LAKEVIEW, Ore. – Fire crews worked overnight to strengthen lines on the west and south sides of the Patton Meadow Fire. The expected wind shift out of the northeast did occur overnight with established containment lines holding.
Today, crews will continue the work on the west and south sides of the fire to build containment. Small burnout operations are expected on the south end of the fire to eliminate fuels between containment lines and the fire’s interior. The north end of the fire is in steep and rocky terrain, making direct attack difficult. Contingency lines are being built further north in preparation for fire growth, while crews are working to identify areas where a more direct line can be constructed.
The Willow Valley Fire, 16 miles south of Bonanza is still holding with no growth. Crews will continue constructing and strengthening containment lines today.
OSFM structural Task Forces will be preparing for the change in weather today. The wind is shifting to be out of the West with gusts of 10-20 mph, which could push the fire towards the East. With this change in weather, the structural Task Forces will begin patrolling areas that have been assessed and prepped for defensible space. The crews have completed a significant amount of work in the Level 3 evacuation zones and the work continues with the addition of more structural crews. Since there is a potential for fire behavior change on the ground, our primary focus is to save all homes.
The overnight infrared flight showed more accurate acreage for the fires. The updated acres for the fires are; Patton Meadow with 5,406 acres with 15% containment, and Willow Valley is 824 acres with 35% containment.
CANYONVILLE, Ore.— The Poole Creek Fire has a completed control line around it, crews will continue with mop-up today. Mopping up is very detailed, digging out burning roots and using water to remove all remaining heat. Containment has climbed to 34%.
At this stage in the fire residents and visitors can expect to see a red glow at night, especially within the interior of the fire. Smoke and occasional flare ups may still be visible. Firefighters and engines will continue to patrol the fire 24/7 until it is no longer required.
Although mopping up is now the main focus, crews have a number of other tasks to complete. They will also be locating, identifying and mitigating hazard trees. Also referred to as snags, these pose a serious hazard to firefighters. Snags are standing dead trees that are prone to unexpectedly falling. Crews will also be installing waterbars, which are important to help prevent erosion from seasonal rains. Waterbars divert rain to control erosion of hand lines and dozer lines created during fire suppression.
Fire teams from both the Skyline Ridge and Devil’s Knob complexes held a joint in-person community meeting last night in Tiller. The event will be posted on the Douglas Fire Protection Association’s YouTube channel and the Skyline Ridge Complex FaceBook Page. DFPA’s YouTube channels link is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvJkxAHuIcLmc1wmejkI4eg.
CANYONVILLE, Ore.— Yesterday, fire crews completed control lines all around the perimeter of the Poole Creek Fire. Last night, crews secured the control lines by burning a buffer of black against the advancing natural fire. Firefighters reported no hot spots or fires beyond the control lines resulting from the strategic firing operations.
Today, firefighters will work to keep the fire within the control lines and deepen mop up toward the fire’s interior. Holding crews will be stationed along the fire control lines to put out any fires beyond the lines. Other crews will be mopping up—mop up is a methodical process of putting the fire completely out. All 19 fires in the Complex are now fully lined and 16 are 100% contained.
Incident Commander Joe Hessel said, “This is quite an accomplishment in just two weeks’ time. Now, we shift from chasing and catching these fires to mopping up so they will be fully secured for the local fire district when we leave.”
With the success of control efforts on the Poole Creek Fire, structural firefighters with the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal are expected to return to their home units on Sunday.
Fire teams managing the Skyline Ridge and Devil’s Knob complexes will host a joint in-person community meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Tiller Fire Station. The event will be an opportunity for community members to hear the most recent status on both complexes. The meeting will be outdoors with social distancing protocols in place.
LAKEVIEW, Ore. – The Fox Complex, which includes the Patton Meadow and Willow Valley fires, is now under the unified command of Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team 3 and Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Blue Team.
The arrival of the two teams brings in additional overhead capacity and firefighting resources. The teams are setting up their incident command post at the Lake County Fairgrounds and working on arrangements for a forward operating base for crews and amenities to support them.
