Source: Southern Cascades Incident Management Team.
ATTENTION RECREATIONAL USERS: Portions of the Mt. Washington Wilderness and National Forest lands managed by the USFS McKenzie River Ranger District remain closed in order to facilitate fire operations. Hwy 242 is open to through traffic from Hwy 126 to Sisters. Forest roads and trailheads north and east of the highway are closed to the public.
Closures: An emergency closure is in place for the Scott Mountain Fire area. The closure area map is available online at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/map/2082/14/
“We regret the inconvenience to hunters, hikers and campers. Recent rains have reduced fire activity allowing firefighters to continue working on contingency lines. Heavy machinery is also active on many of the roads within the closure area making needed improvements for when the roads reopen,” said John Poet, Incident Commander. “The closure will be evaluated as conditions change. In the meantime, we want to encourage visitors to explore other areas of the District.”
The Scott Mountain Fire is being managed using direct and indirect suppression strategies. This reduces risk exposure to firefighters, and allows for the protection of valuable resources in the area.
Weather and Fire Behavior: Temperatures are predicted to warm-up beginning Friday with highs in the 60’s. A west to northwest wind is expected over the weekend. The fire has large dry logs which continue to burn and have the potential to ignite surrounding fuels despite the recent precipitation.
Planned Actions: Crews are nearly finished mopping-up the western edge of the fire perimeter where the fire pushed outside of the wilderness boundary. Heavy machinery continues to clear road debris and reinforce containment lines to the north and south. Large logs are being left for firewood and fish habitat restoration projects. Road graders are working on the main travel routes in the closure area.
Scott Mountain Fire Information/ Phone: 541-822-9920