InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Cedar Creek Fire Closure Order 06-17-04-21-36 Effective Oct. 1, 2021  Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 CFR § 261.50(a) and (b), and to provide for public safety, the following acts are prohibited within the Methow Valley Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. This Order supersedes Order # 06-17-04-21-31, dated September 17, 2021, signed by Kristin Bail. This Order is effective September 30, 2021, through December 31, 2021, unless rescinded sooner.   PROHIBITIONS: 1.         Entering into or being upon National Forest System Lands, as described below and displayed on the attached map, Exhibit A [36 CFR § 261.53(e)]. 2.         Being on any National Forest System trail, as described below and displayed on the attached map, Exhibit A [36 CFR § 261.55(a)]. 3.         Being on any National Forest System Road as described below and displayed on the attached map, Exhibit A [36 CFR § 261.54(e)]. FIRE EMERGENCY AREA CLOSURE DESCRIPTION:  ...

 Cub Creek 2 Fire  Closure Order: 06-17-04-21-35   Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 CFR § 261.50(a) and (b), and to provide for public safety, the following acts are prohibited within the Methow Valley Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. This Order supersedes Order # 06-17-04-21-32, dated September 24, 2021, signed by Forest Supervisor Kristin Bail. This Order is effective October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, unless rescinded sooner.   PROHIBITIONS:   1.         Entering into or being upon National Forest System Lands, as described below and displayed on the attached map, Exhibit A [36 CFR § 261.53(e)].   2.         Being on any National Forest System trail, as described below and displayed on the attached map, Exhibit A [36 CFR § 261.55(a)].   3.         Being on any National Forest System Road as described below and displayed on the attached map, Exhibit A [36 CFR § 261.54(e)].   FIRE EMERGENCY AREA AND ROAD...

Cedar Creek, Varden, and Delancy Fires Closure Order: 06-17-04-21-36 Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 CFR § 261.50(a) and (b), and to provide for public safety, the following acts are prohibited within the Methow Valley Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. This Order supersedes Order # 06-17-04-21-31, dated September 17, 2021, signed by Kristin Bail. This Order is effective September 30, 2021, through December 31, 2021, unless rescinded sooner.   PROHIBITIONS:   1.         Entering into or being upon National Forest System Lands, as described below and displayed on the attached map, Exhibit A [36 CFR § 261.53(e)].   2.         Being on any National Forest System trail, as described below and displayed on the attached map, Exhibit A [36 CFR § 261.55(a)].   3.         Being on any National Forest System Road as described below and displayed on the attached map, Exhibit A [36 CFR § 261.54(e)].   FIRE EMERGENCY AREA CLOSURE...

                                                                            Schneider Springs Fire Update Fire Update – Oct. 01, 2021   Fire Info Line: (509) 653-1468 Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.      Nevada Type 3, Team 3, Andy Bertelson, IC, took over management of the fire at 6 PM last night.   For public and fire fighter safety please pay attention to all area closures. For information on the fire closures please go to www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices   Yesterday a significant amount of rain fell on the west side of the fire.  It was not a fire ending event, however. Other parts of the fire received little or no precipitation.   Today is predicted to be cooler with temperatures ranging from 42 to 55 above 4500 feet and 56 to 64 in the lower elevations. The weekend will bring warmer temperatures and light winds   Things are beginning to slow down, and a lot of the work will be the same...

Actualización sobre el incendio de Schneider Springs Actualización sobre el incendio - 1 de octubre de 2021 Línea de información sobre el incendio: (509) 653-1468 Horario: 8:00 a.m. a 8:00 p.m. Andy Bertelson, comandante de incidentes del Equipo 3 - tipo 3 de Nevada, asumió el control de la gestión del incendio anoche a las 6 PM. Por seguridad del público y del personal contra incendios, agradecemos que preste atención a todos los cierres del área. Para tener información sobre los cierres por el incendio visite www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices Ayer cayó una cantidad considerable de lluvia sobre el lado oeste del incendio; sin embargo, no extinguió por completo el incendio. Otras partes del incendio recibieron poca o ninguna precipitación. Para hoy se pronostican temperaturas más frescas entre los 42º F y 55º F por encima de 4500 pies, y entre 56º F y 64º F a menor altura. El fin de semana traerá consigo temperaturas más cálidas y vientos ligeros....

