August 4, 2018
|
Firefighters continue to strengthen containment lines and
extinguish hot spots 25′ or more interior from those lines. Unburned interior
pockets of fuel will be assessed today and measures taken to reduce the
threat of embers igniting them.
|
| Structural protection on Dufur Gap Road 8.1 |
With the majority of the fire’s heat located in the Winslow Rd. area, a hose
line was put in place to assist firefighters with mopping up those areas. The
north and east flanks of the fire continue to cool and firefighters will be
assessing those containment lines for strength and mopping up the
perimeters.
With the risk to structures reduced, structure protection task
forces will begin to demobilize today, with the last task force anticipating
being released tomorrow morning. The Oregon State Fire Marshal has reported a
total of 14 structures destroyed (three primary structures and eleven
outbuildings).
Aviation resources today will continue to support firefighters
by using retardant and helicopter water drops. Firefighters will continue to
monitor for hazards which include snags, smoldering tree stump pits and heavy
duff.
Ignition date: Aug. 1, 2018
Cause: Human
Acres burned: 21,730
Personnel: 602
Containment: 20%
Fire
growth is expected as winds change at Sugar Pine Fire
As inversions lift and winds change, fire behavior is likely to
become more active.
Today, firefighters will continue to provide structure
protection along Elk Creek Road and will be initiating protection assessments
on the homes that are in the Level 3 Evacuation area along Ulrich Road.
Additionally, firefighters will be reinforcing constructed
firelines northward along Forest Road 6640 and will directly attack any spot
fires if they develop. Firefighters are continuing to flow in to help from
around the country. Recently, crews have arrived from as far away as Puerto
Rico and Pennsylvania.
 |
| Protecting the tallest Sugar Pine tree |
Unified Command now includes the Oregon Dept. of Forestry and
the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office. In addition, the Oregon National
Guard, Jackson County Sheriff, Oregon State Patrol, Army Corps of Engineers
and Oregon State Parks are also integrated in this effort. The Northern
Rockies Incident Management Team will continue the work to minimize the
impact of these fires to private lands, the public and natural resources.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Acres burned: 8,788
Personnel: 954
ODF resources arrive at South Umpqua Fire
A national Type 1 team along with Oregon Department of Forestry
(ODF) command and general staff has been in-briefed and will assume command
of both the South Umpqua
Complex and Sugar
Pine and Goodview
Fires on Sunday. ODF resources will work specifically on private and Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) lands and the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM)
Office is bringing teams to assist with structure protection.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Acres burned: 23,726
Containment: 18%
Personnel: 1,032
Garner Creek Fire sees decreasing fire activity
Hard work gets results. The difficult, dangerous work happening
on the Garner Complex
is getting the job done. On each shift hand crews seek and extinguish more
and more hot spots. When all the hot spots have been mopped up, that section
of the fire is placed in patrol status.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Acres burned: 8,886
Containment: 75%
Personnel: 1,065
Taylor Creek Fire – Josephine County
This lightning-caused fire has grown to 36,406 acres. ODF is a
cooperating agency on this fire, which is being managed by Northwest IMT #2
and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Blue Team.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Acres burned: 36,406
Personnel: 1,154
Containment: 34%
Klondike Fire – Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Fire size is now at 25,873 acres. Containment remains at
5%.
Nearby is the Natchez
Fire. Burning 15 miles southeast of Cave Junction, that fire
is reported at 9,463 acres with containment unchanged at 25%.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Personnel: 450
Containment: 5%
High to extreme fire danger across Oregon
|
August 4, 2018
DUFUR,
Ore. – It was a busy and productive night for firefighters as they continued to
strengthen control lines and extinguish hot spots 25’ or more inside those lines. Oregon State Fire Marshal resources have reduced the threat to structures by removing
fuels and mopping up hot spots. Unburned interior pockets of fuel will be
assessed today and measures taken to reduce the threat of embers igniting them.
With
the majority of the fire’s heat located in the Winslow Road area, a hose line was
put in place to assist firefighters with mopping up those areas. The north and
east flanks of the fire continue to cool. Firefighters will be assessing
those containment lines for strength and mopping up the perimeters. With the
risk to the structures reduced, structure protection task forces will begin to
demobilize today, with the last task force anticipating being released tomorrow
morning.