The Patton Meadow Fire is burning on the Fremont-Winema National Forest and private lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry about 10 miles west of Lakeview. Fire behavior picked up overnight as winds out of the north pushed the fire over and to the south of Highway 140 and west of the 383 road. Night crews and dozers were able to corral the fire in both areas and will continue to strengthen those lines throughout today. Current mapping shows the fire at about 4,100 acres.
OSFM’s Blue Team is supporting the effort by providing structure protection around homes along Hwy 140 with 7 structural taskforces and 2 more taskforces arriving today. The crews will assess homes, create defensible space around the homes when feasible, and assist wildland firefighting crews in creating containment lines that will help protect structures.
The Willow Valley Fire, about 16 miles south of Bonanza, is estimated at about 770 acres. The fire is burning mostly on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District lands north of the Stateline, as well as part of the Modoc National Forest to the south. ODF protected lands are threatened. No structures are threatened on the Willow Valley Fire.
With the teams still getting established, resources are on order and beginning to trickle in. Four large, type 1 helicopters are also expected to arrive this afternoon.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office is managing evacuation levels. Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation notifications are in place within and around the fire area. Stay up to date on evacuation levels by visiting https://www.facebook.com/Lake-County-Oregon-104435824529906.
TILLAMOOK, Ore.- The Cedar Butte Fire 18 miles east of Tillamook is now 74 acres, but crews have fully lined the fire and are focusing on containment and mop up. All aviation resources have been released from the fire. Smoke may continue to be visible as slash piles continue to burn within the fire perimeter. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Barring any major changes in conditions, this will be the last update for the Cedar Butte Fire.
This firefighting effort would not have been possible without the coordination and support from many members of the Tillamook community. Oregon Department of Forestry would like to thank the Tillamook Airport, Tillamook School District #9, Tillamook High School, the Tillamook YMCA, and the local vendors, restaurants, and stores that helped feed over 100 firefighters for the last four days, three meals a day totaling over 1,200 meals.
As mop up operations continue, the public should avoid Cedar Butte Road, and should not travel beyond Cedar Butte junction with Muesial Creek Road.
Kyle Smith, Public Information Officer
Email: kyle.m.smith@oregon.gov
Phone: 971-375-5887
CANYONVILLE, Ore.— Firefighters on the Poole Creek Fire plan to continue firing operations tonight as they push to corral the fire. Last night’s firing operations started down the lines constructed along the ridges south of the South Umpqua River. Today, firefighters were able to hold these lines and started mopping up the edges of the newly burned areas.
Tonight, as conditions allow, firing operations are expected to resume down the slopes toward the South Umpqua River. Ignitions will progress down the northeast line first, to prevent the western side from “smoking out” the eastern side. After the burn out has moved down the northeastern line, firing will start on the western flank of the fire.
Firefighters will also ignite fuels toward the center of the unburned area on Poole Creek Fire. Developing heat in the interior of the burn area will help draw air inward, making the fire less likely to push outward, past the control lines. This is similar to a fire in a fireplace drawing air into the fire, sending smoke up the chimney instead of into a room. The combination of firing down the ridges and using natural fire and some ignitions in the interior is anticipated to safely bring the fire down the slope, closer to where the lines connect just south of Ferguson Lane.
On the eastern edge of Poole Creek Fire near Stouts Creek, firefighters burned several pockets of unburned fuels today. This makes this section of the fire less likely to flare up and cross the lines. Firefighters also made good progress on mopping up hot areas near Stouts Creek.
Fire personnel continue to patrol the other fires in the Skyline Ridge Complex. On most fires, very little heat is being found near the control lines.
Structural firefighters with the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal remain ready to protect structures near the northern control line for the Poole Creek Fire.
A community meeting will be held jointly with PNW Team 8 from the Devil’s Knob Complex at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 14. The meeting will be outdoors at the Tiller Fire Station with social distancing protocols in place.