Access to roads, trails, and areas impacted by the Twentyfive Mile Fire is managed by the Chelan Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF. Please visit the Forest Closures page for the most current and legal documentation (see link below).Okanogan-Wenatchee NF Forest

The Twentyfive Mile Fire Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team coordinated with the US Geological Survey (USGS) during its evaluation of the burned area to assess potential post-fire hazards, including debris flows.The USGS utilized the BAER team’s burn severity map to model potential debris flow hazards within the burned area. The resulting Debris Flow Hazard Map displays the combined relative debris flow hazard for areas burned by the Twentyfive Mile Fire. The combined relative hazard metric is a combination of the likelihood of debris flow (in %) and potential volume of debris flow (in m3). Probabilities are calculated based on a typical storm for this area, which are defined by both their intensity and volume. On the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, in any given year, there’s a 20% probability of a 15 min intensity / 40 mm per hour storm occurring during a one-hour rainstorm. That means that over a 15-minute period, we could expect to receive 10 mm (~0.40 inches) of rain. Because...

John Day, Hines and Prairie City, OR. — (September 30, 2021) Firefighters have made significant progress on the Black Butte Fire and it is now 100% contained. Combined with the recent change in weather Fire Managers have decided to terminate the closure area on the Black Butte Fire.Hunters should be cautious when entering a recently burned area and be aware of increased hazards, particularly snags. Dead or dying trees that remain standing after a fire are unstable, especially in high winds. Don’t camp or hang out in the burned area. And, as always, let someone know your planned route, destination and expected return time.The Black Butte Closure Area consisted of:Closure area consists of all geographical areas on Forest Service land within boundaries of the following description: Starting at the intersection of Forest Service Road (FSR) 16 and FSR 1675 at T. 15 S, R. 35.5 E, Sec. 26, south on FSR 16 to the junction of FSR 16 and FSR 1663 at T. 16 S, R. 35 E, Sec. 19, south, on...

October 1, 2021 Fire Information: 541-482-1331 E-mail: 2021.jack@firenet.gov Incident Summary:  A warming, drying trend continues to dry the roads, improving access to the fire areas. Yesterday firefighters used helicopter water drops to help cool pockets of fire in heavy fuels in the southeast portion of the Little Bend Fire in the Bulldog Creek area. Crews walked the Chaos Fire’s eastern edges in the Horse Heaven Creek drainage to manually feel for heat along the edge of burned areas and build fire line where necessary. Today firefighters will monitor the persistent heat in the Bulldog Creek area and apply helicopter water drops if needed. In other areas of the Complex, firefighters are prioritizing suppression repair at higher elevations to complete the work before autumn weather limits access. Ongoing activities include building water bars across hand and dozer lines, spreading slash on bare soils, felling hazard trees, chipping cut...

October 1, 2021 Fire Information: 541-482-1331 E-mail: 2021.jack@firenet.gov  Incident Summary:  A warming, drying trend continues to dry the roads, improving access to the fire areas. Yesterday firefighters used helicopter water drops to help cool pockets of fire in heavy fuels in the southeast portion of the Little Bend Fire in the Bulldog Creek area. Crews walked the Chaos Fire’s eastern edges in the Horse Heaven Creek drainage to manually feel for heat along the edge of burned areas and build fire line where necessary. Today firefighters will monitor the persistent heat in the Bulldog Creek area and apply helicopter water drops if needed. In other areas of the Complex, firefighters are prioritizing suppression repair at higher elevations to complete the work before autumn weather limits access. Ongoing activities include building water bars across hand and dozer lines, spreading slash on bare soils, felling hazard trees, chipping cut...

