InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

For Immediate Release Today is the final work day for firefighters under the command of the Northwest Incident Management Team 11. The local Type 3 Team will assume command of the Bridge Creek Fire at 1800 hours this evening. The fire is now 95 percent contained and continues to creep and smolder within containment lines. Firefighters will continue to focus on mop-up operations, securing the line, patrolling and monitoring the fire area. Fire crews are also working to remove hose and pumps along the fire perimeter. There was approximately 34 miles of hose to retrieve and much of this has been completed. Resource advisors are working closely with operations personnel to assess the needs and repair work necessary due to the suppression actions over the last few weeks. The existing helibase located at Mt. Tolman Fire Center will no longer be used by air operations under command of the NW Team 11. Minimal fire behavior is expected today. If the need arises for air support, a request...

The fire is currently at 3,450 acres and containment is now at 25%. Crews continue to control and contain spot fires, patrol and mop up fire perimeter on the north side. The priority is to scout and secure lines west of the Cold Springs Trail Head to the wilderness boundary. The Rogue River-Siskiyou and Fremont-Winema National Forests have placed an area closure on the entire Sky Lakes Wilderness Area. If traveling on Westside Road or through the Rocky Point area, please be vigilant and drive with caution as emergency traffic vehicles are in the area. When smoke is visible, motorists are encouraged to drive with their headlights on. The Fremont-Winema National Forest Area Closure remains in place. This Order closes portions of the forest around the incident to all vehicle and pedestrian entry. The perimeter of the Area Closure includes all Forest Lands west of Westside Road, east of Pelican Butte Road, north of the Forest Service Road (FSR) 3554, and south of FSR 3519 There...

Weather and Fire Behavior: Yesterday’s weather pattern continues into late morning today. Where it occurred, rainfall and high humidity levels greatly reduced fire activity and growth yesterday and overnight. Smoldering and slow burning continued beneath the forest canopy.Larger vegetation remains dry though, and as temperatures rise and humidity levels drop again over the next 72 hours, fire activity will pick up. Areas where little activity occurred yesterday may hide burning roots that, when winds increase and humidity levels drop, will spread to nearby receptive fine fuels like grasses, leaves and small twigs.Yesterday: Poor visibility associated with the weather prevented aircraft (including last night’s scheduled infrared flight) from operating. Firefighters on the northwest fire perimeter were successful in getting containment lines around about 75% of the spot fires caused by the winds a few days prior.With the weather reducing the intensity of the fire, crews working on...

Miller Complex Fire Update Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team - Todd Pechota, Incident Commander Information Center: 541-899-5302 Hours of operation: 7 am – 9 pm Email: MillerComplex2017@gmail.com September 8, 2017 Current Situation: Yesterday’s favorable weather conditions combined with good progress made on containment lines has prompted firefighting and local officials to lift evacuation notices at 8:00 a.m. today for all areas within the Miller Complex in Oregon. The Joe Bar, located in California, will remain under an evacuation warning. Fire officials and crews are feeling positive about yesterday’s progress on containment lines throughout the complex. High humidity, lower temperatures and moisture reduced fire behavior and helped firefighters make good progress securing containment lines on the Creedence, Bigelow and Burnt Peak fires. Crews on the Abney fire will continue to build, improve and secure containment lines to the east, north and northwest of the...

Fire Location: Approximately 7 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WA on lands owned or managed by Washington Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, and the Cle Elum Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Yesterday: Crews continued preparing containment line, cutting down hazard trees, and performing mop-up along the southern and western fire perimeters yesterday and through the night, bringing overall containment to 8%. Firefighting efforts were benefited from cooler temperatures. These reduced temperatures were the result of mild onshore weather flow and persistent smoke. Westerly winds arrived with the onshore weather pattern and increased in evening hours. On the southeast perimeter, firefighters conducted a burnout from fireline along the southern portion of Rye Creek down to Jungle Creek. Night operations held containment lines on the western and southern flanks, while conducting a successful burnout in the Newport Creek area. Helicopters were...