TILLAMOOK, Ore.- The Cedar Butte Fire 18 miles east of Tillamook remains at 60 acres. Ground crews made excellent progress today, working through hot, dry conditions to extend lines around almost the entirety of the fire’s perimeter. A type II helicopter is on standby to assist with firefighting effort this evening to help combat any hot spots arising due to the extreme conditions on the ground. Containment remains at 10%. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Crews are now focused on laying water hose around the fire’s perimeter. Additional ground resources will be joining the effort moving into the weekend to assist with containment and mop-up. Aerial resources will be released back their bases at the close of today’s shift to be available for other fires.
The public should continue to avoid Cedar Butte Road, and should not travel beyond Cedar Butte junction with Muesial Creek Road.
CANYONVILLE, Ore.— Firefighters conducted successful burn-out operations last night to strengthen control lines on the Poole Creek Fire. An evening burn out on the fire’s eastern fringe stabilized the Stouts Creek Road fire line. There were also burn operations on the southeast corner of the fire to improve control lines there.
Operations Section Chief Mike Carlson said the strategy firefighters have been following this week is working. “Hard work is paying off. We’re getting closer to pinching this fire off.”
Overall containment on the Complex has risen to 28 percent. Poole Creek Fire grew by 696 acres, most of which was from natural fire growth. It now stands at 4,361 acres and accounts for 90% of acreage in the Complex. The number of personnel has reached 1,257.
Firefighters today will be cooling heat in burned areas and working to extinguish any fire starts beyond established control lines.
Thick smoke yesterday again grounded most air operations. Smoke is expected to lift a bit later in the day, which could make for more active fire behavior. Wind gusts along ridgetops will be 15-20 miles per hour.
Structural firefighters with the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal remain ready near the northern control line for the Poole Creek Fire.
A community meeting will be held jointly with PNW Team 8 at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14. The meeting will be outdoors at the Tiller Fire Station with social distancing protocols in place.
This is the final update that will be posted on this page.
Bootleg Fire
Location: 28 miles northeast of Klamath Falls, OR
Size: 413,717 acres (646 square miles)
Containment: 98%
Personnel: 376
Walrus Fire
Location: 10.5 miles N of Bonanza
Size: 75 acres
Containment: 90%
Yainax Fire
Location: 10 miles NE of Bonanza
Size: 84 acres
Containment: 70%
(Klamath Falls, OR) – A Type 3 incident management organization will assume command of Bootleg Fire from the Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 2 on Saturday, August 14 at 6:00 a.m. In total, eight Incident Management Teams were assigned to manage the Bootleg Fire since it began on July 6.
On Thursday afternoon, firefighters and helicopters from the Bootleg Fire provided assistance with two new fires in the area. The Patton Meadow is approximately 2,000 acres on the Fremont-Winema-Forest west of Lakeview and the Willow Valley fire is on the Bureau of Land Management’s Lakeview District south of Bonanza at approximately 220 acres. Both the Patton Meadow and Willow Valley fires have numerous air and ground wildland firefighting resources engaging, with more firefighting resources ordered. For more information about the Patton Meadow Fire, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7798/.
As the Type 3 incident management organization continues to manage the Bootleg Fire, five fire engines and additional personnel will remain to patrol the fire area and assist with any new fires in the area. The Oregon Department of Forestry will assume management of the Yainax and Walrus Fires effective Saturday, August 14 at 6:00 a.m.
“It has been an honor to work with the local, regional, and national cooperators on this incident,” said Incident Commander Rob Allen. “We are grateful for the support we’ve received from the local community. Every bit of it helped our firefighters contain this large fire under challenging circumstances.”
To continue getting updates regarding the Bootleg Fire, please visit the Bootleg Fire InciWeb, Facebook, and Twitter pages. For public and media inquiries, please call 541-891-6758 beginning on Saturday, August 14.
Closures: An emergency closure order is in effect for the Bootleg Fire on the Fremont-Winema National Forest to protect public and firefighter safety. All travel or entry into the area is prohibited. The full closure order and map are available on the website under Alerts and Closures at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/fremont-winema/alerts-notices.
