InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Fire Weather Today Similar to Large Growth Days on the Whitewater Fire in Early August Expect to see large smoke columns today. A Red Flag Warning is in effect Saturday through Monday due to dry conditions and near record temperatures. Today’s fire weather is similar to the large growth days the Whitewater Fire experienced in early August. Fires continue to produce smoke and haze impacting Breitenbush, Detroit, Oakridge, and McKenzie Bridge. Smoke is expected to hang in canyons throughout the day. Light southwest transport winds may bring smoke from other fires to the western Cascades region. There will be a Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire community meeting Sunday, September 3, at 7pm at the Upper McKenzie Community Center, 54745 McKenzie River Drive, Blue River, Oregon. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted anywhere within the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) area, all aircraft must land until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. Visit...

Fire Weather Today Similar to Large Growth Days on the Whitewater Fire in Early August Expect to see large smoke columns today. A Red Flag Warning is in effect Saturday through Monday due to dry conditions and near record temperatures. Today’s fire weather is similar to the large growth days the Whitewater Fire experienced in early August. Fires continue to produce smoke and haze impacting Breitenbush, Detroit, Oakridge, and McKenzie Bridge. Smoke is expected to hang in canyons throughout the day. Light southwest transport winds may bring smoke from other fires to the western Cascades region. There will be a Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire community meeting Sunday, September 3, at 7pm at the Upper McKenzie Community Center, 54745 McKenzie River Drive, Blue River, Oregon. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted anywhere within the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) area, all aircraft must land until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. Visit...

Fire Weather Today Similar to Large Growth Days on the Whitewater Fire in Early August Expect to see large smoke columns today. A Red Flag Warning is in effect Saturday through Monday due to dry conditions and near record temperatures. Today’s fire weather is similar to the large growth days the Whitewater Fire experienced in early August. Fires continue to produce smoke and haze impacting Breitenbush, Detroit, Oakridge, and McKenzie Bridge. Smoke is expected to hang in canyons throughout the day. Light southwest transport winds may bring smoke from other fires to the western Cascades region. There will be a Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire community meeting Sunday, September 3, at 7pm at the Upper McKenzie Community Center, 54745 McKenzie River Drive, Blue River, Oregon. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted anywhere within the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) area, all aircraft must land until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. Visit...

Norse Peak Fires Update Saturday, September 2, 2017 – Morning Update Fire Fast Facts Date Started: Aug. 11, 2017 Cause: Lightning Total acres: 16,950 Containment: 8% Structures Destroyed: 0 Injuries to date: 0 Total Personnel: 326 Fire Resources: 9 crews, 26 engines, 2 helicopters, 2 bulldozers, 7 water tenders FIRE SUMMARY Much of the fire area saw a blanket of smoke Friday as an inversion set in on the area for most of the day. This helped limit fire growth by keeping winds low and reducing the lift that typically helps drive the fire’s progression. Fire management personnel are cautioning for the potential of large growth and active fire behavior as warm dry air persists in the area. Temperatures are forecast in the upper 80s with humidity in the upper teens for the next several days. These factors, combined with unstable air in the upper atmosphere, have firefighters and management on high alert through the holiday weekend. NORSE PEAK FIRE (16,175 acres): The Norse...

Staley and Tumble Bug 2 Fire Update Saturday, September 2, 2017 8 a.m. Fire information phone: 503-867-7705Email: StaleyFire17@gmail.comNW Incident Management Team (IMT) 9, Brian Goff, Incident CommanderStart date: Aug. 9, 2017 Current Size: Staley is 2,234 acres; Tumble Bug 2 is 87 acres Percent Containment: 69% Location: Willamette National Forest Cause: Lightning “We are meeting containment objectives and releasing resources to help combat other fires,” said Brian Goff, incident commander, Northwest IMT 9 which is managing the Staley Fire. Yesterday seven crews from the Staley and Tumble Bug 2 fires were released to assist in other areas.Firefighters completed a line around both the Staley and Tumble Bug 2 fires. Today firefighters remaining on the Staley Fire will strengthen those lines by mopping-up inside the perimeter. Mop up on the Tumble Bug 2 fire is complete and the fire is being patrolled. Today, a portion of the suppression resources are again prepared to respond to...