Weather
will be warmer and drier today. Increasing winds this afternoon will continue to challenge firefighters on the
line. Some atmospheric instability will be over the fire today, which
could cause some erratic and gusty winds to form.
Aviation
resources today will continue to support ground forces by using retardant and
helicopter water drops. Firefighters will continue to monitor for hazards, which
include snags, smoldering tree stump pits and heavy duff.
A
community meeting will be held in Dufur at 6 p.m. tonight at the Christian Church,
located at 315 Harrison Street. Fire managers and other local
emergency services personnel will be available for a fire update and to answer
any related questions. The meeting will also be posted on FaceBook live via the South
Valley/Substation Fire 2018 Facebook page.
Evacuations
and Structures
With
the threat to structures reduced, the Wasco County Sheriff has lowered all
Level 3 evacuations to a Level 2 as of this morning. Current Level 1 evacuation
orders remain unchanged. For further details on evacuation orders visit the
Wasco County Sheriff’s Facebook page. The Bureau of Land Management will
continue to keep Segment 3 of the Deschutes River corridor from Sandy Beach to
Mack’s Canyon open unless conditions change for the worse.
Currently
there are no road closures in effect.
August 3, 2018
|
Above: Smoke haze hangs over a section
of the Sugar Pine Fire in southern Oregon. |
ODF Incident Management Team 1 is transferring in stages today from the Garner Complex to the Sugar Pine-South Umpqua Complex. The complex of fires in southeastern Douglas County has burned a combined area of almost 30,000 acres, including several thousand acres of forestlands protected by ODF. They will now be managed in unified command by ODF and a Northwest interagency team.
A team brought in from Florida is taking control of the Garner Complex, which is in final mop up and remains unchanged at 8,886 acres.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Acres burned: 29,567
Personnel: About 2,000
Firefighters make good progress on South Valley Fire despite overnight winds
ODF’s Incident Management Team 2 joined unified command of the fire yesterday with the Green Team from the Office of the Oregon State Fire Marshal.
Firefighters made good progress on the fire overnight despite strong winds. Unexpected easterly winds pushed the fire across control lines where it caused some fast runs in lighter fuels. Fire crews and dozers, with support of farmers, were able to stop the fire’s spread.
All other sections of the fire are reported to look favorable this morning. Crews will continue reinforcing control lines by extinguishing hotspots. Some 172 homes are threatened by the fire and evacuations are in place. Structure protection task forces will continue to work around homes assessing for damage as well as mopping up.
A community meeting will be held at 6 p.m. tonight at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center, 402 E. Scenic Dr. in The Dalles.
Ignition date: Aug. 1, 2018
Cause: Human
Acres burned: Estimated at 20,000
Personnel: 488
Containment: 20%
Taylor Creek Fire – Josephine County
This lightning-caused fire has grown to 33,591 acres. ODF is a cooperating agency on this fire, which is being managed by Northwest IMT # 2 and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Blue Team.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Acres burned: 33,591
Personnel: 1,154
Containment: 34%
Left: Control lines help keep fire away from a home threatened by the Taylor Fire in southwest Oregon.
Klondike Fire – Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Fire size is now at 23,460 acres. Containment remains at 5%.
Nearby is the Natchez Fire. Burning 15 miles southeast of Cave Junction, that fire is reported at 8,432 acres with containment unchanged at 15%.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Personnel: 412
Containment: 5%
High to extreme fire danger across Oregon
August 3, 2018
MERLIN, Ore. – Crews from the Oregon National Guard joined firefighting efforts on the Garner Complex yesterday, adding much needed capacity. The added workforce has helped firefighters reach 75% containment.
|
Above: Work days begin early at the Garner Complex
in southern Oregon, where crews continue
mopping up inside control lines. |
Fire crews are mopping up and working to strengthen control lines. More than 1,400 personnel were still engaged on the Complex as of yesterday.
Most of the hot spots have been mopped up 200-300 feet inside the perimeter. Smoke may be visible deep in the interior of the fire. Personnel are checking on all of the fires regularly. About 70 people attended a community meeting about the fire last night in Wimer.