Red Cross Disaster Relief: For information or assistance: 1-800-Red-Cross (www.redcrossblog.org/disaster).
Insurance Assistance: For additional information on submitting insurance claims after losing your home or property to a wildfire, please visit https://dfr.oregon.gov/insure/home/storm/Pages/wildfires.aspx or call the state’s team of consumer advocates at 888-877-4894 (toll-free).
TILLAMOOK, Ore.- The Cedar Butte Fire 18 miles east of Tillamook off Highway 6 near Cedar Butte Road remains at 60 acres. Favorable conditions over night allowed ground crews to make good progress lining the fire and laying hose to aid in containment. Containment is estimated at 10%. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Today’s forecast calls for a return to high temperatures, low relative humidity, and a red flag warning that will continue to challenge firefighting efforts. Two type II helicopters will return this morning to provide aerial support, and the two type II single engine air tankers that were on the fire yesterday have been released back to their base as they are not needed at this time. Ground crews will continue to strengthen fire lines and plumb lines with hose lays in order to prevent the fire from spreading into adjacent timber.
The public should avoid Cedar Butte Road, and traveling beyond Cedar Butte junction with Muesial Creek Road.
ODF would like to thank the Washington County Parks Department for their assistance in securing Hagg Lake for aerial operations, the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office for maintaining access for fire personnel at the Cedar Butte Road Bridge, and the Port of Tillamook Bay for accommodating firefighting aircraft.
CANYONVILLE, Ore.— Firefighters on the Poole Creek Fire are planning to continue strategic firing operations tonight to strengthen fire lines. The lines were used to confine spot fires that burned earlier in the week. Now that firefighters have stopped the spread of the spot fires, the aim is to safely burn in a controlled manner south of the main northeastern control line, which ties into Stouts Creek Road. Local residents can expect smoke columns and glow from the back burns this evening.
Firefighters on the southwest side of the Poole Creek Fire have successfully mopped up and contained that portion of the fire. The success of that and other control efforts, along with a slight cooling trend and little wind, have fire managers feeling guardedly optimistic about containing the Poole Creek Fire in coming days.
The 200-acre O’Shea Fire just east of Canyonville has been mopped up 100 feet into the interior of the fire. For several days there has been no growth on it or any other fires in the Complex besides Poole Creek.
The area south of the South Umpqua River along Tiller Trail Highway remains in a Level 1 Be Prepared evacuation status. This includes all addresses on Moore Ranch Road and Ferguson Lane. Structural firefighters with the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal have completed their assessment of homes north of the Poole Creek Fire. Two task forces of engines and water tenders are standing by to protect those structures if needed. For the latest evacuation information go to www.dcso.com/evacuations
TILLAMOOK, Ore.- The Cedar Butte Fire continues to burn approximately 18 miles east of Tillamook off Highway 6 near Cedar Butte Road. The fire has grown from 50 to approximately 60 acres; however, the moderate growth is largely within the unit as crews focus efforts on protecting values at risk by keeping the fire within the existing unit and preventing spread into nearby timber. The fire is burning largely in slash in a recent harvest unit on State Forest land and does not pose a threat to any structures.
Crews are making good progress lining the fire given today’s hot and dry conditions. Ground crews have continued cutting fire lines, while two Type II helicopters drawing water from the Wilson River and two Fireboss Single Engine Air Tankers drawing water from Hagg Lake provided aerial support to control hot spots. Increasing afternoon winds complicated fire behavior, and caused crews to focus firefighting efforts on the northeast corner of the fire. At this time, the fire is estimated at 10% containment. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The public is advised to avoid Cedar Butte Road, and traveling beyond Cedar Butte junction with Muesial Creek Road.
ODF would like to thank the Washington County Parks Department for their assistance in securing Hagg Lake for aerial operations, the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office for maintaining access for fire personnel at the Cedar Butte Road Bridge, and the Port of Tillamook Bay for accommodating firefighting aircraft.
