July 25, 2024
ODF incident management teams:
- Team 1 is in command of the Battle Mountain Complex – Zone 1 and Courtrock fire near Monument (ODF Central Oregon District). Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page.
- Team 3 is in command of the Battle Mountain Complex – Zone 2 near Ukiah (ODF Northeast Oregon District). Governor Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for this fire. Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page.
- North Carolina Forest Service Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) is in command of the Cottage Grove Complex (ODF South Cascade District). Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page. This team was ordered in by ODF through a state-to-state mutual aid agreement.
- Team 2 is currently on rotation.
ODF Priority Fires:
| FIRE NAME |
ACRES BURNED (est. acres) |
CONTAINMENT |
LOCATION |
COMMAND |
| Courtrock |
9,915 |
3% |
7 miles South of Monument |
ODF IMT 1 |
| Battle Mountain Complex |
73,988 |
5% |
West of Ukiah |
ODF IMT 3 |
| Cottage Grove – Lane 1 Fires |
4,620 |
Lane 1 at 10%
All others at 0% |
East of Cottage Grove |
NC CIMT |
| Lone Rock |
134,752 |
40% |
10 miles SE of Condon |
NW Team 2/OSFM Red Team |
| Durkee |
268,492 |
0% |
5 miles SW of Durkee |
NW Team 6/OSFM Green Team |
| Falls |
140,422 |
50% |
20 miles NW of Burns |
NW Team 8/OSFM Blue Team |
| Whisky Creek |
288 |
0% |
6 miles SE of Cascade Locks |
GB Team 6 |
| Microwave |
704 |
14% |
5 miles SW of Mosier |
GB Team 6 |
| Telephone |
9,000 |
0% |
16 miles N of Burns |
NW Team 8 |
| Pyramid |
615 |
0% |
15 miles S of Detroit |
CA IMT 5 |
| Slate |
50 |
0% |
S of the Detroit Resevoir |
CA IMT 5 |
| Crazy Creek |
10,000 |
0% |
16 miles E of Paulina |
ICT 3 |
There are approximately 6,774 personnel assigned to the 38 large fires across the state, not including many of the local and agency government employees, landowners, forestland operators, and members of the community who are contributing every day.
Overnight on the Battle Mountain Complex, the Boneyard Fire merged into the Monkey Creek Fire, and will now only be referred to as the Monkey Creek Fire. Fire officials split the Battle Mountain Complex into two zones, with ODF Team 1 managing the west portion of the complex and ODF Team 3 managing the east. Zones are used for effective management and resource allocation.
Agency Highlight: Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) are independent, non-profit, volunteer fire organizations that provide local fire protection in rural Oregon, usually in areas outside of local fire district
protection. There are 28 RFPAs that protect 17.5 million acres of rangeland and are an integral part of Oregon’s complete and coordinated system.
RFPAs are usually some of the first resources to respond and begin work on a fire while more resources are on their way. Recently, the Burnt River Rangeland Fire Protection Association was the first to respond the Thompson, Durkee and Huntington fires the week before, providing invaluable support for initial attack.
Four RFPAs in Harney County—Lone Pine, North Harney, Crane and Silver Creek— have all provided resources to the Falls, Telephone, Ritter and Cow Creek fires, but also helped evacuate cattle from threatened private and federal lands in the early stages of the fire. Lookout-Glasgow, Keating, and Vale RFPAs have also contributed greatly to firefighting operations in both Malheur and Baker counties.
ODF supports the associations through administrative guidance, insurance reimbursement, fire suppression training and facilitating access to federal grants and surplus firefighting equipment.
What to expect this week
Weather: Winds will decrease today over most areas east of the Cascades except for southeast Oregon. Temperatures and humidity will begin moderating as winds fall off further on Friday and over the weekend. Thunderstorms will move east of the area on Thursday through the weekend.
Prevention: Even the smallest of sparks could start the next wildfire. Now more than ever we need Oregonians to prevent human-caused fires and not bring fire hazards onto the landscape. By having fewer human-caused fires, our resources can focus on detecting, assessing and suppressing new fires and putting out the current large fires.
Please, know the fire danger level of the areas where you live, work and play, and follow all local restrictions on burning, equipment use, campfires and other activities that can start wildfires. Find danger levels and restrictions across the state here.
Resources
July 24, 2024
ODF incident management teams:
- Team 1 is in command of the Boneyard and Courtrock fires near Monument (ODF Central Oregon District). Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page.
- Team 3 is in command of the Battle Mountain Complex near Ukiah (ODF Northeast Oregon District). Governor Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for this fire. Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page.
- North Carolina Forest Service Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) is in command of the Cottage Grove Complex (ODF South Cascade District). Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page. This team was ordered in by ODF through a state-to-state mutual aid agreement.
- Team 2 is currently on rotation.