Size of fires in the Garner Complex
Grave Creek – 816
Pleasant Creek – 6
Spencer Creek – 8
King Mountain –
August 2, 2018
An Incident Management Team has been brought in from Florida to
manage the Garner Complex’s final mop up, freeing ODF’s IMT 1 to transfer to
very active fires threatening private timberlands in southeastern Douglas
County. After turning over the Garner Complex to the Floridians, IMT 1
will enter this weekend into unified command on the South Umpqua and Sugar
Pine fires with the U.S. Forest Service and Office of the Oregon State Fire
Marshal. ODF has already been supporting the interagency team managing the twin
fires, including sending aircraft to slow the fires’ spread.
The Sugar Pine Fire is actually 19 fires east and west
of Highway 62 are being managed by NW IMT #13 under the collective name Sugar
Pine, which is also the name of one specific fire. Together with the South
Umpqua Complex, these fires have burned about 25,000 acres in steep
terrain. About 2,000 personnel are engaged on these lightning-caused fires.
South Umpqua Complex – southern Douglas and northern Jackson
counties
ODF, Douglas Forest Protective Association, the US Forest Service
and Bureau of Land Management are engaged on fires in this Complex, some of
which are threatening structures and private timberland.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Acres burned: 16,428
Containment: 16%
Personnel: 1,205
Fires in the Complex include:
Miles Fire – 4,605 acres, 14% contained
Snowshoe Fire – 3,816 acres, 95% contained
Columbus Fire – 5,703 acres, 5% contained
Other recent wildfires
Taylor Creek Fire – Josephine County
Daily growth on this fire has pushed its size to 31,596 acres. Crews today should finish securing containment lines on the north/northeast flank of the fire protecting the community of Merlin. Prep work will continue along Bear Camp Road to keep the fire south of the road and from effecting the community of Galice.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Acres burned: 31,596
Personnel: 1,022
Containment: 30%
Klondike Fire – Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Containment remains at 5% on the Klondike Fire, which has
grown to 21,352 acres. The nearby Natchez Fire south of Cave Junction is
reported at 7,693 acres and 15% contained.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Personnel: 441
Containment: 5%
August 2, 2018
DUFUR, Ore. –
The South Valley Fire was reported Wednesday afternoon around 1:30 p.m.,
burning in ponderosa pine, oak, and wheat, southwest of Dufur on Oregon
Department of Forestry (ODF) protected lands.
Dry fuels and steady winds have contributed to the fire’s spread. It was estimated at 10,000 acres. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Governor
Kate Brown has invoked the Conflagration Act in response to the fire’s threat
to homes and infrastructure. Tonight Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) mobilized
resources to the fire and is in Unified Command with ODF. Tonight firefighters will take advantage of
increased humidity and reduced wind to engage the fire and build fireline while
the fire behavior is moderated.
The fire originated
approximately five miles southwest of Dufur, and spread to the southeast,
crossing Highway 197 south of Dufur. Potential spread of the fire overnight toward
the Deschutes River prompted the Bureau of Land Management to implement a Level
3 evacuation order in Segment 3 of the river corridor from Sandy Beach to Mack’s
Canyon.
Resources on
the fire yesterday included large air tankers, very large air tankers, Washington
Department of Natural Resources FireBoss scoopers, ODF Single Engine Air
Tankers (SEATs), several helicopters, ground crews and engines from ODF and the
U.S. Forest Service, additional engines from Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue and
other local rural fire departments, and contract dozers. Approximately 150 fire personnel have engaged
in the fire this afternoon and evening, with more resources arriving tonight
with OSFM. Additional resources have
been ordered and will arrive tomorrow.
Aerial resources will be supporting ground suppression activities
Thursday morning.
Fuel conditions throughout ODF’s Central Oregon District
continue to be very dry with the potential for rapid fire growth from every
spark. Regulated Closure is in effect
for the district.
Specific restrictions can be found at www.ODFcentraloregon.com.
