InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Yesterday and Overnight:  Yesterday’s cooler weather brought some light precipitation into the area, particularly along the west side of the fire around Goose Prairie. This light precipitation and cooler weather helped decrease fire activity allowing for greater success of fire suppression efforts and enforcing structure protection activities. Along the northwest flank of the fire, firefighters engaged in fire suppression efforts as fire activity picked up. Protection measures continued to be implemented in and around the communities of Cliffdell, Goose Prairie, and Bumping Lake. On the northeast flank of the fire, containment lines continue to hold and crews focused on backhauling equipment staged out in these areas. Firefighters working on the southern portion of the fire patrolled and monitored containment lines along road systems.Today: Weather is forecast for wetting rains with the highest amount of precipitation predicted on the west side of the fire. Firefighters will...

   Big Meadow Fire September 18, 2021 Fire Information: 541-701-9097 E-mail: bigmeadowfire@gmail.com   Burns, OR – Yesterday, firefighters worked on gridding and mop up on the fire and made great progress. Gridding is when firefighters walk together in a grid, searching for any hot spots on the landscape. On the northern flank, firefighters were able to mop up 100 feet into the interior of the fire. There was a small area of active burning in the interior in the southeast corner, which firefighters suppressed with the aid of helicopter water drops. On the southern flank, crews worked on mopping up where recent burn operations occurred.      Today on the northern flank near Upper Valley, firefighters will work on patrolling the fire where 12 miles of line mop up has been completed. On the eastern flank near Egypt Canyon, firefighters will work on mop up and will begin backhauling hose that is no longer needed. On the southern flank near Dry Mountain,...

Smoke Outlook 9/18 -9/19Middle Fork Complex Fire Fire and Weather Rain will fall across the fire and outlook area today and into this evening. Estimates are for 1-1.5 inches of precipitation. While this will put a damper on fire activity, heavy fuels are still critically dry. Fine fuels won’t stand a chance, but heavy fuels will hold heat. Fire activity will be limited to smoldering until things begin to dry out again next week.  Smoke If you’ve been camping you know it takes more than just throwing water to put out your campfire. What you get is smoke, and the larger logs will keep burning, albeit not flaming, but smoldering. That’s what we can expect as we get rain across the fire area. Expect smoke to accumulate in low lying areas and areas sheltered from wind. Fires located further south (California) may not receive as much precipitation, and smoke from them may be carried north/northeast into the Outlook Area.

Size: 22,061 acres Total Personnel: 313 (7 crews, 12 engines, 3 helicopters, 17 water tenders, 2 heavy equipment) Containment: 50% Location: 12 miles NW of Chelan, WA Cause: Under investigation  Reminder about Drones: If you fly, we can’t. All aerial suppression efforts are grounded when drones are detected within the restricted flight area of the fire. Yesterday: Yesterday’s update reported a small increase in acreage due to fire activity in the northwest section of the fire. The activity was in a location contained by landscape and recently burned areas. Monitoring and patrolling continued along the perimeter. Progress was made along the 5900 Road on chipping operations. Firefighters finished repairing and rehabbing sections of hand lines from the end of Lakeshore Road to the northwest along the fire’s edge. Road crews continued to work on road repairs to ensure safe access for fire personnel. Today: Repair and rehab operations are expected to expand in...

Tamaño: 22,061 acres Personal total: 313 personas (7 equipos, 12 camiones de bomberos, 3 helicópteros, 17 buldóceres, 2 tanques de agua, 2 maquinaria pesada) Contención: 50% Ubicación: 12 millas al NO de Chelan, WA Causa: a ser determinada  Recordatorio sobre drones: si usted vuela, nosotros no podemos hacerlo. Todos los esfuerzos de contención aérea se quedan inactivos en tierra cuando se detectan drones dentro del área restringida del incendio. Ayer: la actualización de ayer reportó un pequeño aumento en la extensión de acres debido a la actividad del incendio en la sección noroeste que se ubicó en una zona contenida por el terreno y por áreas que ardieron recientemente. Continuaron las actividades de monitorización y patrullaje en el perímetro del incendio. Las operaciones de tala continuaron con éxito la Carretera 5900. Los bomberos terminaron de reparar y rehabilitar las partes de líneas de mano desde el final de Lakeshore Road hacia el extremo...

                                                                                                                                             Cougar Peak Fire Update Northwest Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander Kevin Stock September 18, 2021   Lakeview Ore. – The winds predicted for the past several days moved over the fire yesterday. The western side of the fire was active with an east wind pushing the fire’s edge. All growth on the fire was inside of pre- planned contingency lines. Resources were busy all day working with heavy helicopters to keep water on the hotspots and crews lined spots within timber sales on the southwest portion of the fire. As of nightfall, the fire was established on the west side of the 3608 road around Doe Mountain. Resources stayed out in front of the advancing fire, using the planned contingency line on the 3510. Water tenders and crews worked a challenging portion of...

