InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Fire Information: 509-596-2423Email: JollyMountainFireInfo@gmail.com Fire Update – Wednesday, September 6, 2017 – 9:00 a.m. Community Briefing Tomorrow: 6:00 PM, Thursday September 7, at Walter Strom Middle School Gymnasium, 2694 State Route 903, Cle Elum, WA 98922 Location: Cle Elum Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WA.Yesterday: A smoke inversion on Tuesday kept fire activity moderate on the Jolly Mountain Fire, allowing firefighters to continue burnout operations and prepping containment line on the south and western fire perimeters. Helicopters, using strategic water drops, moderated fire spread. Night operations were successful in securing the southern perimeter. Fire personnel detected and quickly contained a spot fire and will monitor the spot throughout the day. Structure protection crews are actively engaged both day and night, assessing structures, and prepping and brushing dozer line.Today’s Activities: Morning...

Fire Summary New infrared imagery shows a substantial increase in acreage for both the Norse Peak and American fires. The Norse Peak Fire crossed the Pacific Crest Trail on Monday and entered the Crystal Mountain area while the American Fire crossed Kettle Creek to its east. No data has been available since then because of thick smoke and poor visibility. New numbers show a total of 44,799 acres – up from 17,418 on Sept. 3. Mt. Baker Snoqualmie personnel engaged the western edge of the Norse Peak Fire southwest of the Greenwater Trailhead and Greenwater Fire Department personnel completed plumbing and installing sprinklers in the Gold Hill Community. Evacuations (listed below) remain in place for much of the Crystal Mountain area. Residents not under evacuation order are asked to remain aware of the fire conditions and monitor incident social media channels and local media outlets. Concerned residents should prepare now in case they are asked to leave. NORSE PEAK FIRE (43,485...

Smoke The Whitewater and Scorpion fire continues toproduce smoke and haze impacting Breitenbush andDetroit. Smoke from the Rebel and Horse Creek Complexfires continues to impact the communities of Oakridge andMckenzie Bridge. Other fires in Oregon and NorthernCalifornia will also continue to greatly impact these areasas well. Smoke is expected to persist in canyonsthroughout the day. The heaviest concentrations will occurin the morning and at night.Fire A Red Flag Warning is in place for today throughThursday evening for abundant lightning. Fire activity isexpected to be moderate to active today from the potentialoutflow winds. Several fires burning on the WillametteNational Forest continue to impact neighboringcommunities. The Rebel, Separation, Roney and AvenueFires will continue to burn and produce smoke.Other Smoke from Potato Hill Fire may impact Highway20 visibility at night and early morning. Limited visibilityalong Highway 126 and Highway 22 can be expected.Separate smoke...

Smoke: Heavy smoke impacts continue to be seen in local communities this morning surrounding the Chetco Bar Fire. This includes Brookings, Agness, Grants Pass and Cave Junction. South and Southwesterly winds today will help mix in clearer air in coastal areas such as Gold Beach and Brookings. Communities to the East and North (as well as South due to fire activity in NW California) may see some improvement as well with possible rainfall and gusty winds. However, these inland areas are expected to remain in the Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy range in general. Higher elevation smoke from the numerous fires in the region will drift to the North and West where hazy skies over the Western portion of Oregon, including the coast, are expected. Fire: Moderate fire behavior is expected as cooler weather conditions move in. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for lightning today. The fire is 176,770 acres burned and is 5% contained. Other: The Gold Beach, Agness and Brookings smoke monitors are...

Current Information:Yesterday, fires in the complex at elevations above 2,500 feet became active in the late morning and early afternoon as the inversion began to lift. By mid-afternoon smoke from fires in the High Cascade Complex drifted over and combined with the morning inversion layer which moderated fire behavior to surface spread. Fires in lower elevations remained in a thick inversion throughout the day limiting fire behavior to low intensity. In the east zone of the complex tactical firing is extending the eastern flank of the Happy Dog Fire to connect it with the Brokentooth Fire strengthening primary containment lines to FR 28. Access to the west flank of the Happy Dog Fire is being scouted for future suppression opportunities. On the Devil Fire crews are working to connect containment lines that will secure the full perimeter. The Ragged Ridge Fire has progressed into both sides of the Boulder Creek Drainage and is established in the Rattle and North Fork burn scars. The...

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 6, 2017 Current Situation: The continued smoke inversion over the fire minimized fire activity yesterday in many areas but also made it unsafe to use firefighting aircraft. A Red Flag Warning will be in effect from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 11 p.m. Thursday for abundant lightning, dry fuels and erratic winds. Evacuations: The following areas remain under a Level 2 (Be Set) Evacuation Notice: The Kinney Creek Road (1090 Road) and Palmer Creek Road. Both sides of Upper Applegate Road from Palmer Creek Road to the Applegate Dam Spillway (this includes Bolder City) Beaver Creek Road (Jackson County, Oregon) from its junction with Upper Applegate Road east for approximately a mile. The following areas remain under a Level 1 (Be Ready) Evacuation Notice: Carberry Creek...