August 2, 2018
MILTON-FREEWATER, Ore. – A fire near Milton-Freewater started Thursday, Aug. 1 and is currently estimated to be 200-300 acres in size. While not currently on land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Lincton Mountain Fire is encroaching towards the protected area. Milton-Freewater Rural Fire District is operating in Unified Command with ODF.
The fire is moving east towards Walla Walla River Road, but the forward progression of the fire has been slowed by air attack, including helicopters and single-engine airtankers. Farm equipment and dozers are also being used to stop the blaze.
Evacuation of residents in the immediate area of the fire as well as Harris Park residents have been notified to evacuate with a Level 3 evacuation notice – “Go!”. Residents along the South Fork of the Walla Walla River Road are currently at a Level 1 “Ready” evacuation notice.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The public is reminded that ODF is currently in Regulated Use Closure in Northeast Oregon and federal lands are currently under public use restrictions. Current fire restrictions for forestlands in Northeast Oregon can be found at www.bmidc.org.
http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/ is your spot for current fire information in the Blue Mountains. To report a fire, call Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch at (541) 963-7171 or dial 9-1-1.
Notes on evacuation
Level 1 Evacuation – means “Be ready” for potential evacuation. Residents should be aware of the danger that exists in their area, monitor emergency services websites and local media outlets for information. This is the time for preparation and precautionary movement of persons with special needs, mobile property and (under certain circumstances) pets and livestock. if conditions worsen, emergency services personnel may contact you via an emergency notification system.
Level 2 Evacuation – means ‘Be set” to evacuate. You must prepare to leave at a moment’s notice. This level indicates there is significant danger to your area. Residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or stay with family/friends outside of the affected area. If choosing to remain, be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Emergency services cannot guarantee that they will be able to personally notify everyone to evacuate if conditions rapidly deteriorate.
Level 3 Evacuation – means “Go” – evacuate now and leave immediately. Danger is current or imminent and all people in the area should leave immediately. People choosing to ignore this warning must understand that emergency services may not be available to assist you further. Do not delay leaving to gather belongings or make efforts to protect your home.
August 1, 2018
|
Above: Oregon National Guard members like these in 2017
receive training in wildland firefighting and safety
before being sent to help at Oregon wildfires.
|
SALEM,
Ore. – An additional 147 members of the Oregon National Guard and Air National Guard later this week will join firefighting efforts at the Graves Creek Fire, part of the Garner Complex in
southwest Oregon.
The Oregon National Guard and Air National Guard members have already been trained thanks to federal funding through
Oregon’s congressional delegation.
“Our Oregon National Guardsmen consider it an honor to serve their state in
its time of need and assist our partners in fighting wildfires,” said Chris
Ingersoll, spokesman for the Oregon National Guard.
Gov. Kate Brown’s Proclamation of State of Emergency Due to Imminent Threat
of Wildfire paved the way for the National Guard to make members
available to help in what is already an extreme fire season.
“We appreciate the Oregon National Guard and Gov. Brown for this much-needed
added capacity. Our long standing partnership has, once again, proven its
value at a time of high demand for firefighting resources in Oregon and nationally,”
said Nancy Hirsch, deputy state forester for the Oregon Department of Forestry.
August 1, 2018
Low humidity and wind gusts up to 15 miles per hour led to increased activity overnight on fires within the Garner Complex in Jackson County.
An unburnt area inside the control lines caught fire and burned, but did not cross control lines.
Large fuels, such as downed logs, stumps and roots, continue burning above and below ground. Heat in some of these areas can be difficult to see with the naked eye, so crews use infrared scanners that sense heat and make it visible to firefighters. Using the scanners overnight, firefighters found over 70 hot spots in burned over areas, according to ODF’s Night Operations Section Chief Jason Pettigrew. The scanners make mopping up large areas more efficient, with hand crews following up to extinguish any hot spots that are located. A total of 1,444 personnel remain engaged on the Complex, including 45 fire engines, 17 water tenders, 8 dozers and 46 hand crews. The 8,886-acre Complex is 68% contained.
ODF Incident Management Team 1 is holding a public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2 at Evans Valley Education & Community Center, 8205 East Evans Creek Road in Rogue River. The team encourages residents to attend to hear from fire officials about the fire’s status.
