours. Smoke from the Horse Creek Complex, Nash, Rebel, Milli and Whitewater fires continue to produce smoke that will continue to impact Black Butte Ranch, Sisters, Redmond, Bend, Madras, Cascade Lakes and La Pine. In addition, other fires in the Willamette National Forest area will continue to impact communities east of the Cascade Crest. FireFire activity is expected to be minimal to moderate today from the lower temperatures, higher relative humidity and increased stability. OtherExpect areas of low visibility on Highway 20, Highway 126 and Highway 97. Whitewater Fire Information - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5420/ Milli Fire Information - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5517/ Horse Creek Complex - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5523/ Separate smoke forecast will be issued for communities west of the Cascade Crest for...

September 10, 2017 9 a.m. RIDDLE, Ore. – A community meeting about the Horse Prairie Fire and what should be done for burned areas in its aftermath has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be in the Riddle Community Hall, 123 Parkside Street in Riddle. Mop up continues on the Horse Prairie Fire about eight miles west of Riddle. Thirty-two hand crews are among 776 people engaged on the fire. Hand crews are continuing to move into burned areas from the fire perimeter to ensure all smoldering woody debris is cold to the touch. Working alongside Oregon Department of Forestry engine crews and Bureau of Land Management resources are: • contracted heavy equipment operators and fallers • 19 contracted private hand crews • eight inmate hand crews from the South Fork, Deer Ridge and Shutter Creek Correctional Institutes • more than 150 Oregon National Guard members. The Guard troops are among more than 700 mobilized to help fight wildfires across...

Suppression responsibility for the High Cascades Complex West Zone will transfer to the Northwest Incident Management Team 6 on Monday. Northwest 7 IMT would like to thank the communities of Union Creek and Prospect for their support the past three weeks. Yesterday’s Activity: A spot fire was discovered on the south flank of the Pup Fire in the Lone Prairie area. Ground and aerial resources quickly contained it at one acre. Crews also made progress preparing the 2947 Road as a containment line on the western boundary. Point protection strategies have been successful in preserving Hershberger Lookout. On the Broken Lookout Fire, crews continued prep work on the north end of the 6510 Road. Burnout and mop-up operations continued on the southern boundary along the 68 Road. Fuels reduction and road preparation continued along the west and north sections of the fire perimeter. Air resources concentrated their efforts to check the fire’s spread in the Woodruff Creek drainage to...

Chetco East Zone Fire Update. Sunday, September 10, 2017. 9:00 a.m. COMMUNITY MEETING TONIGHT in Cave Junction at the Illinois Valley High School at 6:00 pm. Please attend to receive an update on fire activity and to talk to fire managers about their strategies and effort. Saturday’s Chetco East Zone Fire activity was mostly smoldering and creeping. Monitoring flights observed minimal open flame and the fire stalled at tops of ridges above cool north-facing slopes and sites with green vegetation. This is due to high relative humidity and fuels retaining moisture from recent storms. The northern parts of the fire have shown more active movement than the eastern flank. Fire crews have made progress tying together sections of well-established containment lines between the fire and Highway 199, totaling approximately 50 miles of fire line. Work is continuing in steep rocky terrain between Josephine Creek and Parker Creek. Crews identified a potential new contingency line...

Current Information: On Saturday, the Fall Creek Fire was declared 100 percent contained, meaning there is a complete and secure containment line around the entire fire perimeter. Clear visibility allowed aircraft to assist firefighting efforts with water bucket drops to cool off areas with high fire activity on the Happy Dog Fire. Firefighters constructed hose lays to apply water directly on the Ragged Ridge Fire, in the Boulder Creek Drainage. The Rattlesnake Fire will remain in monitor status in the Umpqua Divide Wilderness to clean up forest understory. Crews will continue to hold and improve containment lines on the Brokentooth and the Devil Fire. Minimal fire activity was observed by firefighters Saturday night, due to cooler temperatures and high relative humidity. Fire activity was moderate in the area of Boulder Creek drainage and Eagle Rock Campground which is expected to increase with Sunday’s predicted weather conditions. Today, soldiers of Task Force Spearhead,...

NORTHWEST INCIDENTMANAGEMENT TEAM #10 Al Lawson-Incident Commander Clear skies give firefighters more opportunities to engage the fire Sunday, September 10, 2017 Fire: Uno Peak Completion: 1% Acres: 7,236 Start Date: August 30, 2017 Cause: Under Investigation Location: 15 miles NW of Manson, WA Total Personnel: 273 Fuels/Topography: Timber, grass, rugged terrain Yesterday: Fire activity was insignificant due to higher humidity levels and cooler temperatures. Air support was back up and running with four helicopters from Chelan County, the Washington Air National Guard and a S61 Sikorsky. They were able to drop water along the eastern side of the fire. Crews bulldozed trail on Nelson Butte. The structure crew work within the Canoe Creek area completed about 75% of the structure protection. The Canoe Creek area to the west and the Llama Ranch area to the southeast remain under a Level 1 evacuation (get ready). Today: Crews will begin going direct on the...

Enumclaw Washington, September 10, 2017 - The Sawmill Creek Fire is currently 848 acres with 0% percent containment. As of Sunday morning, the fire remained within the parameters of the Sawmill Ridge area northeast of the town of Greenwater. Overnight fire activity was minimal due to light rain and lower temperatures. Today firefighters continue to improve roads and remove fuel around the fire. The fire continues to threaten the watershed for the City of Tacoma, industrial timberland, DNR protected lands, and the United States Forest Service lands. The Sawmill Creek Fire was reported to the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) dispatch center on Sept. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Total Personnel 360, Crews 10, Engines 20, Dozers 3, Injuries 0, Structures Destroyed 0 There is a warming and drying trend Sunday with temperatures increasing as much as 10 degrees from yesterday and relative humidity dropping. A community meeting is scheduled at 6:00 this evening...

Providing for public and firefighter safety is the incident management team’s top priority. A warm and dry weather pattern will affect the fire area on Sunday and Monday. This weather pattern is expected to bring higher than average temperatures on Sunday and Monday, along with low relative humidities and NE winds. This weather pattern has the potential to result in increased fire behavior. Fire managers are committed to aggressive operations that provide for community well being while ensuring the safety of personnel. Crews will continue to construct direct handline and remove brush from contingency firelines. Firefighters will have a better opportunity to seek out and extinguish burning material close to the line, as problem areas will be readily identifiable and residual moisture will allow for more efficient mop-up operations. Along the west side, the main objective will be patrolling for spot fires and continuing mop-up of existing heat sources. To the north, crews are...

Yesterday: Crews continued preparing containment line, reducing fuels, and performing mop-up along the eastern, southern, and western fire perimeters. Firefighting efforts benefited from continued cooler temperatures and higher humidity, breezy wind conditions did not significantly increase fire activity. Helicopters continued supporting firing and holding operations. On the southwest perimeter firefighters conducted mop-up along containment lines in the Morgan Creek drainage and areas south. On the east perimeter, firefighters continued firing activities into Jungle Creek with holding and mop-up activities along the southern fire line. Firing operations were initiated along the northern perimeter. Favorable humidity recovery resulted in less active fire behavior during night operations, which assisted firefighters with holding and mop-up on the western and southern flanks. Today’s Activities: The fire is backing towards containment lines on the west and east sides,...