Inciweb Articles OR

Fire Information: Ashley Lertora  503-338-8442  (8:00 am – 8:00 pm) Evacuation and other questions: Lincoln County Call Center 541- 265-0621 Fire fighters had a hard night last night working these fires, as strong winds pushed the fires in a west/southwest direction.  Yesterday Echo Mountain Fire was approximately 46 acres but increased during the night.  Yesterday, the Kimberling Fire was estimated at 120 acres.  Today the combined acreage for the two fires is over 1,000 acres.  The Terrace Fire near Waldport has been contained.  An Infra-Red (heat seeking) flight has been ordered for today to get a map of the current fires and better size estimate.  The Echo Mountain Fire  started on the north side of Hwy 18 near the  mile marker 7-8 and crossed over and is burning in a southwardly direction.  At this time, it is unknown how much area has burned south of the highway.  The Kimberling Fire is located on Hwy 18 near mile marker 3-4 near Otis.  Highway 18 remains closed...

Springfield, Ore. – Red Flag conditions have caused explosive fire growth over the past two days on the Holiday Farm Fire.  Firefighters have been constantly moving as they conduct rescue operations, and try to hold the fire when it’s possible.  The region, the state and the entire West Coast have been heavily impacted by fires.  Resources are scarce at this time.  The fire is estimated at 105,000 acres and zero percent containment. The fire has burned through several communities. At this time, we can confirm that, despite the best efforts of firefighters, Blue River has been heavily affected with most of the structures destroyed. McKenzie High School, however, was saved. Firefighters were also able to save a majority of the structures in Vida. Evacuations remain in effect impacting the communities of Vida, Blue River, Mohawk, McKenzie Bridge, Leaburg, and Walterville. The Lane County Sherriff’s Office is the lead agency for all evacuation-related information. Evacuation...

The Pacific Northwest experienced historic fire activity over the last two days.  Continued easterly winds have pushed the Lionshead Fire to grow to 105,340 acres. Weather and Fire Behavior: Temperatures will be warmer with slightly lower humidity levels than yesterday. Easterly winds will persist through most of the day, changing to southeast in the late afternoon. East winds will decrease; however, drought conditions, high temperatures and low relative humidity will contribute to continued active fire behavior. Current Situation: Extreme drought conditions combined with strong easterly winds, due to a cold front, pushed the fire spread west over the crest of the cascades and north of Mt. Jefferson. Long range spotting contributed to more than 12 miles of fire spread that included the areas around Breitenbush and Detroit Lake. The fire also crossed highway 22 in multiple places. Fire personnel coordinated with local emergency services on evacuations, providing escort for residents...

Current Closures: Due to dynamic and dangerous fire conditions, the Mt. Hood National Forest is temporarily closing forest lands to public access, including campgrounds, day use areas, trails, boat ramps, and more.  Forest Service roads are closed to visitors unless you are vacating the Forest. More info: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mthood/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD800449Help keep yourself and our firefighters safe and respect closures.  Follow your local county sheriff department's Facebook page for evacuation safety information.  Forest staff will continually be re-evaluating

Please see attached Air Quality Report and Forecast Sep 9.

Forest ServiceWillamette National Forest3106 Pierce Parkway Suite DSpringfield. OR 97477541-225-6300https://www.fs.usda.gov/willamette/   News ReleaseMedia Contact:Jennifer O’Leary, Public Information Officerjoleary@blm.gov541-222-9241Your safety is paramount: Continued rapid fire growth expectedSpringfield, OR, Sept. 8, 2020 – Continued rapid fire growth is expected tonight as theRed Flag Warning for low humidities and strong east winds remains in effect. The highest priority is your safety. Many towns in and around the western slopes of the Cascades near Forest lands remain under Level 3 - Go Evacuations being implemented by County Sheriff’s Offices. Please be aware of notifications and advisories being issued by local authorities, and check back often for updates on fire activity and how it may potentially impact you. Opportunities for firefighters to make assessments of the status of current fires on the Willamette National Forest were limited today due to active fire...

Air quality reports for today are linked

Holiday Farm Fire – This fire started yesterday, although the exact cause isn’t yet known. The fire is currently burning on both sides of Highway 126 and the McKenzie River. It is moving west from approximately mile post 47 and is currently two miles past Vida. The fire is estimated at 37,000 acres.At 2:33 a.m. the Governor declared this fire a conflagration. This allows local resources from across the state to help, however firefighting resources are extremely scarce due to the large number of fires burning in Oregon and along the entire west coast.There were a number of residents who were unable to evacuate due to roads blocked by fire and debris. After several roads were cleared, firefighters helped 46 people escape the evacuation zone this afternoon.Three Lane County Task Force teams responded around 8:30 last night to help fight the fire. They were blocked in due to fallen debris on roads. The crews were in a safe area and no firefighters have been injured. As of 1:45 p.m....

Today was a challenging day for firefighters on the Lionshead Fire which is now estimated to be 100,000+ acres.  High winds that grounded aircraft Tuesday afternoon are expected to continue throughout this evening.  Our next update will be tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.  Fire weather has been extreme across the region and residents are urged to sign up for emergency alerts through their local Sheriff’s Office in the event of evacuations.   