August 1, 2018
|
Above: Smoke obscures the sky
above fire personnel tents in the Garner Complex
incident command post in Merlin, Ore. |
The north, east and west sides of the Garner Complex are holding well according to the ODF Incident Management Team in command of the fire. The south side of the fire was the last place where control lines were built so has more heat close to those lines. Remaining fire crews are methodically mopping up and ensuring that heat sources are cooled well inside the fire perimeter. Plans are already in the works for suppression repair work. A significant number of personnel, fire engines, water tenders and aircraft have moved to more active wildfires.
With the Taylor Creek Fire now being managed by an interagency team, the size of the Complex is stable at 8,886 acres.
Air quality in many parts of Josephine, Jackson, Klamath and Lake counties remains unhealthy for sensitive groups to unhealthy for anyone. Statewide air quality results can be seen at https://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/
Ignition date: July15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Personnel: 1,872
Containment: 65%
South Umpqua Complex – southern Douglas and northern Jackson counties
ODF, Douglas Forest Protective Association, the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are sharing helicopters, crews, camps, strategies, and radio frequencies in order to more effectively and efficiently suppress fires in the South Umpqua Complex.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Acres burned: 14,196
Containment: 16%
Personnel: 1,281
Fires in the Complex include:
Miles Fire – crews will continue to hold and improve control lines on and near the 1610 road along the north side of the fire. Mop up and snag mitigation will continue. Snags in the fire area and along the roads are significant safety hazards. Many of the snags are left from the Timbered Rock Fire of 2002. Firing operations will be used where needed as weather permits. There has been active fire toward the southeast with spotting up to a half mile east toward Gobblers Knob.
Snowshoe Fire – personnel continue hose lays into areas that are inaccessible by fire engines and are mopping up within 200 to 300 feet from the outer edge. On the north side, crews are chipping larger piles of brush that were created during fireline construction. Equipment is being back hauled and repositioned for reuse.
Columbus Fire -mop-up continues along the western edge while preparation and burnout operations will be underway along the north side. Crews will continue to prep and improve lines on the south side. On the northern edge a slop over was secured and no more spots were detected outside the line.Other recent wildfires
Klondike Fire – Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
A community meeting is being held tonight at 6 p.m. in Selma at the Selma Center to inform residents about this fire. Burning primarily in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, this lightning-caused fire is now sized at 17,987 acres and is only 5% contained. Fire crews are patrolling control lines on the fire’s east side and looking to keep spot fires from establishing across the Illinois River. Structures are threatened and evacuations are in effect, with some road and area closures.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Personnel: 403
Containment: 5%
Containment on Long Hollow Fire reaches 95%
There is minimal fire behavior and no new growth on the Long Hollow Fire. The fire scorched 33,451, acres in Wasco and Sherman counties in north-central Oregon before it was stopped. Long Hollow is not far from the Boxcar and Substation wildfires. Together, these three have burned over 200,000 acres in north-central Oregon, making that part of the state one of the hardest hit by wildfire so far this year. Almost none of the land burned was protected by ODF.
Fire restrictions reflect high to extreme fire danger
July 31, 2018
Amid intense fire activity and demand for firefighting resources, Oregon’s fire preparedness level has been raised to its highest level – 5. This matches the national level, which was raised last week. Oregon continues to be one of the states most affected by wildfires, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Of 98 large active wildfires nationwide, the Center reports 16 are burning in Oregon, more than in any other state.
Left: Gov. Kate Brown thanks members of the Oregon National Guard during a visit to the Garner Complex last week. More Oregon National Guard members are being trained in wildland firefighting in Salem this week. They will be available after training to fill support roles, freeing firefighters for initial attack and direct suppression.
ODF turns over management of Taylor Creek Fire to federal team
ODF’s Incident Management Team 2 has been managing fires in the Garner Complex in southern Oregon since mid-July. Today the team turned over management of the largest fire in the Complex – the 22,774-acre Taylor Creek Fire – to a federal incident management team. The fire’s westward spread is taking it deeper into the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. ODF will continue to be engaged in suppression efforts, particularly on the east and north flanks where the fire has encroached on lands protected by ODF.