With cooler temperatures and the return of autumn rains, no significant growth is expected on the Middle Fork Complex. Heavy fuels including downed trees and stumps in interior portions of the fire still remain active though, and may still be available to burn when periods of warm, drier weather return. Ensuring the safety of firefighters and the public as suppression repair and road clearing continue remains the highest priority. Firefighters are continuing patrol and mop up on the Gales Fire, with suppression repair ongoing with the Kwis and Gales Fires to mitigate damage to the surrounding area and protecting exposed soil from autumn rains. This work includes chipping branches, building water bars across hand and dozer lines, spreading slash on bare soils, and seeding to prevent encroaching noxious weeds. A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has begun work on the Complex. The team is assessing the severity of fire effects and will plan mitigation measures for exposed...

COUGAR PEAK FIRE UPDATE NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12 Incident Commanders: Jeff Dimke and Bobby Shindelar October 1, 2021   The Cougar Peak Fire is currently burning approximately 15 miles northwest of Lakeview, Oregon. The Incident Command Post at the Lakeview Fairgrounds is closed to all but essential personnel to help ensure the health and safety of community members and firefighters.   Weather Temperatures will drop 1-2 degrees today as a weak cold front passes through the area. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday temperatures will reach into the 70s. Relative humidity will remain very low.    Operations Yesterday, firefighters continued to patrol the fire perimeter and make progress on suppression repair in all areas of the fire. Around the southern end of the fire, heavy equipment processed logs and began repairing dozer line on the west side of Cougar Peak. Major suppression repair was completed in the southwest so that only small areas of repair remain. In the...

Devils Knob Complex Update   October 1, 2021, 8:00 a.m. Location: Tiller Ranger District  Size: 70,110 acres·  (·includes Mule Creek and other fires in patrol status)  Big Hamlin: 19,377 acres – 100% contained  Smith Fire: 49,239 acres – 42% contained  Containment: 58%  Personnel: 409  Cause: Lightning  Fire Information: 541-900-6133  Email: 2021.DevilsKnob@firenet.gov  InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7771  Facebook: www.facebook.com/2021DevilsKnobComplex  YouTube: http://tiny.cc/DevilsKnobYouTube  Yesterday:   Crews took advantage of the continued warm and dry conditions this week and have now completed all chipping operations along roadsides and control features on the northern perimeter of the Smith Fire. Excavators continued suppression repair around the rest of the Smith and Big Hamlin fire perimeters as well as the 19 other fires in the complex. Due to favorable...

John Day, Hines and Prairie City, OR. — (September 30, 2021) Firefighters have made significant progress on the Black Butte Fire and it is now 100% contained. Combined with the recent change in weather Fire Managers have decided to terminate the closure area on the Black Butte Fire. Hunters should be cautious when entering a recently burned area and be aware of increased hazards, particularly snags. Dead or dying trees that remain standing after a fire are unstable, especially in high winds. Don’t camp or hang out in the burned area. And, as always, let someone know your planned route, destination and expected return time.The Black Butte Closure Area consisted of:Closure area consists of all geographical areas on Forest Service land within boundaries of the following description: Starting at the intersection of Forest Service Road (FSR) 16 and FSR 1675 at T. 15 S, R. 35.5 E, Sec. 26, south on FSR 16 to the junction of FSR 16 and FSR 1663 at T. 16 S, R. 35 E, Sec. 19, south, on...

Ayer y anoche: los bomberos aprovecharon el clima frío y húmedo para seguir avanzando en las operaciones de extinción al norte del incendio, mientras se preparan para el posible regreso de condiciones más secas a finales de esta semana. Se completó la línea de contención en la herradura entre Edgar Rock y American Ridge, al igual que en el lado oeste desde Naches River hasta Cliffdell.  Los equipos siguieron patrullando los extremos oeste, sur y este, y monitorearon la seguridad de las estructuras cercanas al incendio día y noche, y reforzaron las medidas de protección alrededor de hogares en la esquina noroeste del incendio.El Equipo 10 de gestión de incidentes del noroeste recibió al Equipo 3 de gestión de incidentes de Great Basin que llegó desde Nevada, y le ofreció un reporte inicial ayer en la tarde.  Los gestores del incendio seguirán ajustando los recursos según tipo y cantidad para que se adapten a las necesidades actuales del incidente. Hoy: los bomberos...