ODF Priority Fires:
| FIRE NAME |
ACRES BURNED (est. acres) |
CONTAINMENT |
LOCATION |
COMMAND |
| Battle Mountain Complex |
60,623 |
5% |
West of Ukiah |
ODF IMT 3 |
| Boneyard |
49,716 |
3% |
10 miles NW of Monument |
ODF IMT 1 |
| Courtrock |
4,537 |
3% |
7 miles South of Monument |
ODF IMT 1 |
| Cottage Grove Complex |
4,005 |
0% |
East of Cottage Grove |
NC CIMT |
| Cougar Creek (WA) |
12,429 |
23% |
35 miles SE of Dayton, WA |
NW Team 13 |
| Durkee |
244,858 |
0% |
5 miles SW of Durkee |
NW Team 6/OSFM Green Team |
| Lone Rock |
131,407 |
40% |
10 miles SE of Condon |
NW Team 2/OSFM Red Team |
| Whisky Creek |
130 |
0% |
6 miles SE of Cascade Locks |
GB Team 6 |
| Microwave |
150 |
0% |
5 miles SW of Mosier |
GB Team 6 |
| Falls |
139,507 |
40% |
20 miles NW of Burns |
NW Team 8/OSFM Blue Team |
| Telephone |
4,500 |
0% |
16 miles N of Burns |
NW Team 8 |
There are approximately 6,781 personnel assigned to the 34 large fires across the state, not including many of the local and agency government employees, landowners, forestland operators, and members of the community who are contributing every day.
Over 200 resources from 18 states have come to fight alongside Oregonians through ODF’s state-to-state mutual aid agreements and the NW Compact with more on the way.
District Highlight: Earlier this week, firefighters in the Klamath-Lake District responded to the Poe Fire alongside local fire districts. Due to the conditions, the fire was extremely active from the beginning and had the potential to move and grow quickly.
The homeowner’s work in creating defensible space not only saved their home but provided a safe access point for resources to get ahead of and catch the fire. The forward progression of the fire was stopped at four acres, and it has been fully contained since.
What to expect this week
Weather: Today is the peak day of concern as an approaching will produce abundant lightning from south central Oregon to far northeast Washington extending south to the Oregon border. Outflow wind gusts have potential of reaching 50-70 mph. A wetting rain is possible, but unlikely for most storms. Additionally, a mainly dry cold front will increase general winds east of the Cascade crest at all elevations and not just the Cascade gaps. Very gusty winds continue through Thursday for all central and eastern PSAs. Thursday also begins a cooler, but still lower humidity, trend lasting into early next week. Low (15% or less) chances of thunderstorms return Saturday through Tuesday.
Prevention: There are red flag warnings in effect across Central and Eastern Oregon for the next couple of days. This means that the area is in critical fire condition. Even the smallest of sparks could start the next wildfire. Now more than ever we need Oregonians to prevent human-caused fires and not bring fire hazards onto the landscape. By having less human-caused fires, our resources can focus on detecting, assessing and suppressing new fires and putting out the current large fires.
Please, know the fire danger level of the areas where you live, work and play, and follow all local restrictions on burning, equipment use, campfires and other activities that can start wildfires. Find danger levels and restrictions across the state here.
Resources
July 22, 2024
Last week’s highlights
ODF incident management teams:
- Team 1 is in command of the Boneyard Fire near Monument (ODF Central Oregon District). Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page.
- Team 3 is in command of the Battle Mountain Complex near Ukiah (ODF Northeast Oregon District). The Oregon State Fire Marshal has ordered a conflagration. Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page.
- Team 2 is currently on mandatory rest after demobilizing from the Larch Creek fire.
ODF Priority Fires:
- Battle Mountain Complex near Ukiah (estimated 42,474 ac. Combined)
- Includes the Snake (13,557 ac.), NF Owens (3,887 ac.), and Monkey Creek Fire (25,030 ac.)
- Cottage Grove Complex in the South Cascade District (emerging incident, acreage undetermined)
- Boneyard Fire near Monument (14,602 ac.)
- Lone Rock Fire near Condon (116,563 ac)
- Durkee Fire near Durkee (173,758 ac.)
- Whiskey Creek Fire in the Central Oregon District (165 ac.)
- Falls Fire near Burns (120,919 ac.)
- Cougar Creek in Washington near the Northeast Oregon border (8,271 ac.)
After two significant lightning events that started Wednesday (July 17, 2024) evening of last week and ended Sunday, July 21, 2024, the state saw multiple new fire starts primarily across Southern, Central and Eastern Oregon. Due to conditions, especially in Central and Eastern Oregon, a good number of these ignitions experienced high fire activity from the beginning and grew exponentially within a 12–24 hour period.
Over the last week, there have been 2190 lightning strikes across the state, with 632 lightning strikes within the last 24 hours. A weather alert for dry lightning remains in effect through Tuesday, July 23.