Having finished a 14-day duty rotation, ODF IMT 2 also turned over the remaining fires in the Garner Complex to ODF IMT 1 led by Joe Hessel. Those fires include Pleasant Creek, Grave Creek, King Mountain and Spencer Creek fires. These showed no growth over the weekend and remain at 8,886 acres and are now 60% contained, with mop up proceeding in many areas.
Oregon’s largest wildfire is now 58% contained
Containment on Oregon’s largest wildfire – the
Long Hollow Fire – has reached 58%. There was only modest growth in the past 24 hours, with the fire now sized at 34,550 acres.
The fire is on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and private land not protected by ODF. It started about 5 miles south of Dufur.
Other recent wildfires with ODF engagement
Klondike Fire – Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
 |
Above: The Klondike Fire is burning
in sections of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness close to
burn scars from other large old fires.
|
This wildfire in western Josephine County has burned 15,915 acres since it was started by lightning two weeks ago. The fire is being managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Much of it is burning in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area. Among the more than 400 personnel fighting the fire are ODF units, who yesterday worked to stem possible spread to private timberlands. Evacuation notices are in place. Visit
Josephine County Emergency Management on Facebook for current information. A community meeting is being held Tuesday night, July 31 at the Selma Center in Selma.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 5%
Snowshoe and Miles Fires (South Umpqua Complex) – Jackson County
ODF is engaged on these two lightning-sparked fires within the South Umpqua Complex. Some of the Snowshoe Fire is largely in mop up today with no reported spread. About a third of the fire’s footprint was on land protected by ODF – some 1,285 acres out of a total fire size of 3,815 acres.
Hot temperatures and dry fuel continue to hamper suppression efforts on the 3,754-acre
Miles Fire. If smoke allows, air resources will be used to slow spread on private land and structures. Where possible, direct suppression or building or using roads or other natural features for indirect control are planned. Burnouts will also be used to reduce fuels between containment lines and the main fire. There is some concern the Miles Fire could burn eastward to join the
Sugar Pine Fire.
Wilson Prairie Fire – Central Oregon District
Containment is now 60% on this fire in southwest Morrow County in eastern Oregon, with no change in acreage.
Ignition date: July 23, 2018
Acres burned: 437 – about 120 protected by ODF
Cause: Under investigation
Public asked to heed fire restrictions
Find the latest fire danger levels and restrictions at ODF’s Fire Restrictions and Closures web page at https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html
July 28, 2018
ODF is providing aviation resources on the fast-growing Long Hollow fire to help slow the fire’s spread.
ODF Severity Aviation resources used included two Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) with 8.35 hours of flight time and 5,607 gallons dropped.
The fire is on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and private land not protected by ODF. It started about 5 miles south of Dufur.
July 28, 2018
|
As fires ravage the West, the national fire preparedness
level was raised today to 5 – its highest setting.
In light of the increased fire activity and fire
severity in Western states, the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group
has moved the nation’s Preparedness Level to 5, the highest
level. Oregon’s level closely tracks the national preparedness
level.
Currently, 89 large fires have burned more than 877,000 acres in
13 states. Oregon is now tied with Alaska for having the most active large
wildfires – 15 each – according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The Center reports on their website that 13 new large fires have
been reported overnight in the U.S., almost all west of the Great
Plains. Several large fires displayed extreme fire behavior and made
significant runs that caused evacuations for nearby residents.
One of the worst has been the deadly Carr Fire near Redding,
Calif. Reported yesterday, it has already grown to 20,000 acres, destroyed
structures and forced evacuations and area closures. To fight it, Cal Fire
has ordered 150 fire engines. With so many fires burning simultaneously and 8
more weeks of summer left, firefighting resources are fully engaged at both
the state and national level.
Garner Complex – Josephine and Jackson counties
Oregon’s largest active wildfire is the lightning-caused Garner Complex in
southern Oregon, which this morning stood at 25,097 acres with 25%
containment. The largest fire in the Complex is Taylor Creek Fire, which has
been expanding on all fronts with heavy fire activity on the perimeter.