September 30, 2021 Fire Information: 541-482-1331 E-mail: 2021.jack@firenet.gov  Incident Summary:  Warmer weather and lower humidity have dried roads and fire lines enough to allow access for firefighters. Heavy fuels like downed trees and stumps that have dried during months of drought and take longer to absorb moisture remain available to burn. Light fuels like small branches and fallen needles that easily absorbed the recent rain are not yet dry enough to support fire spread. Yesterday firefighters used helicopter water drops to help check persistent fire in heavy fuels in the Raven Rock area of the Jack Fire and along the southeast portion of the Chaos Fire in the Bulldog Creek area. Today firefighters are walking the Chaos Fire’s eastern edges in the Horse Heaven Creek drainage to manually feel for heat along the edge of burned areas. Where heat is found fire line will be constructed to check any future spread. In other areas of the...

September 30, 2021 Fire Information: 541-482-1331 E-mail: 2021.jack@firenet.gov  Incident Summary:  Warmer weather and lower humidity have dried roads and fire lines enough to allow access for firefighters. Heavy fuels like downed trees and stumps that have dried during months of drought and take longer to absorb moisture remain available to burn. Light fuels like small branches and fallen needles that easily absorbed the recent rain are not yet dry enough to support fire spread. Yesterday firefighters used helicopter water drops to help check persistent fire in heavy fuels in the Raven Rock area of the Jack Fire and along the southeast portion of the Chaos Fire in the Bulldog Creek area. Today firefighters are walking the Chaos Fire’s eastern edges in the Horse Heaven Creek drainage to manually feel for heat along the edge of burned areas. Where heat is found fire line will be constructed to check any future spread. In other areas of the...

Yesterday and Overnight: Firefighters took advantage of cool and moist weather to make additional progress on the fire in the north while preparing for the potential of a return to drier conditions later this week. Containment line was completed in the horseshoe between Edgar Rock and American Ridge as well as along the west side of the Naches River through Cliffdell.   The western, southern and eastern flanks remained in patrol status. Crews monitored the safety of structures in proximity to the fire during the day and overnight, and reinforced protection measures around homes in the fire’s northwest corner. Northwest Incident Management Team 10 welcomed Great Basin Incident Management Team 3 from Nevada and provided an initial in-brief yesterday afternoon.  Fire managers continued to adjust resources by type and quantity to match the incident’s current needs. Today: Firefighters will continue to capitalize on favorable conditions to fortify containment lines, repair...

 COUGAR PEAK FIRE UPDATENORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12Incident Commanders: Jeff Dimke and Bobby ShindelarSeptember 30, 2021  The Cougar Peak Fire is currently burning approximately 15 miles northwest of Lakeview, Oregon. The Incident Command Post at the Lakeview Fairgrounds is closed to all but essential personnel to help ensure the health and safety of community members and firefighters.   Weather A warming and drying trend continues today, with temperatures increasing 5-6 degrees over yesterday. A cold front will pass through the area tomorrow, then warming will resume for the weekend.  Operations Warmer temperatures and lower humidities led to visible smoke from the interiors of the Cougar Peak and Patton Meadow Fires yesterday, but containment lines on both fires remained secure. Yesterday, firefighters continued to patrol the fire perimeter and conduct occasional mop-up as needed. Backhaul of equipment was completed in the southwest. Along the northern boundary,...

Devils Knob Complex Update  September 30, 2021, 8:00 a.m.Location: Tiller Ranger District Size: 70,110 acres· (·includes Mule Creek and other fires in patrol status) Big Hamlin: 19,377 acres – 100% contained Smith Fire: 49,239 acres – 42% contained Containment: 58% Personnel: 416  Cause: Lightning   Fire Information: 541-900-6133 Email: 2021.DevilsKnob@firenet.gov InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7771 Facebook: www.facebook.com/2021DevilsKnobComplex YouTube: http://tiny.cc/DevilsKnobYouTube  Yesterday:  Temperatures returned to seasonal norms yesterday with highs ranging from 60 to 70s over the fire areas. This warmer, drier weather allowed firefighters to make good progress on suppression repair. Seventeen excavators were able to continue clearing woody debris out of roadside ditches and cleaning out culverts to prepare for winter precipitation and spring rains. Eleven chippers are working around various fire...