Inciweb Articles OR

 The revised closure order for Kwis Fire is linked

 DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - The last remaining fire evacuation notice has been lifted in Douglas County. Based on current weather conditions and fire activity, the Sheriff's Office in consultation with the Devil's Knob Complex Fire Managers have removed all remaining evacuation notices. There are no evacuation notices in Douglas County at this time."The lifting of the evacuation notices, does not indicate that the fires have been extinguished or that fire season has been declared over, rather the threat to homes in the area has been eliminated to a degree that evacuation orders are no longer necessary," Lt. Brad O'Dell said. “This information comes as a relief to several of our neighbors. It's been a long summer of fire activity.”Residents who are interested in monitoring fire activity or need information may find the following resources helpful:Devils Knob Complex Fires:Facebook...

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...

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...

 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...

September 29, 2021 Fire Information: 541-482-1331 E-mail: 2021.jack@firenet.gov Incident Summary:   Yesterday’s rainfall added approximately .10 inch over the fire area, bringing the total from this rainy period to about 2 inches. There is a very low probability that forest fuels will dry enough to allow fire spread in the foreseeable future. Logs, stumps, root holes and other large fuels will continue to burn and produce smoke but are unlikely to ignite other fuels near them.  Some paved and graveled roads are dry enough to allow access for firefighters to continue their post-suppression work. A lot of work remains to repair fire lines, remove hazard trees near roads and trails, retrieve firefighting equipment, haul away debris from fire line construction and restore drainage features. Fire line repair work includes building water bars across hand and dozer lines and spreading slash on bare soils. This helps divert...

RIPPLEBROOK, Ore. – Over the past two weeks, efforts focused on building, strengthening, and mopping up primary line around the Bull Complex. In addition to these gains, firefighters on the ground and in the air worked together to protect high priority values at risk including Gold Butte Lookout and the Hawk Mountain Cabin. Firefighters on the ground experienced cool, wet weather that required adjustments to their operations. Despite this, crews were able to continue suppression repair work on all divisions. “I appreciate the mindful operational tempo shift with the inclement weather to ensure firefighter safety,” said Brian Gales, Incident Commander for Northwest Team 13.Northwest Team 13 will be transitioning to a local unit Type 3 team tomorrow morning, led by Scott Jones. Incoming operations and support staff will be shadowing Northwest Team 13 today to ensure the continuity of suppression and repair operations.Weather: Rain fell overnight, with many locations around the...

September 29, 2021 Fire Information: 541-482-1331 E-mail: 2021.jack@firenet.gov  Incident Summary:   Yesterday’s rainfall added approximately .10 inch over the fire area, bringing the total from this rainy period to about 2 inches. There is a very low probability that forest fuels will dry enough to allow fire spread in the foreseeable future. Logs, stumps, root holes and other large fuels will continue to burn and produce smoke but are unlikely to ignite other fuels near them.  Some paved and graveled roads are dry enough to allow access for firefighters to continue their post-suppression work. A lot of work remains to repair fire lines, remove hazard trees near roads and trails, retrieve firefighting equipment, haul away debris from fire line construction and restore drainage features. Fire line repair work includes building water bars across hand and dozer lines and spreading slash on bare soils. This helps divert...

COUGAR PEAK FIRE UPDATE NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12 Incident Commanders: Jeff Dimke and Bobby Shindelar  September 29, 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 starts today, with temperatures increasing 10-15 degrees over yesterday. Warming will continue through the rest of the week, with temperatures nearing 80 degrees this weekend. Relative humidity will drop throughout the week.    Operations  Firefighters continued suppression repair activities around the southern and western portions of the fire yesterday, utilizing heavy equipment to process logs and repair roads. Repair operations in the northwest focused on removing the berms created as dozers cut containment lines. Patrol and occasional mop-up...

Devils Knob Complex Update  September 29, 2021, 8:30 a.m. Location: Tiller Ranger District Size: 70,109 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: 481  Cause: Lightning   Smoke: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com 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:  Despite another ¾” of rain that fell on the north end of the Smith Fire, some additional smoke was observed from the surrounding areas. All smoke came from protected layers of ground litter or heavy timber that still held heat despite the heavy rains. Crews were able to continue suppression repair work in several areas of the Devils Knob Complex yesterday. Hand crews continued their...

Green Ridge Fire Statistics: Size: 43,694 acres, Containment: 61%, Total Personnel: 38, Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla, Reported: July 7, 2021, Cause: Lightning. Current Situation:  Fire behavior has continued to be minimal, with a few interior smokes observed on the southwest corner of the fire near Godman Guard Station and to the south and southeast within the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. Firefighters continue to patrol and mop up all containment lines on the west, north and eastern edges of the fire. Where containment lines are secured, firefighters are also completing suppression repair (such as constructing water bars to help reduce erosion potential and mastication to improve roadways used for containment lines) based on identified rehabilitation needs. Crews also continue backhauling (returning) equipment that is no longer needed for suppression operations. The southern edge of the fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain with difficult access within the...

Malheur National Forest Fire Staff Work to Plan Fall Prescribed BurningJohn Day, Hines, and Prairie City, OR. — (September 28, 2021) Due to favorable weather conditions, the Malheur National Forest may begin Fall Prescribed Burning beginning Thursday, September 30, 2021.Frequent, low-intensity fire is essential for healthy forests and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire caused by excessive fuel buildup. Prescribed burning is an effective tool for removing excessive amounts of brush, shrubs, and trees, while also encouraging the growth of native vegetation. It is only conducted when factors such as resource availability, air quality, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, and fuel moisture levels are ideal. All burns are done under carefully planned prescriptions and protocols to eliminate the risk of an escaped fire and smoke exposure to communities.The Forest Service recognizes that hunting season coincides with prescribed burning season and can impact hunters, but...