Fire and Weather: Today and tomorrow should be rainy and wet most of the day which will result in fire behavior of minimal growth. The Rough Patch Fire is 49,060 acres. The Devils Knob Complex is 67,710 acres. Both are 36 - 49% contained.  Smoke: This morning some smoke will likely linger in the river valleys until the rain and accompanying winds set in. Smoke from northern California fires will likely degrade the air quality for only a few hours this morning.

Tonasket, WA:  Yesterday, increasing relative humidity reduced fire behavior on the northwest flank of Bonaparte Mountain.  About .2 inches of rainfall fell overnight over the fire area.  Rain showers will fall over the fire area throughout the day with a possibility of a stray thunderstorm.  Wildland firefighting crews will evaluate changing conditions throughout the day and will watch for potential flash floods, debris torrents or debris flows. Rehabilitation will continue throughout the fire, focusing on the area of the original Walker Creek fire, between Bunch Road and Diamond Bell Road. Crews will continue to patrol the fire line and around structures to ensure hot spots are extinguished and out. The USFS Bonaparte Lake Campground is currently open and is first come, first serve.  Lost Lake Campground is currently closed and will be under evaluation for when to safely open.  Campfires are permitted on the USFS Colville Forest, which encompasses the Walker Fire area. The...

The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program is designed to identify and manage potential risks to resources on National Forest System lands and reduce these threats through appropriate emergency measures to protect human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources. BAER is an emergency program for stabilization work that involves time-critical activities to be completed before the first damaging event to meet program objectives:BAER Objectives:Determine whether imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands exist and take immediate actions, as appropriate, to manage the unacceptable risks.If emergency conditions are identified, mitigate significant threats to health, safety, human life, property and critical cultural and natural resources.Prescribe emergency response actions to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural...

Incident Summary:  Fire lines across the Rough Patch Fire were tested by unfavorable weather on Friday.  Low humidity and gusty southwest winds aligned with terrain causing increased fire activity in several locations.  Despite firefighter’s efforts for the past several days, fire spotted across the 2460 road along the northern portion of the Chaos Fire near the Bohemia Mining District.  The Lane County Sheriff’s Office issued a Level 3 (Go now) evacuation notice for this area Friday afternoon.  This was due to the fire activity, spots, and some structures being threatened.  Other places within the Rough Patch Complex experienced increased fire growth and activity but held within primary control lines.  A change in weather will occur over the weekend with wetting rain being received across all areas of the fires.  This will allow firefighters an opportunity to engage the spot fires and work on additional control measures. Chaos and Little Bend Fires:  The Chaos Fire is...

Incident Summary:  Fire lines across the Rough Patch Fire were tested by unfavorable weather on Friday.  Low humidity and gusty southwest winds aligned with terrain causing increased fire activity in several locations.  Despite firefighter’s efforts for the past several days, fire spotted across the 2460 road along the northern portion of the Chaos Fire near the Bohemia Mining District.  The Lane County Sheriff’s Office issued a Level 3 (Go now) evacuation notice for this area Friday afternoon.  This was due to the fire activity, spots, and some structures being threatened.  Other places within the Rough Patch Complex experienced increased fire growth and activity but held within primary control lines.  A change in weather will occur over the weekend with wetting rain being received across all areas of the fires.  This will allow firefighters an opportunity to engage the spot fires and work on additional control measures. Chaos and Little Bend Fires:  The Chaos Fire is...

  Devil’s Knob Complex Update Saturday, September 18, 2021 – 9:00 a.m. Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team Dan Dallas, Incident Commander Information phone: 541-900-6133 Email:2021.DevilsKnob@firenet.gov  Information staffing hours: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm Special Notes: Today will be the last shift of the Rocky Mountain Type I Incident Management Team, led by Incident Commander Dan Dallas. Command of the Devil’s Knob Complex will be transferred to the Northwest Type 1 Incident Management Team 2, led by Incident Commander Rob Allen at 7:00 am Sunday. Personnel from the Northwest Team are on-site shadowing their counterparts on the Rocky Mountain Team to implement a smooth transition.  Current Situation: On Friday, firefighters were prepared for active fire behavior, which did manifest, and resulted in several spot fires in divisions along the northeastern and northern perimeter of the Smith Fire. Crews were able to engage spot fires with...

All properties located in the Bohemia Mining District area are under a Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuation notice due to the Chaos Fire within the Rough Patch Complex. See the map for the detailed boundaries.Level 3 (GO NOW) means LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. Danger is current or imminent and you should evacuate now. See the Lane County Sheriff's Order for the official order.

All properties located in the Bohemia Mining District area are under a Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuation notice due to the Chaos Fire within the Rough Patch Complex Fire. See the map for detailed boundaries.Level 3 (GO NOW) means LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. Danger is current or imminent and you should evacuate now.Please see the official announcement posted by the Lane County Sheriff here.