Join us for a community fire briefing 6:00 p.m. tonight, at Brookings-Harbor High School, 625 Pioneer Rd. Weather and Fire Behavior: A red flag warning is in effect through Wednesday for abundant lightning in areas of dry vegetation. New fire starts from lighting, along with gusty and erratic winds near the storm area, are a concern. Embers have the potential to carry up to 1/3 of a mile from the main fire. Improved humidity recovery overnight and a 15 percent chance of wetting rain are predicted for today. While the amount of rain forecast may moderate fire behavior, it would not be enough to extinguish the Chetco Bar Fire. Yesterday: Firefighters took advantage of the cooler temperatures and increased humidity levels that slowed fire spread on Tuesday. Improved air quality on the western flank gave helicopters more opportunities to perform bucket drops, helping to further slow the spread of the fire. Crews have made good progress and have completed the structure preparation...

Location: Bly, Oregon Fremont-Winema National Forest, 16 miles east of Bly, Oregon Start Date: August 29, 2017 Cause: Lightning Size: 782 Acres Percent Contained: 75% Vegetation: Timber and Logging Slash Resources Assigned: 287 personnel Incident Commander: Steve Millert with the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 3 Summary: The Southwest Incident Management Team 3 will transfer command of the Jade Creek fire back to the Fremont-Winema National Forest and Oregon Department of Forestry Klamath-Lake District today at 8:00 p.m. Crews will continue to rehabilitation of dozer lines and mopping up direct and indirect line. The predicted weather pattern moving into the area today will include the chance of thunderstorms. A Red Flag Warning is forecasted today with abundant lighting and dry fuels. There will be a possibility of new starts as a result of predicted thunderstorms in the area. Crews will remain available for any initial attack in the event new...

East Crater Fire Update: Tuesday evening, September 5, 2017On Tuesday, September 5, fire activity was low due to dense smoke from the Eagle Creek Fire which shaded the East Crater Fire and put a cap on the fire area. The fire backed into meadows on the north and east sides which also contributed to decreased fire activity. Personnel from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest are walking the fire perimeter to assess fire size, its potential rate of spread and to scout for favorable terrain and fuels for future control efforts as firefighting resources are available. Dense smoke has made it difficult to tell where the fire perimeter is in some locations and fire acreage will be estimated as smoke clears and additional ground intel is available. The fire is burning in the Indian Heaven Wilderness and was first reported by a hiker on Sunday morning, September 3rd. FIRE CLOSURES: Hikers are advised that the Indian Heaven Wilderness and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail are closed due to...

News Release from Deschutes Co. Sheriff's OfficePosted on FlashAlert: September 5th, 2017 6:32 PMReleased by: Sgt. Nathan Garibay, Emergency Services Manager The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office has continued to coordinate with fire managers on the Milli Fire. After discussion with the incident management team, the Sisters Ranger District, and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District; the Sheriff's Office will drop all evacuation notices around the Milli fire at 6 AM on Wednesday, September 6th. This does not affect any area closures implemented by the Deschutes National Forest.

Eagle Creek Fire and Indian Creek Fire UpdateFire Information 541-392-1632 or eaglecreekfire2017@gmail.comFire Update – Tuesday, September 5, 2017 – 9:00 p.m.After experiencing explosive fire behavior on the Eagle Fire last night, firefighters were successful at holding fire growth to moderate levels during the day. An infrared fly-over has estimated the fire to be 20,000 acres. The Eagle Creek and Indian Creek Fires have merged together and will be managed as one incident in the future. A spot fire, which spread across the Columbia River early this morning, is approximately 30 acres and is being managed by a Washington DNR Type 3 Team. Unified command is happy to report that the historic Multnomah Falls Lodge, built in 1925, was saved by Oregon State Fire Marshal’s structural firefighters. A task force of structural engines and one aerial ladder truck worked in conjunction with a strike team of water tenders to keep the lodge wetted down during the fire storm of falling embers....

The ODOT road closure effecting Clearlake-Belknap Springs Highway 126 between ORE126 MP 0.1 - MP 19.81 ORE126 Intersection with Santiam Highway US20 has been re-opened as of September 5, 2017.Call 511 or visit TripCheck for the most current

ODF IMT 3 LINK SMITH, INCIDENT COMMANDER MORE INFORMATION: FACEBOOK.COM/HORSEPRAIRIEFIRE https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5540/# HORSE PRAIRIE FIRE September 5, 2017 9:00 p.m. Riddle, Oregon – The end of the fire’s growth is in sight. But as Eric Perkins, Night Operations Section Chief, put it “the remaining burnout, there’s nothing easy about it”. The last section of unsecured fireline, about one-half mile in the southeast corner of the fire and adjacent to Cow Creek, will be “burned out” tonight. This burnout, a controlled burn of woody debris adjacent to the fireline, continues work from last night and today, totaling five miles. Challenges to tonight’s work is increasing with winds making containment of flying embers difficult. Once this burnout is successfully completed there will be a rind of black around the entire perimeter of the fire. Firefighters are making the most of the calm weather before forecast thunderstorms hit the area tomorrow. On...

