Weekly Situation Report – August 28, 2023

August 28, 2023

National:  Preparedness Level 4 (This level involves three or more geographic areas experiencing large, complex wildfires requiring IMTs. Geographic areas are competing for wildland fire suppression resources and about 60 percent of the country’s IMTs and wildland firefighting personnel are committed to wildland fire incidents.)

NW Geographic Area: Preparedness Level 5 (This is the highest level of wildland fire activity. Several geographic areas are experiencing large, complex wildland fire incidents, which have the potential to exhaust national wildland firefighting resources. At least 80 percent of the country’s IMTs and wildland firefighting personnel are committed to wildland fire incidents. At this level, all fire-qualified federal employees become available for wildfire response.)

Total to date # of fires Acres burned
38,831 1,962,963

Oregon:  Preparedness Level 5 (This is the highest level of wildland fire activity. Several geographic areas are experiencing large, complex wildland fire incidents, which have the potential to exhaust national wildland firefighting resources. At least 80 percent of the country’s IMTs and wildland firefighting personnel are committed to wildland fire incidents. At this level, all fire-qualified federal employees become available for wildfire response.)

Only ODF-protected lands (16 million acres)
  # of fires Acres burned
2023 year-to-date 785 6,779
10-year avg. year-to-date

(2013 – 2022)

 794 76,896

 

All lands in Oregon (Includes ODF-protected lands)
  # of fires Acres burned
2023 year-to-date 1,655 137,746

Current large fires in Oregon: Includes all lands
*These numbers may change as we receive more data from the individual fires*

Name Date Total Acres ODF Acres Containment Location Cause Notes
Tyee Ridge Complex August 24, 2023 2,002 2002 5% 10 miles W of Sutherlin Lightning ODF IMT 1,
OSFM Red Team
The complex is comprised of 19 fires in Douglas County that were caused by lightning. The Cougar Creek and Rattlesnake Ridge fires on the SW side of the Complex grew together and crossed Hubbard Creek Road. Two task forces worked to protect structures in this area and line was established around five spot fires. No structures have been destroyed. The four fires in the Lighthouse area merged into two and showed some uphill runs and spotting. One task force completed structure preparation on Lighthouse Road and moved to the Tyee Mountain Fire east of Fanchin Lane. The Tyee Mountain Fire became active in the late afternoon Sunday and helicopters assisted by dropping water. To the north, efforts continued to hold and improve line on the Big Tom Fire.

Challenges for firefighters include steep terrain, rolling material, snags, and limited road access. Dry fuels and topography are driving fire behavior.
Camp Creek August 25, 2023 1,226 0 0% 10 miles NE of Sandy Lightning CIMT GB Team 1
Warm and dry weather conditions on Saturday, August 26 led to moderately active fire behavior, and the fire grew mainly to the south and west. Bull Run Watershed is a dense temperate rainforest with lots of down and dead trees and deep forest duff. This abundance of material provided plenty of tinder dry and receptive fuel, causing the fire put up a large smoke column relative to its size. Warm and very dry weather conditions are continued Sunday and expected for the near future, with continued active fire behavior, increasing impact of smoke, and significant fire growth likely. ODF assisting in wildfire suppression efforts.

Public infrastructure threatened. Road and area closures.
Lookout August 5, 2023  21,135 0 16% 4 miles NE of McKenzie Bridge Lightning PNW 2,
OSFM
Blue Team
Firefighters continue efforts to suppress fire activity in the Horse Creek drainage. On the Lookout Fire east flank, crews are prepared to respond to potential spot fires over control lines as the main fire backs downhill toward Highway 126. On the southern flank above North Bank Road, firing operations have been successful. On the southwestern flank moving north up Mill Creek Road, firefighters are steadily increasing containment as strategic firing operations followed by mop-up progresses. Ahead of the northern flank, hand crews and engine crews, tree-fallers and heavy equipment are preparing roads to be used as control lines.

Structural protection firefighters are in place to protect homes affected by these fires. Evacuations are still in place and several evacuation centers are open.
Chilcoot August 24, 2023 150 0 0% 20 miles east of Glide Lightning IMT2 CA Team 12
Timber. Extreme fire behavior. Evacuation notices. No additional information received. 
Bedrock July 22, 2023 31,579 106 71% 27 miles SE of Eugene Human PNW 2
Firefighters, aircrews and helicopters, and heavy equipment from the Bedrock Fire will be heavily engaged with new fires in the area today, including the Horse Creek and Pothole incidents. Other personnel are being shifted to the more active Lookout Fire. At the same time, hundreds of personnel are still working to finalize containment on the Bedrock Fire. Pacific Northwest Team 2 (PNW2) is now managing all four fires.
Flat July 15, 2023 34,242 50 58% 2 miles SE of Agness Under Investigation SW Team 3
Resources continue to make significant progress with suppression efforts, including repairs to trails and roads along the north and northeast sides of the fire.

Weather Forecast:

A ridge over the Pacific NW and an upper trough centered offshore will start to shift east today. Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms with some action potentially continuing overnight into Tuesday morning as the upper low starts moving overhead. Tuesday’s activity becomes two-fold as the thunderstorm threat shifts east and becomes numerous over NE Oregon and all of eastern Washington. Meanwhile, gusty west winds develop near the Cascade crest tonight and then increase over east slopes and Columbia Basin Tuesday. Tuesday night the thunderstorm threat gradually eases into Wednesday morning. Another upper trough will drop over the Pacific NW later in the week for cooler temperatures and moist westerly flow. 

For more weather details in your area, refer to your local NWS office statements and Fire Weather Planning Forecasts.

Northwest Fire Potential Summary:

Fuel conditions will be at their driest today along the Cascade crest and eastward. Initial significant fire potential remains below high risk until the east side combination of new ignitions followed by gusty winds boosts potential late Monday night through Wednesday. This combination on Tuesday poses an elevated or high risk of new significant fires mainly in central Oregon and central Washington PSAs NW06, NW08 and NW10. Conditions moderate later Wednesday and through the weekend as cool westerly flow and additional rain will temporarily put a damper on significant fire potential.  

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