The almost two-week-old Complex is being managed by
the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Oregon Office of the State Fire
Marshal and the U.S. Forest Service. More than 2,500 personnel
are engaged on the Complex, including 76 handcrews. Some 112 fire
engines are assigned to the fire, along with 41 water tenders, 32 dozers, 7
other heavy equipment and 27 aircraft.
Other recent ODF wildfires
Snowshoe Fire – Jackson County
ODF
is in unified command with the U.S. Forest Service on the Snowshoe Fire, part
of the South Umpqua Complex. This fire is located in northern Jackson County
north of Shady Cove. Yesterday evening the fire’s size was put at 3,485.
ODF-protected land accounts for about a third of the total – some 1,285
acres. Firefighters have built fireline all around the fire.
Ignition date: July 15, 2018
Acres burned: 3,485
Cause: Lightning
ODF
has a smaller share (59 acres) of another fire in the Complex to the
northeast – the 982-acre Miles Fire.
Wilson Prairie Fire – Central Oregon District
This fire in southwest Morrow County in eastern
Oregon started on land protected by ODF and spread onto the Umatilla
National Forest, where it has led to
Ignition date: July 23, 2018
Acres burned: 437 – about 120 of it protected
by ODF
Cause: Under investigation
Public urged
to heed fire restrictions
Find the latest fire danger levels and restrictions at ODF’s
Fire Restrictions and Closures web page at
|
July 28, 2018
A number of wildfires sparked by lightning two weeks ago are still burning in rugged terrain in southern Oregon. One on which good progress has been made is the Snowshoe Fire, part of the 9,198-acre South Umpqua Complex. The Oregon Department of Forestry is in unified command with the U.S. Forest Service on the Snowshoe Fire in northern Jackson County.
About two-thirds of the fire’s estimated 3,485 acres are in the Umpqua National Forest and the remainder – about 1,285 acres – is on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Firefighters have established firelines by hand or dozer all the way around the Snowshoe Fire. Large interior pockets of fuel continue to burn. Many hot areas near the fire need to be cooled before the fire can be considered fully contained, with no chance of escaping from its perimeter. Progress on the fire has allowed the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office to reduce the evacuation level in areas near the Snowshoe Fire to Level 1.
On a smaller fire to the northeast, the 985-acre Miles Fire, evacuation notices remain at Level 2. About 59 acres of that fire have burned on land protected by ODF.
July 27, 2018
HEPPNER, Ore. – A community
meeting about the Wilson Prairie Fire is planned for this evening, Friday, July 27 at 5 p.m. at the
Heppner City Hall, 111 North Main Street.
Fire managers will provide a fire update with maps and an opportunity
for questions and answers at the end of the presentations. The meeting will also be live streamed through Periscope. Please download the app, create an account
and “follow” NWIMT8. Once the broadcast
begins you will receive a notification.
For assistance please call (541) 676-2100.
Current fire situation
The fire is now reported at 437 acres, with about 120 acres on ODF-protected land. The fire is 30% contained. Additional resources have been ordered and continue to arrive. Firefighters made progress in completing the burnout operations planned for last evening. The area blackened was located between the established dozer line of the east perimeter and along Forest Road (FR) 2039, the south perimeter. Five spot fires were located over the firelines during operations. The largest spot fire was 1/8 of an acre. The spots were quickly surrounded and extinguished. Firefighters will be diligently gridding the area searching for additional spots south of the FR 2039.
Plans are to continue burning out fuels between the fireline and the main fire tonight along the southwest corner to secure the entire fire perimeter. In other areas, firefighters are locating and mopping up hot spots. The infrared flight over the fire last night displayed very few heat sources along the northern end of the fire. Safety concerns to firefighters include snags (falling trees), unburned fuels between the firefighters and the main fire, high temperatures and driving.
Resources:
Total personnel assigned: 367, including 3-type 2 IA hand crews, 11-type 2 hand crews
Helicopters: 2 medium and 1 light
Fire engines: 12
Water tenders: 7
Dozers: 6
Faller modules: 2
Skidgens: 3
Smoke
Smoke from a large fire to the west has drifted into the local
area.
Those with sensitivity concerns
should take appropriate precautions.