LANE COUNTY SHERIFF‘S OFFICE NEWS RELEASEDATE/TIME OF RELEASE: 9/5/2017 6:05 pmNATURE OF STORY: Area of the Upper McKenzie Valley- Evacuation Levels UpgradedDETAILS:Under the recommendation of the Horse Creek Complex Fire Incident Commander, in concurrence with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and the Upper McKenzie Fire District, the following evacuation alerts are in place:Upgraded to Level 3, “Go”, evacuate now for zones 8, 9, and 10 on attached map. Level 3 has expanded to include the area to the east of the junction of Hwy 242 and Hwy 126, including Belknap Hot Springs, Camp Yale, and campgrounds in the area of Hwy 242 and Clearlake Cutoff Rd. north to Deer Creek. Level 3 means go now, do not wait. The recommended route is McKenzie Hwy (Hwy 126) westbound.Upgraded to Level 2, “Be Set” to evacuate for zones 5, 6, and 7 on attached map. Residents and visitors in the McKenzie Valley between milepost 49-53 on Hwy 126 east have been upgraded to a Level 2, “Be Set”...

Fire and Smoking Prohibited on Gifford Pinchot National Forest Effective Immediately Release Date: September 5, 2017 Beginning Tuesday, September 5, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is prohibiting fire use and smoking throughout the forest. These restrictions apply to all National Forest System lands within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire or stove fire, including briquette fires are prohibited. Persons maintaining a pressurized liquid gas stove, pressurized liquid gas fire, or an enclosed solid fuel fire that utilizes a wick to distribute a flame are exempt. Smoking is prohibited except within an enclosed vehicle or building. Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) III also remains in effect on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The IFPL III restrictions apply only to contractors and permit holders, including those with permits to cut firewood for personal use....

Acres: 2,154 (estimated) Containment: 0% Start Date: August 11, 2017 Cause: Lightning Location: 15 miles WSW of Leavenworth, WA Inciweb: http://tinyurl.com/JackCreekInciweb Firefighters will begin point protection activities within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Yesterday’s recon flight and more accurate mapping has bumped the Jack Creek fire up to 2,154 acres, with most of the growth occurring Sunday. The fire mainly moved south up the Jack Creek drainage toward Stuart Pass. Fire activity has been burning at a moderate intensity with surface fire, single tree and group torching, cleaning up understory and promoting diversity. The fire is burning in the right place, at the right time, with the right resources, for the right reason. This approach allows the Jack Creek Fire to play its natural ecological role while maintaining wilderness values. Tomorrow firefighters will hike into Eightmile and Stuart Lakes and begin point protection activities on Values at Risk, which includes...

ROSEBURG, OR – September 5, 2017 – Forest Service officials released a revised set of closures for the Umpqua National Forest, effective September 5, 2017. For more information about closures, contact the Umpqua National Forest at 541-957-3200. For information about fires on the Umpqua National Forest, call 541-670-5289Now closed to public access is the portion of the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness within the Tiller Ranger District. The remainder of the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness is also closed by the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Another change is the area between the western edge of the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness and Forest Road 29 and Forest Roads 2925 and 2925-800 is closed to public access. Officials reopened the north shore of the North Umpqua River from Susan Creek to Forest Road 4714 (Panther Creek Road). The North Umpqua River remains closed, but bank access to the river is now open. All closed roads, areas, recreation sites, trails, river segments, and...

Forest Service officials reopened the north shore of the North Umpqua River from Susan Creek to Forest Road 4714, Panther Creek Road. The North Umpqua River remains closed, but bank access to the river is now open. This is effective Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. Additional areas on the Umpqua National Forest have been closed as fires grow. Now closed to public access is the portion of the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness within the Tiller Ranger District. The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has closed the remainder of the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness. Another change is the area between the western edge of the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness, Forest Road 29, and Forest Roads 2925 and 2926-800; this area is closed to public access. All closed roads, areas, recreation sites, trails, river segments, and highway pullouts can be found on Order 06-15-00-17-379 at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd557911.pdf KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Visitiors are encouraged to review...

East Crater Fire Update Gifford Pinchot National Forest Update: Tuesday September 5, 2017 Fire started: Sunday, September 3, 2017 Fire Cause: Under investigation Acreage: Approximately 1000 Containment: 0% contained Activity overnight: There was little fire growth overnight. Emergency closures for public safety are still in effect. Currently the command post is located at the Mt Adams Ranger District, 2455 Hwy 141, Trout Lake, WA. Contact phone number: 360-601-2963

A community meeting will take place tonight in regards to the Horse Creek Complex and Separation Fire. The meeting will take place at McKenzie Middle School Gym, 51187 Blue River Drive Finn Rock, OR on Tuesday, September 5 at 07:00 p.m.