PAISLEY, OR – The Brattain Fire is currently burning on the Paisley Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest.   The fire was discovered late last night.  It is one of three wildfires sparked on Monday during the fire weather event.  The other two fires included a small fire off U.S. Highway 97 that was suppressed quickly and the Two Four Two Fire that is currently burning in the Chiloquin area.  All three fires are currently under investigation.   The Brattain Fire is located near Morgan Butte, approximately 10 miles south of Paisley.  It is currently estimated to be 300 acres with no containment.   The fire is moving from Brattain Butte west-southwest towards the Chewaucan River and Coffeepot Flat.  There is spotting 100 to 200 yards ahead of the fire due to strong winds.   It is burning in sagebrush-juniper with stringers of Ponderosa pine.   High winds have presented a challenge today, with aircraft needing to shutdown due to winds.  The Red Flag Warning...

CHILOQUIN, OR – The Two Four Two Fire is continuing to burn on the Chiloquin Ranger District and the surrounding area. The fire is estimated to be approximately 6,000 acres with no containment. The cause is under investigation. The Two Four Two Fire is burning in dried grass, brush and timber. It’s growth yesterday was wind-driven, and similar conditions are expected today due to a Red Flag Warning in effect until midnight for strong gusty winds and low relative humidity. Today the fire continues to move in all directions. Multiple structures are threatened. Fire managers are still assessing structures that may have been lost. U.S. Highway 97 remains closed between Oregon State Highway 62 south of Chiloquin north to the intersection with Forest Road 9732 at Oux Kanee Overlook. Oregon State Highway 422 North is closed between Highway 97 and Oregon State Highway 62. Highway 62 is closed from the junction with Highway 97 north to the State Fish Hatchery. The Oregon State Police...

Due to dynamic fire conditions, ALL recreation offerings across the Willamette National Forest are closed including campgrounds, day use areas, trails, boat ramps, and more. Forest Service roads are closed to visitors unless you are vacating the Forest. 

NEWS RELEASE Release Date: September 8, 2020 Media Contact: Heather Ibsen, (360) 831-5219 Mt. Hood National Forest temporarily closes forest for fire safety The local area remains under the threat of unprecedented and dangerous fire conditions with a combination of extreme heat, significant wind events, dry conditions, and firefighting resources that are stretched thin across the region and nation.  Due to these conditions, the Mt. Hood National Forest is temporarily closing to public access.  This includes developed campgrounds, dispersed camping, day use areas, wilderness areas, and all forest roads and trails.  This closure goes into effect at 6:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, and will be re-evaluated daily as conditions change.  This is a temporary closure to protect public and firefighter safety and health.  People in the process of evacuating the forest are exempt from the order. Extreme fire weather has caused rapid growth of fires, and new...

High winds and dry air mass have caused several wildfires in Clackamas County as well as a public safety shut-off by PGE along the Hwy. 26 Mount Hood corridor. The Clackamas County Board of County Commissioners declared a state of emergency on Sept. 8 that will allow them to request resources, evacuate individuals, barricade roads and redirect

The last daily update for the White River Fire was posted on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.  For information about the Lionshead Fire to the south, visit

The Lionshead Fire and multiple others in the area are experiencing very active fire behavior today.  Lionshead is currently moving westerly and pushing toward Breitenbush and Detroit, which are both under Level 3 (Go) evacuation orders.  Contact your County Sheriff's Office for the most up to date evacuation orders.Here are some convenient ways to stay informed: •Willamette Valley Communications Center (WVCC) primarily covers the cities of Salem and Keizer; however, they also cover areas served by the Marion County Sheriff's Office. To register for alerts, visit: https://www.cityofsalem.net/Pages/get-community-alerts.aspx•METCOM covers Aumsville, Aurora, Butteville, Detroit, Donald, Drakes Crossing, Gates, Gervais, Hubbard, Idanha, Jefferson, Lyons, Mill City, Mt. Angel, Monitor, Scotts Mills, Silverton, St. Paul, Stayton, Sublimity, Turner, and Woodburn. To register for alerts, visit: https://www.metcom911.com/citizen-alert-. •Integrated Public Alert and Warning System...

Lionshead Fire Update – Tuesday, September 8, 2020 – 9:00 a.m.Weather and Fire Behavior:  The Red Flag Warning continues throughout today for gusty winds and low relative humidity. East winds are expected to be strongest early in the day, then gradually subside. Temperatures will be cooler today, reaching the 70s in the lowlands and the 60s at higher elevations. The winds are expected to continue to push the fire west further onto the Willamette National Forest. The fire may also be pushed to the southwest, past the south flank of Mt. Jefferson. Long-range spotting may ignite new fires a mile or more from the main fire.Last 24 hours: The Lionshead Fire was actively burning early Monday.  Sunday’s spot fires on the northwest flank burned into the main fire. As a strong cold front approached and passed through the vicinity, winds became gusty and shifted to coming from the east. The winds, smoke, and blowing dust grounded aircraft mid-day. The winds aligned with terrain and...

 Please see attached: Air Quality Report and Forecast Sep. 8,

Please see attached: Air Quality Report and Forecast Sep. 8,

Yesterday’s strong winds brought smoke into the area from new fires in Washington. With continued strong northeastern winds today, smoke from Washington will continue to move into the Columbia River Gorge and throughout the fire area today. Expect similar conditions in the area today – smoke may be in “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” range later