SmokeSmoke from the Nash, Milli and Whitewater fireswill continue to impact the forecast area. The communitiesof Black Butte Ranch, Sisters, Redmond, and Bend will seemoderated smoke conditions. Cascade Lakes, La Pine,Bend will see improved conditions. Smoke is expected topersist in canyons throughout the day. The heaviestconcentrations will occur in the morning and in theovernight hours.FireFire activity is expected to be minimal to moderatetoday due to the lower temperatures, higher relativehumidity and decreased stability.OtherOther Highway 20 – Poor visibility west of Sisters toBlack Butte Ranch. Highway 126 – Smoke impacts east ofSisters to Cline Buttes area. Milli Fire Information -https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5517/ Separate smokeforecast will be issued for communities west of theCascade Crest for communities impacted by the

SmokeSmoke from the Horse Creek Compex willcontinue to impact the forecast area. The communities ofOakridge, Mckenzie Bridge, Cascade Lakes, La Pine, Bendwill see improved conditions. Black Butte Ranch, Sisters,Redmond, and Bend will see moderated smoke conditions.Smoke is expected to persist in canyons throughout theday. The heaviest concentrations will occur in the morningand in the overnight hours.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

SmokeSmoke from the Horse Creek Compex will continue to impact the forecast area. The communities of Oakridge, Mckenzie Bridge, Cascade Lakes, La Pine, Bend will see improved conditions. Black Butte Ranch, Sisters, Redmond, and Bend will see moderated smoke conditions. Smoke is expected to persist in canyons throughout the day. The heaviest concentrations will occur in the morning and in the overnight hours. 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 -

Chetco East Zone Fire Update. Friday, September 8, 2017 9:00 a.m. Thursday was wet across much of the Chetco East Zone Fire. After numerous, sometimes intense, showers, some places had received ¼ to ½ inch of precipitation. Some sites even received a full inch of rain. “Will this help the fires?” was a frequent, hopeful question voiced by community members. “Every bit of rain helps,” said Operations Section Chief Pat Halford. “It temporarily raises the humidity, dampens the fuels, reduces fire activity and slows fire growth.” However, the rains were not evenly distributed and, especially in thick brush and under a forest canopy and large dead logs, the rain didn’t penetrate or wasn’t sufficient to make a difference. The fine fuels will dry out quickly as weather begins to warm again. Firefighters will be taking advantage of this respite to continue their work. They will be attentive to the locations where more active fire potential still exists and the time it...

Current Information: All fires in the North Umpqua Complex received showers as well as thunderstorms throughout Thursday. Cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity benefitted firefighters by limiting fire growth. Fire managers are monitoring surrounding areas for lingering fires from an estimated 186 lightning strikes for Douglas County. Unmanned Aircraft Systems were used to scout the southern boundary of the Happy Dog Fire as well as the Brokentooth Fire for points of access and to gauge the fire behavior. Crews are increasing mop-up depth along the western flank of the Happy Dog/Ragged Ridge Fire. The eastern flank continues to hold significant heat and crews are scouting points of access as well as identifying potential direct and indirect suppression options. The burnout operation along Forest Road 28 and FR 3701 has been secured and mopped up on the Brokentooth Fire. Yesterday, suppression action was taken to check fire movement on the east flank of the...

Smoke: With the approaching storm front, it is expected that smoke conditions will improve throughout the area over the next couple of days. The smoke within the Columbia Basin should clear and smoke in the area will be mainly from local fires. View the full report by clicking on the report under related information.Additional Washington smoke information available at: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

An estimated 615 people attended a community meeting in Hood River earlier this evening. Here are some quotes:“This moment changed our lives. Some of us will never be the same.” Lynn Burditt, Columbia River Gorge Natural Scenic Area.“Multnomah Falls is still there, and it’s looking beautiful.” Shawn Sheldon, Incident Commander of Northwest Team 6.“Our firefighters are from all over Oregon – another example of Oregonians helping Oregonians.” Ian Yocum, Incident Commander, Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Red Team.Eagle Creek Fire· 33,382 acres· 7% contained· 911 personnel

Click here for an interactive map of the Jolly Mountain Fire to view current closures, evacuation levels by area, and the fire perimeter.

Riddle, Oregon – Effective 8:00 p.m., Thursday September 7, 2017 the evacuation level along Cow Creek Road was changed from Level 2 to Level 1. This change was made by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office following input from the Department of Forestry recognizing current weather conditions and progress in securing the fire perimeter. Cow Creek Road use is still restricted to residents only from the end of County maintenance to Union Creek due to heavy fire truck traffic. Good progress was made on securing the fire line today. To assist firefighters in locating heat adjacent to the fireline, handheld cameras designed to see heat (infrared) will be used tonight and “hot spots” identified by GPS and flagging. These spots will be then be dug out and the fire extinguished. Updated acreage, containment, and staffing numbers will be available in the morning Horse Prairie Fire update. This will be the last evening release unless conditions change. To learn more about smoke...