Smoke: Extreme smoke impacts are being seen in localcommunities surrounding the Chetco Bar Fire, this includesBrookings, Gold Beach and Agness. This is due to astagnant air mass with light and variable winds allowingsmoke to drain and settle in valleys and low-lying areas.Unhealthy to Hazardous air quality levels are expected inassociation with reduced visibility along Highway 101 andother local roadways. Coastal areas such as Gold Beachand Brookings may see slight improvement this afternoonwith a light sea breeze. Inland communities such asAgness, Cave Junction and Grants Pass will remain in theUnhealthy and Very Unhealthy range. See "Wildfire Smokeand Your Health" link below for ways to minimize smokeimpacts.Fire: Extreme fire behavior is expected again today ascritical burn conditions exist. The fire is currently at142,857 acres burned and is 10% contained.Other: We are working hard to get the Agness smokemonitor back

[Full Size]Evacuation Map for Jolly Mountain Fire Jolly Mountain Fire UpdateSunday, September 03, 2017Start Date 8/11Cause LightningSize 18,085 acresPercent Containment 0%Crews 10Helicopters 5Engines 67Total Personnel 600Location: Cle Elum Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WASummary: A heavy smoke inversion subdued the Jolly Mountain Fire until around 2:30 yesterday afternoon but also prevented aircraft from flying. As soon as the inversion lifted, fire activity increased, spreading quickly in the West Fork of the Teanaway River drainage. The southern and eastern flanks were the most active. Air operations were successful in moderating fire growth. Large airtankers were used and dropped a total of 36,000 gallons of retardant. Over 84,000 gallons of water was dropped on the fire by helicopters (22,000 gallons) and four scooper planes (62,000 gallons). Extreme fire behavior was observed on the south flank where spot fires were located...

Join us for a Community Fire Briefing Sunday, September 3rd at 7 p.m. in Cave Junction at the Illinois Valley High School. Weather and Fire Behavior: The forecast for critical fire weather remains in place. There is potential for extreme fire behavior due to low humidity and high temperatures with unstable atmospheric conditions. Significant perimeter growth and smoke column development are possible. Embers could carry up to four tenths of a mile ahead of the main fire. There is an Excessive Heat Warning through midday Monday. Yesterday: While winds were less than predicted, the fire still spread north and northwest in the Hog Mountain and Pistol River area, eastward, further into lands burned during the Biscuit Fire and southeast, in the area north of Bailey Mountain. Multiple smoke columns were visible, some were up to 10,000 feet high. Humidity levels dropped into the teens and the recorded temperature at one of the remote weather stations was 101 degrees.Firefighters built...

Nash Fire Update Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander, Doug Johnson September 1, 2017 - 9:00 AM Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 8 (NWIIMT8), Incident Commander, Doug Johnson, assumed management of the Nash Fire yesterday evening. The incident command post (ICP) is located at the Sisters’ Rodeo Grounds, Sisters, Oregon. NWIIMT8 is also responsible for managing the Milli Fire. General Updates: The Nash Fire was started by lightning storm in late August. The fire is burning in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area along the crest of the Cascade Mountains on the Willamette National Forest. The fire has been monitored by air. The area became shrouded in smoke over the next several weeks and aerial flights could no longer see the perimeter. Infra-red detecting flights were conducted over the fire to estimate and monitor perimeter growth. The fire continues to grow eastward into the South Sister area. The fire size is estimated at 2,528...