CANYONVILLE, Ore.—A new control line has been built from the east ridge flanking the Poole Creek Fire, tying it to Stouts Creek Road. The new line corrals a large spot fire that firefighters battled earlier in the week. It connects to the main northern control line. The goal is to keep the fire boxed in between the two main ridges, with active suppression of any new fire starts beyond control lines. Crews mopped up after last night’s planned burn-out operations. They also mopped up a quarter-acre spot fire on the fire’s east flank.
Overall containment on the Complex remains at 23 percent. Acreage increases on the Complex come from growth on the Poole Creek Fire, now at 3,640 acres. The number of personnel has reached 1,280.
Thick smoke yesterday grounded most air operations, but moderated temperatures and fire behavior. Smoke will linger today. There is a Red Flag Warning for hot, dry and unstable conditions but winds will be light.
Structural firefighters with the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal
completed an initial assessment of properties along Ferguson Lane near the northern control line for Poole Creek. They will be present as a precaution while the fire backs down two drainages toward an established fire line on the fire’s north side.
Three reportable injuries on the fire occurred yesterday when a night shift crew returning from the line drove off Tiller Trail Highway. The firefighters suffered minor injuries.
TILLAMOOK, Ore.- The Cedar Butte Fire burning west of Highway 6 up Cedar Butte Road is currently estimated at 50 acres. The fire is burning entirely on Tillamook State Forest ground in a unit that completed timber harvest last month.
Favorable conditions last night allowed for crews to make progress reinforcing fire lines. This morning, two Type II helicopters and two Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) will be working to control the fire from the air and over 100 personnel are on the ground working to reinforce containment lines and prevent the fire from spreading into adjacent timber. Investigators are on sight and the cause is under investigation at this time.
Weather forecast today calls for partly cloudy skies with haze and areas of smoke. Highs are forecast to hit triple digits with light westerly winds 2-5mph.
The public is advised to avoid Cedar Butte Road, including the Cedar Butte Road Bridge over the Wilson River which is a popular local swimming and diving destination.
ODF would like to thank the Washington County Parks Department for their assistance in securing Hagg Lake for aerial operations, the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office for maintaining access for fire personnel at the Cedar Butte Road Bridge, and the Port of Tillamook Bay for accommodating firefighting aircraft.
Bootleg Fire
Location: 28 miles northeast of Klamath Falls, OR
Size: 413,717 acres (646 square miles)
Containment: 98%
Personnel: 413
Walrus Fire
Location: 10.5 miles N of Bonanza
Size: 75 acres
Containment: 91%
Yainax Fire
Location: 10 miles NE of Bonanza
Size: 84 acres
Containment: 70%
(Klamath Falls, OR) – Firefighters continue to monitor and patrol the perimeter of the Bootleg Fire while demobilizing equipment to make it available for other wildfires in the region. With continued progress made, the Walrus Fire was put into patrol status today and incident managers anticipate the Yainax Fire will be put into patrol status tomorrow.
The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team continues their assessment of the impacts caused by the Bootleg Fire suppression activities. It is anticipated that the BAER assessments will be completed by late August 2021 with the stabilization plan implemented by the Fremont-Winema National Forest shortly after.
With the continued hot, dry weather in the coming days, vegetation on the interior of the fire perimeter may continue to burn and put up smoke. Smoke or fire seen within the containment line does not need to be reported to authorities. For any new fire starts outside of containment lines, local firefighting resources will provide initial attack with support from the Bootleg Fire personnel.
Closures: An emergency closure order is in effect for the Bootleg Fire on the Fremont-Winema National Forest to protect public and firefighter safety. All travel or entry into the area is prohibited. The full closure order and map are available on the website under Alerts and Closures at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/fremont-winema/alerts-notices.
Red Cross Disaster Relief: For information or assistance: 1-800-Red-Cross (www.redcrossblog.org/disaster).
