Northwest Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander Kevin Stock, assumed management of the S-503 Fire yesterday morning. The incident command post is located at the Wasco County Fairgrounds and a base camp is located off Ashby Rd also in Tygh Valley. A spike camp is located in Bear Springs Campground. The S-503 Fire is burning in timber and grasses on the Confederated Tribe of the Warm Springs Reservation and privately owned in-holdings protected by Oregon Department of Forestry. This fire is being managed as a full suppression fire.
General Updates: Cooler temperatures allowed firefighters to make significant progress towards containing the S-503 Fire. A containment line is now completely around the entire fire perimeter, but much work remains to secure the line. Improvements include patrolling and cooling hotspots, and constructing containment line directly along the fire’s edge in areas where unburned fuels remain between the previously constructed fire line. Firefighters remained diligent watching for spot fires popping up as dried fuels remained receptive to sparks. Heavy lift helicopters assisted firefighters with water drops cooling hotspots. Night shift will continue to patrol and improve lines. Additional ordered resources continue to arrive to assist with the suppression efforts. Resource from the S-503 Fire will remain available to assist the Confederated Tribe of the Warm Springs Reservation with any new fire starts.
Acreage: 6,046 (approximately 535 acres is private in-holdings protected by Oregon Department of Forestry); aerial infra-red imagery allows for the increase in accurate acreage interpretation
Containment: 20%
Fire Information: (541) 670-0812 (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) or (541) 553-2004 (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
E-mail: 2021.S-503@firenet.gov
Information Websites:
Facebook page “CTWS – Fire Management”
Inciweb information on https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7559
Oregon Smoke Information – http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/
Weather: Tonight will be partly cloudy with cumulus buildups. Temperatures will range 57 – 60 degrees with maximum relative humidity of 76 – 79%. Winds will be west to southwest 7 – 14 mph with gusts to 16 mph decreasing after midnight.
Resources-316: 2 – type 1 hotshot crews, 5-type 2 initial attack crews, 1-heavy helicopter, 1-light helicopter,30-engines, 6-dozers, 9-water tender, and 71 overhead.
Closures and Evacuations: The Wasco County Sherriff’s Office has lowered all residences west of Kelly Springs Rd/Back Walters Rd from Level 3 evacuation to Level 2 – Get Set. Anything east of Kelly Springs to Reservation Rd, including Walters Corners and the community of Pine Grove, remain at Level 2 – Get Set.
Temporary Flight Restrictions: For the safety of the firefighters and aircraft fighting the S-503 Fire, a temporary flight restriction has been placed over the fire area. Please consult the “Notice to Airman” for specifics. Wildfires are a “No Drone Zone.”