Forecasted weather this weekend may bring significant rain to the Twentyfive Mile Fire burned area. For their safety, communities need to monitor local weather reports and public safety bulletins, local road closures, emergency notifications, weather alerts, follow local county and city advisories, and act accordingly. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service (NWS), Spokane (OTX) (https://www.weather.gov/otx/) website. Use a weather radio or smart phone weather app that monitors all hazards alerts issued by the NOAA-National Weather Service. Prepare for rainstorms by practicing evacuations prior to real events. Be prepared to evacuate if county or city emergency officials determine that flooding and debris flows are expected which could pose an increased threat to human life, safety, and property. Know and be alert to environmental signs of dangerous weather conditions and be prepared to take action that can save lives. Understand that...

 Reunión virtual pública: viernes, 17 de sept. 7:00 p.m. en Facebook @SchneiderSpringsFire.Ayer y anoche:  la actividad del incendio alcanzó los espacios naturales (al lado de la parte suroeste sobre Rimrock Lake y alrededor de American Ridge) debido a que las condiciones climáticas causaron un leve aumento en su tamaño. A lo largo de la parte norte del incendio, los bomberos siguieron con las medidas de protección de estructuras en las comunidades y alrededores de Cliffdell, Goose Prairie y Bumping Lake. Las operaciones de quema en la línea de contención norte/sur, ubicada a una milla y media al noroeste de Cliffdell, se completaron con éxito. Como se tenía previsto, el incendio descendió lentamente hacia el lado norte de American Ridge. Los equipos continuaron monitoreando la actividad dentro de American Ridge, que también está catalogada como espacio natural. Los bomberos continuaron patrullando las líneas de contención en la parte sur del incendio, a lo largo del...

CHELAN, WA: A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team was recently organized by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest to begin an assessment of the Twentyfive Mile Fire burning outside Chelan, WA. BAER teams conduct rapid assessments that evaluate post-fire conditions and determine the potential for increased flooding, sediment flows, and rockslides. BAER teams consist of many disciplines including hydrologists, geologists, soil scientists, road engineers, botanists, biologists, and archeologists from both federal and state agencies. The team will first survey the burned area and collect field data. BAER teams use this information to produce a “Soil Burn Severity” map and inform modeling. Determining soil burn severity is the first step in assessing potential watershed impacts to values that may be at-risk following a wildfire.   BAER teams then produce a report that describes post-fire conditions along with recommended emergency stabilization measures and actions. The team...

Virtual Public Meeting: Friday Sept. 17, 7:00 p.m. on Facebook @SchneiderSpringsFire    Yesterday and Overnight:  Fire activity picked up within the wilderness area (along the southwest portion above Rimrock Lake and around American Ridge) due to weather conditions causing some growth in fire size. Along the north side of the fire, firefighters continued to implement protection measures for structures in and around the communities of Cliffdell, Goose Prairie, and Bumping Lake. Firing operations were successful on the north/south containment line located about one and a half miles northwest of Cliffdell. As projected, fire activity slowly progressed down the northern flank of American Ridge. Crews continued to monitor activity within American Ridge which is also designated as wilderness. Along the south side of the fire, firefighters continued to patrol containment lines along road systems and implemented suppression repair efforts (e.g. road grading,...

Burns, OR – Firefighters made good progress on the fire yesterday completing a combination of dozer and hand line on the eastern and southern flanks. Firefighters conducted a successful burn operation on the southern flank, utilizing water drops from a heavy helicopter as support to keep fire from spotting. Helicopters also inserted portable water tanks to facilitate aggressive mop up on the southern flank.   On the northern flank near Upper Valley, crews patrolled and  mopped up 100 feet inside the perimeter, completing about 75 percent of the mop up on that flank. On the eastern flank near Egypt Canyon, crews have established hose lays into the fire, into rugged terrain inaccessible to engines. About 5000 feet of hose has been installed.   Today on the southern flank near Dry Mountain, firefighters will work to fell hazardous trees killed or weakened by fire that pose a risk to firefighters and could threaten the fireline. Crews will continue a burn...

Middle Fork Complex Daily Update – September 17, 2021 Northwest Incident Management Team 6 Shawn Sheldon, Incident Commander  Phone: 425-324-1267 (8am-8pm) Email: 2021.middlefork@firenet.gov InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7745 Facebook: facebook.com/MiddleForkComplex Twitter: twitter.com/willametteNF Size:  30,139 acres                                   Contained:   37% Origin/Location: North of Oakridge, OR Date/Time Detected: July 29, 2021, 2:00 p.m. Number of Personnel:   683                                  Cause: Lightning  Westfir, OR – In preparation for our anticipated rain event, the primary focus today will be addressing drainage issues – cleaning ditches and culverts, installing water bars on all indirect lines and pulling hose off contingency lines along the southeastern fire perimeter. Crews continue to haul fuels and logs off the western, northern and northeastern fire perimeter; this should be completed...