HORSE PRAIRIE FIRE September 7, 2017 9:00 p.m. Riddle, Oregon – Effective 8:00 p.m., Thursday September 7, 2017 the evacuation level along Cow Creek Road was changed from Level 2 to Level 1. This change was made by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office following input from the Department of Forestry recognizing current weather conditions and progress in securing the fire perimeter. Cow Creek Road use is still restricted to residents only from the end of County maintenance to Union Creek due to heavy fire truck traffic. Good progress was made on securing the fire line today. To assist firefighters in locating heat adjacent to the fireline, handheld cameras designed to see heat (infrared) will be used tonight and “hot spots” identified by GPS and flagging. These spots will be then be dug out and the fire extinguished. Updated acreage, containment, and staffing numbers will be available in the morning Horse Prairie Fire update. This will be the last evening release...

Oregon Department of Transportation: Southwest Oregon: Oregon Highway 138 East, east of Roseburg: As of 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 7, vehicles will be piloted through the wildfire zone on North Umpqua Highway between MP 47-54. Be aware that conditions could change at any time. Expect possible lengthy delays. Use

Soldiers with Task Force SPEARHEAD, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington, will be joining firefighters working on the Umpqua North Complex of fires burning in the Umpqua National Forest. Experienced wildland fire leaders will accompany the soldiers during their assignment. More than ten, twenty-person hand crews had been requested by California Interagency Incident Management Team 4, but due to the shortage of resources, these requests were unable to be filled. The National Preparedness level is currently at 5, the highest level, indicating a high level of wildfire activity and a high level of commitment of wildfire suppression resources. The National Multi-Agency coordinating Group at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise requested the Department of Defense to provide 200 active duty military personnel to assist with firefighting efforts. The soldiers have been outfitted with wildland fire Personal...

SmokeThe Nash and Separation fires have combined, and continue to produced smoke that will continue to impact Black Butte Ranch, Sisters, Redmond, Bend, Cascade Lakes and La Pine. The Milli fire continues to produce smoke and haze impacting Sisters and Black Butte Ranch. In addition, fires in the Willamette National Forest area will continue to impact communities east of the Cascade Crest. Other fires in Oregon and Northern California will also continue to greatly impact these areas as well. FireFire activity is expected to be moderate today from the lower temperatures, higher relative humidity and decreased stability. A Red Flag Warning is in place for today for abundant lightning. OtherSmoke from Potato Hill Fire may impact Highway 20 visibility at night and early morning. Limited 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 -...

De acuerdo a la informacion de los vuelos infrarojos (detector de calor) realizados anoche, el Incendio de Chetco Bar alcanzo los 177,301 acres, teniendo un increment de 530 acres. Usualmente se encuentra localizado en el Condado de Curry, pero nos da informacion del condado de Josephine County en la parte final al Norte de las tierras virgenes de Kalmiopsis y en los ejes acuaticos del riachuelo Canyon (Canyon Creek), al sur del Lago Babyfoot (Babyfoot Lake), en la zona Este. El fuego esta en los bordes hacia el Este, a 8 millas oeste del bosque Nacional.Con el objetivo de dirigir de una manera efectiva la complejidad actual de este Incendio, a las 8:00 pm del Miercoles, 6 de Septiembre, el lado Este del Incendio Chetco Bar este siendo manejado por el Equipo No. 13 a cargo del Incidente Noroeste con el nombre de “Chetco East Zone” (Zona Este de Chetco). Esto Brinda la oportunidad de enfocarnos de una manera mas eficiente en la mission operacional a nivel local, asi mismo Brinda...

CRATER LAKE, OREGON – Crater Lake National Park, in partnership with Discover Klamath, will host the fifth annual Ride the Rim days on September 9 and 16, 2016. On these consecutive Saturdays, East Rim Drive from North Junction to Park Headquarters will be closed to motorized vehicles from.to allow for nonmotorized recreation including biking, hiking, and running. Superintendent Craig W. Ackerman said, “Ride the Rim has grown in popularity each year. It provides an opportunity to experience East Rim Drive in a unique way, under your own power, whether you’re on a bike or on your own two feet. It is a strenuous endeavor, but the rewards of a slower pace, opportunities for quiet reflection, and healthy, vigorous recreation make it a special experience for many people.” Visitors on these days should expect a large number of bicyclists on park roads. Please ride and drive with caution and patience. Cyclists should ride single-file when sharing the road with motorists. West Rim...