Current Information: Fire behavior picked up slightly within the Fall Creek Fire yesterday with low to moderate fire behavior and smoke visible from the Highway 138 road corridor. Crews continued to make progress on the Happy Dog Fire conducting tactical firing operations along the 4760 road which will allow PacifiCorp access and ability to restart the power grid, possibly as early as this weekend. The inversion did not lift on Friday, blanketing the majority of the fire area in heavy smoke. Utilizing air resources on the west zone of the fire area was limited due to smoke. The east zone had clearer skies allowing air resources to fly the Rattlesnake fire and get a better size up to determine the best course of action. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect today due to hot, dry conditions. A thermal trough is expected to move over the fire area and temperatures may reach as high as 106 degrees. It will remain hot and dry through the Labor Day weekend with low overnight humidity...

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 2, 2017 Current Situation: Heat will begin to build again Saturday afternoon and through the weekend. It will be extremely hot and dry with the potential of smoke column development in the afternoons. Winds will decrease with some north wind variability. Aircraft was used in Branch III on Friday as the inversion lifted and may be used again Saturday pending smoke conditions. Evacuations: The following areas are under a Level 2 (Be Set) Evacuation Notice: Palmer Creek Road and Kinney Creek Road (Forest Service Road 1090) 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...

Smoke: The Whitewater fire continues to produce smoke and haze impacting Breitenbush and Detroit. Smoke from the Jones, Rebel and Horse Creek Complex fires continues to impact the communities of Oakridge and Mckenzie Bridge. Other fires in Oregon and Northern California will also continue to greatly impact these areas as well. Smoke is expected to hang in canyons throughout the day and concentrating in the morning and at night. Light southwest transport winds may bring smoke from other fires to the western Cascades region. Fire: Several fires burning on the Willamette National Forest continue to impact neighboring communities. Fire activity is excepted to be active to very active today from the higher temperatures and low relative humidity. A Red Flag Warning is in place for today through Monday afternoon for unstable conditions. Other: Smoke from Potato Hill Fire could impact Highway 20 visibility at night and early morning. Separate smoke forecast will be issued for communities east...

Smoke: The Whitewater fire continues to produce smoke and haze impacting Breitenbush and Detroit. Smoke from the Jones, Rebel and Horse Creek Complex fires continues to impact the communities of Oakridge and Mckenzie Bridge. Other fires in Oregon and Northern California will also continue to greatly impact these areas as well. Smoke is expected to hang in canyons throughout the day and concentrating in the morning and at night. Light southwest transport winds may bring smoke from other fires to the western Cascades region. Fire: Several fires burning on the Willamette National Forest continue to impact neighboring communities. Fire activity is excepted to be active to very active today from the higher temperatures and low relative humidity. A Red Flag Warning is in place for today through Monday afternoon for unstable conditions. Other: Smoke from Potato Hill Fire could impact Highway 20 visibility at night and early morning. Separate smoke forecast will be issued for communities east...

Evacuation Map for Jolly Mountain Fire StartDateCauseSizePercent ContainmentCrewsHelicoptersEnginesTotalPersonnel8/11Lightning14,563 acres0%9422439Location: Cle Elum Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WASummary: The Jolly Mountain Fire has presented numerous challenges since it started. Among those is providing for firefighter safety while protecting the affected communities and citizens. Yesterday, the fire burned activity throughout the day. The most significant fire behavior occurred late in the day when evening winds began to push the fire quickly down the drainages, including down the west side of Sasse Ridge and into the West Fork of the Teanaway River. This activity continued late into the evening, prompting Kittitas County Sheriff to issue Level 3 “Go” evacuations from Double O Ranch Road north to Boulder Creek. Additional Level 2 “Set” evacuation notices were issued south of Double O Ranch Road, including the...