However, even in all the chaos, there are successes within the Oregon Department of Forestry.
- ODF IMT 2 demobilized from the Larch Creek Fire near Dufur and transferred command to a local IMT 3, leaving the fire in a good place for the new team to finish it off. The Larch Creek Fire shows how state and local organizations can succeed when they work together to protect communities and natural resources.
- In just five hours from midnight to 5 a.m. yesterday (Sunday) ODF’s Western Lane District received 56 lightning strikes. Anticipating the storm, ODF had staff out early searching for strikes. Along with landowner partners, district firefighters were able to limit the number of fires to six, the largest being four acres. All six fires are now in the mop up phase.
- In the Southwest Oregon District, Firefighters worked overnight Wednesday, July 17, on numerous small fires along the lower Rogue River in Josephine County, making good progress on most incidents and extinguishing others completely. Following the first round of thunderstorms, 10 fires were reported on the steep terrain northwest of Rand and Galice. Resources from ODF, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest immediately responded. As a result, all fires were caught or held at an acre or less.
After the second round of thunderstorms over the weekend, firefighters worked all day on four new lightning-caused fires across the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District, and as of 6 p.m. Sunday, all fires are 100% lined and in various stages of mop up.
What to expect this week
Weather: Low pressure centered off the British Columbia. coast will start nudging across the Pacific NW today. Afternoon/evening thunderstorms will be focused more over eastern Oregon plus eastern Washington near the Canadian border. A deepening marine layer will start spilling over the Cascade east slopes and gaps today potentially bringing very gusty wind to new and existing fires. Conditions somewhat ease Tuesday, but general winds ramp up Wednesday on the eastside. Instability and thunderstorms become pushed south and east as the upper low moves from British Columbia. into Alberta. Some thunderstorms may clip far southeast Oregon Thursday, but the overall trend will be for temperatures and humidity returning closer to normal.
Prevention: With resources strained and limited, NOW more than ever we need Oregonians to prevent human-caused fires and not bring fire hazards onto the landscape. By having less human-caused fires, our resources can focus on detecting, assessing and suppressing new lightning-caused fires that will be popping up in the next several days.
Please, know the fire danger level of the areas where you live, work and play, and follow all local restrictions on burning, equipment use, campfires and other activities that can start wildfires. Find danger levels and restrictions across the state here.
Resources
July 16, 2024
Last week’s highlights
ODF incident management teams:
- Team 1 is in command of the Salt Creek Fire near Eagle Point (ODF Southwest Oregon District). Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page. Command is anticipated to transfer over to a Type 3 team on Wednesday, July 17.
- Team 2 is in command of the Larch Creek Fire near Dufur (ODF Central Oregon District). The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Green Team demobilized July 16. Updates available on the incident’s Facebook page.
- Team 3 is currently on rotation and available for dispatch.
The agency is working with the U.S. Forest Service on the Falls Fire near Riley (CIMT NW Team 8 in command), which has grown to be 55,000 acres with approximately 5,575 acres of those acres being on ODF-protected land. The agency is also in cooperation with our partners on the Lone Rock Fire, which is currently around 65,000 acres with approximately 15,000 of those acres on ODF-protected land.
This past Friday, July 12, 2024, Governor Kotek declared an extended state of emergency due to imminent threat of wildfire until October 1, 2024. Through this declaration, the agency has the ability to call upon more resources, like the National Guard, to assist in wildfire suppression efforts in Oregon.
ODF has received more than 58 resources from New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, Colorado, and Florida to assist in the Salt Creek and Larch Creek fires. The agency will receive 13 more firefighters from Florida in the coming days to assist the agency’s Incident Management Team 3 and other severity efforts.
A total of 71 resources are coming to Oregon through state-to-state mutual aid agreements and the Northwest Compact. The compact was created to facilitate assistance in wildland fire pre-suppression and suppression efforts between member agencies, which include Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
What to expect this week
Weather: High pressure drifts back westward today while a compact upper trough develops off the northern California coast. Isolated dry thunderstorms possible along the Oregon/California border this afternoon. Locally gusty winds continue along portions of the Cascade east slopes and gaps. Ongoing fires across eastern Oregon continue to have moderately strong mixing and ventilation potential. Significant ignition concerns return Tuesday through Wednesday as the weak trough moves northward across the Geographic Area. This recognized pattern brings potential for active elevated thunderstorms and notable lightning. Location details will evolve with time. Gusty winds look to return east of the Cascades each afternoon on Wednesday and Thursday.
Prevention: The majority of the fires we’ve seen so far this fire season are due to—likely unintentionally—someone’s actions. Please, know the fire danger level of the areas where you live, work and play, and follow all local restrictions on burning, equipment use, campfires and other activities that can start wildfires. Find danger levels and restrictions across the state here.
Resources