Insurance Assistance: For additional information on submitting insurance claims after losing your home or property to a wildfire, please visit https://dfr.oregon.gov/insure/home/storm/Pages/wildfires.aspx or call the state’s team of consumer advocates at 888-877-4894 (toll-free).
CANYONVILLE, Ore.— Crews patrolling several of the smaller fires in the western part of the complex report that although the fires continue to hold heat, they remained inside the fire lines throughout the day. Most of the fires around the complex are in mop-up and patrol status. Fire hose is being left in place as a precaution.
Last night, crews on the northwest end of the Poole Creek Fire completed operations to bring the active edge of the fire against an area of burnt fuel. Crews in that area today were able to focus on patrol and mop-up. Burn operations have also been underway along the eastern flanks to stop the fire’s spread. With fire behavior expected to increase between 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and reports from day shift of fire near the lines in some locations, night crews will evaluate the situation on the ground and respond accordingly.
The Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal has sent structural firefighters and equipment to protect residences and other buildings near the Poole Creek Fire. Crews are evaluating structures along Ferguson Lane and Moore Ranch Road. If needed, they will improve defensible space around homes and outbuildings.
The fire area remains under a Red Flag Warning through 11:00 p.m. for dry and unstable conditions. Elevations of 3,000 feet and lower are likely to remain smoked in, and areas over 3,000 feet can expect clearer air and increased fire activity. Evening gusts will reach up to 15 mph and begin to taper after 11 p.m. Later in the week, after Saturday, cooler than average temperatures are expected to aid firefighting efforts.
A Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuation advisory is in effect for residences in the area north of the Poole Creek Fire. For the latest evacuation information go to www.dcso.com/evacuations.
Driving to and from the fire line is one of the most dangerous activities for firefighters. This morning an accident involving a crew on the Skyline Ridge Complex occurred. Incident personnel provided immediate assistance on-scene, and a member of ODF’s Incident Management Team 1 accompanied the injured parties to the hospital. Details of the accident are provided in the following press release.
CANYONVILLE, Ore.—Firefighters are engaged on two fronts on Poole Creek. First, actively suppressing fire growth on the southeast flank of the fire and anywhere hot spots are found beyond control lines. Second, conducting strategic burn outs to strengthen fire lines.
Overall containment on the Complex stands at 23 percent. The recent increase in fire size is all from Poole Creek, which has burned over 3,000 acres. This is the natural progression of the fire as it moves north down two canyons. Active burning with runs up to the ridgetops has challenged firefighters to catch and corral large hot spots.
Last night, firefighters conducted three successful burn outs to secure ridgetop control lines. Today, they’ll keep working to contain fires they located earlier on a flank of the east ridge.
The Poole Creek Fire was very active in the early evening hours yesterday, with some significant uphill runs. Hot, dry and unstable conditions could bring more active fire behavior today. Tonight, area residents can expect to see smoke from the fire’s growth and planned burn outs. They should also be aware of fire vehicles on roads near the fire. In the skies, helicopters will be busy dropping water on hot spots and fire retardant to help reinforce fire lines.
Incident Commander Joe Hessel said firefighters are focused in two places — suppressing fire growth around the fire and ensuring strong control lines to keep it between the two ridges. “There’s a lot of hard work still to be done but we’re staying in the fight and making progress.”
Bootleg Fire
Location: 28 miles northeast of Klamath Falls, OR
Containment: 98%
Personnel: 588
Size: 413,765 acres (647 square miles)
Walrus Fire
Location: 10.5 miles N of Bonanza
Size: 75 acres
Containment: 90%
Yainax Fire
Location: 10 miles NE of Bonanza
Size: 84 acres
Containment: 70%
Klamath Falls, Ore. – Yesterday all divisions on the Bootleg Fire were in patrol and monitor status. Firefighters continue to disassemble pumps and hoses and backhaul suppression equipment and supplies to get them back to warehouses to be cleaned and repacked and ready to deploy on other fires where they are needed.
Firefighters continue mopping up the Walrus and Yainax Fires and expect to finish up today and pull equipment and put both fires in patrol status.