Smoke: The Whitewater fire continues to produce smoke and haze impacting Breitenbush and Detroit. Smoke from the Jones, Rebel and Horse Creek Complex fires continues to impact the communities of Oakridge and Mckenzie Bridge. Other fires in Oregon and Northern California will also continue to greatly impact these areas as well. Smoke is expected to hang in canyons throughout the day and concentrating in the morning and at night. Light southwest transport winds may bring smoke from other fires to the western Cascades region. Fire: Several fires burning on the Willamette National Forest continue to impact neighboring communities. Fire activity is excepted to be active to very active today from the higher temperatures and low relative humidity. A Red Flag Warning is in place for today through Monday afternoon for unstable conditions. Other: Smoke from Potato Hill Fire could impact Highway 20 visibility at night and early morning. Separate smoke forecast will be issued for communities east...

Smoke: The Whitewater fire continues to produce smoke and haze impacting Breitenbush and Detroit. Smoke from the Jones, Rebel and Horse Creek Complex fires continues to impact the communities of Oakridge and Mckenzie Bridge. Other fires in Oregon and Northern California will also continue to greatly impact these areas as well. Smoke is expected to hang in canyons throughout the day and concentrating in the morning and at night. Light southwest transport winds may bring smoke from other fires to the western Cascades region. Fire: Several fires burning on the Willamette National Forest continue to impact neighboring communities. Fire activity is excepted to be active to very active today from the higher temperatures and low relative humidity. A Red Flag Warning is in place for today through Monday afternoon for unstable conditions. Other: Smoke from Potato Hill Fire could impact Highway 20 visibility at night and early morning. Separate smoke forecast will be issued for communities east...

Effective September 1, the Fremont-Winema National Forest has expanded the area closure south and east of the Blanket Creek Fire. The new closure is east of the Sky Lakes Wilderness to Highway 62 on the Fremont-Winema National Forest and down to Sevenmile Marsh. Closures are enacted for public and firefighter safety. For specific information and a map of the closure area see:

Press ReleaseSheriffFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEEVACUATION NOTICES UPDATED FOR JOLLY MOUNTAIN FIRE (9-2-17)Kittitas County, WA - 09/02/2017 - The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office has updated the following evacuation notices for the Jolly Mountain Fire:Level 3 – all residences north of Double O Ranch Road all the way north to the Boulder Creek areaLevel 2 – all residences between Double O Ranch Road and Ronald; the entire town of Ronald; the entire City of Roslyn to the Bullfrog Road roundabout; Cle Elum Ridge (including Summit View Road, Ridge View Drive, Big Sky Vista Drive, Horizon Ridge Drive, Deer Creek Road, Meadow Ridge Drive, Big Tail Road, Forest Ridge Road, Jack Pine Drive, Game Trail Road, Owl Ridge Drive, Timber Tiger Drive, Lum Road, the north part of White Road, Lannigan Springs Road, Winch Road, Buena View Road, Adobe Road) Level 1 – Suncadia Resort; all residences/homes south of SR 903 and north of I-90 from Bullfrog Road to Cle Elum city limits; the City of Elum north...

ODF IMT 3 LINK SMITH, INCIDENT COMMANDER MORE INFORMATION: FACEBOOK.COM/HORSEPRAIRIEFIRE https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5540/# HORSE PRAIRIE FIRE September 1, 2017 9:00 p.m. Camas Valley, Oregon – Continuing the preparation for burn out operations in the next few days, crews made excellent progress today building contingency lines on the south side of the fire near Stag Ridge. This south end continues to be the hottest part of the fire, constantly pushed by northeast winds. Once completed, fire crews will begin a methodical approach to burning off the forest fuels between these lines and the main fire. Burn out operations on the northeast portion of the fire also went according to plan Friday afternoon. The northeast corner is now in heavy mop up. The growth of the fire was minimal over the past 24 hours and is now estimated at 11,775 acres. Containment remains 15 percent. The fire remains well west of the town of Riddle and continues to move away from communities. The...

Horse Creek Complex and Rebel Fire Community Meeting7:00 p.m. Sunday, September 3Upper McKenzie Community Center54745 McKenzie River Drive, Blue River,