As the major suppression operations wrap up on all three fires, incident personnel are working hard to identify resources and equipment that can be released back into the system so they can be sent to other fires that have critical needs for resources all across the West. Everything from strike team leaders, to water tenders, to mobile kitchens, to porta-poddies are being released as the Forward Operating Bases and Spike Camps are being scaled down to suit the smaller organization that will continue to patrol the fires and perform suppression repair work over the next few months.
The Burned Area Emergency Response (Bear) Team members will continue their assessments of the Bootleg Fire and will closely assess the watersheds for post-fire rain related impacts such as increased flooding, debris flow potential, and increased soil erosion.
The current weather pattern is causing thick smoke from fires in Northern California to settle in over the region. These conditions are expected to continue for the next couple of days but should begin to clear out on Friday.
Closures: An emergency closure order is in effect for the Bootleg Fire on the Fremont-Winema National Forest to protect public and firefighter safety. All travel or entry into the area is prohibited. The full closure order and map are available on the website under Alerts and Closures at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/fremont-winema/alerts-notices
Insurance Assistance: For additional information on submitting insurance claims after losing your home or property to a wildfire, please visit https://dfr.oregon.gov/insure/home/storm/Pages/wildfires.aspx or call the state’s team of consumer advocates at 888-877-4894 (toll-free).
CANYONVILLE, Ore.— The Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal has sent structural firefighters and equipment to protect residences and other buildings near the Poole Creek Fire if needed. The 27 firefighters from Polk and Yamhill counties arrived this evening with eight fire engines, two water tenders and two command vehicles. Tomorrow they’ll begin assessing structures along Ferguson Lane and Moore Ranch Road. If needed, they will improve defensible space around homes and outbuildings.
The Poole Creek Fire remains firefighters’ top priority. Crews are working to complete and strengthen control lines on the fire’s east and west flanks. A mobile retardant base placed on the south bank of the South Umpqua River is making it more convenient for helicopters to drop retardant along control lines to cool hot spots. Helicopters are also dropping retardant on unburned vegetation to reduce the risk of any fires crossing the control lines.
On the south and southwest side of the Poole Creek Fire, firefighters have mopped up about 200 feet from the perimeter of the fire. This part of the fire is unlikely to spread beyond those well-established control lines. Overall containment stands at 23% on fires in the Complex.
ODF’s Partenavia aircraft, which is equipped with night-vision and infrared heat cameras, will fly over the Poole Creek Fire tonight looking for heat. This helps firefighters identify and extinguish any remaining heat and find new spot fires beyond control lines. New spots can be difficult to find beneath heavy vegetation on steep slopes.
Wednesday will see higher temperatures into the upper 90s and lower humidity over the fire, with a Red Flag Warning for dry and unstable air.
A Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuation advisory is in effect for residences in the area north of the Poole Creek Fire. For the latest evacuation information go to www.dcso.com/evacuations
CANYONVILLE, Ore. – With an excessive heat warning starting today and expected to last through Saturday, the Poole Creek Fire is expected to become more active. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning due to unstable conditions and excessive heat.
Yesterday evening the Poole Creek Fire crossed the containment line on the east side. Firefighters quickly responded and will continue working to corral the 100-acre spot fire today. A strong control line has been built on the northwest side of the fire to protect homes on the south side of the South Umpqua River.
Two Oregon State Fire Marshal taskforces will arrive on the fire this evening to provide additional support around structures if needed.
Crews continue to patrol and mop-up the smaller fires within the complex. Crew with hand-held infrared cameras identified and marked hot spots within the Sweat Creek Fire about 3.5 miles east of Canyonville. The spots were flagged and will be extinguished today. As the smaller fires gain more containment, crews are being sent to support the Pool Creek Fire.
As a precaution, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Green or Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuation advisory for residences in the areanorth of Poole Creek Fire. This includes an area south of the South Umpqua River along Tiller Trail Highway including all addresses on Ferguson Lane and Moore Ranch Road. www.dcso.com/evacuations