For
more information on air quality please visit:
http://www.oregon.gov/DEQ/AQ/Pages/index.aspx
OHV Park and Campground are open
The Morrow County Off-Highway Vehicle Park and
Campground is currently open, however some trails may be impacted by the fire
activity. Please observe all trail and
area closures.
Fire Information: Christie Shaw,
Oregon Department of Forestry, 541-263-0661 or Darcy Weseman, Umatilla National
Forest 541-278-3722 Available 8 a.m. to
5 p.m.
July 26, 2018
|
Above: Discussing the Garner Complex during a visit today
to the Complex were Gov. Kate Brown (left) and
ODF’s Chief of Fire Protection Doug Grafe
(at right in shirt with shoulder patch) |
MERLIN, Ore. – Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, along with other state and local elected officials, got an in-person briefing today from the team managing the state’s largest active wildfire – the 21,443-acre Garner Complex in southern Oregon. The lightning-caused fires within the Complex are reported as 19% contained.
Gov. Brown’s visit coincided with the U.S. Forest Service becoming part of the fire’s unified command with the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office. Much of the 13,114-acre Taylor Creek Fire (the largest single fire within the Garner Complex), is burning on or threatening U.S. Forest Service lands. Oregon currently has more active large wildfires than any other state.
Red flag weather warnings were in effect today for the area of the Complex, meaning gusty winds, high temperatures and low humidity called for extra alertness to the possibility of rapid fire growth.
Skies over the fire were generally clearer this morning, meaning better flying conditions for helicopters and airtankers. These aircraft are being used to help maintain control lines around the fire. Burnouts took place today to remove unburned fuels between the active fire and the control lines dug around it. In all, there are over 70 miles of fireline. Firefighters today were scheduled to strengthen, mop up (making sure all fire along the line is out cold) and patrol the lines on the Grave Creek portion of the Complex.
Working last night and into this morning, firefighters were able to contain a spot fire that had threatened the control line in the Shan Creek area of the Taylor Creek Fire. Keeping that line secure was a top priority today.
Some 2,491 personnel are engaged on the Garner Complex, including 50 Oregon National Guard members helping with traffic control.
July 26, 2018
COQUILLE, Ore. – An old burn pile that had held heat buried in the ground since April started a wildfire yesterday afternoon west of Coquille. Firefighters from Coos Forest Protective Association responded to the blaze about 4:30 p.m. With assistance from the Coquille, Arago and Myrtle Point rural fire departments and the help of three helicopters, the fire was stopped at 4.3 acres.
“Dry conditions combined with wind and topography pushed the fire until control efforts were able to stop its advance,” said Jef Chase of CFPA. “This is a reminder to residents that large piles burned this spring should be checked to make sure they are not still holding heat, even if weeks or months have passed.”
Even though debris burning is banned in most parts of Oregon now because of fire danger, old debris piles are still causing headaches for firefighters.
July 26, 2018
ASHLAND, Ore. – Firefighters have hit an important milestone on the Hendrix Fire, reporting it as now 50 percent contained. The fire, 9 miles southwest of Ashland, is one of a string of wildfires sparked by lightning on July 15. The fire burned 1,067 acres, mostly on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest but also affecting 196 acres of land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry.
|
Above: Smoke rises from the Hendrix Fire
in southern Oregon. Before it was stopped the
fire burned 1,067 acres, 196 of them
on lands protected by ODF. |
Firefighters have built fireline all the way around the fire. The 50 percent containment is on the north and east side of the fire. Firefighters continue to strengthen fireline on the south and west portions of the fire. They want to ensure these areas are secure enough to limit the fire’s spread if interior fire activity increases with changes in weather. The forecast calls for continued hot temperatures nearing 85 to 90 even at higher elevations.
Some 621 personnel, including 4
Hot Shot crews and 13 hand crews have been working on the fire. Some 30 Oregon National Guard troops who have been at the fire handling traffic control are transferring to the Klondike Fire today.
Other resources still on the Hendrix Fire are 22 fire engines, 9 water tenders, 5 assigned dozers and additional dozers on loan from cooperators, 5 helicopters, 1 masticator,
and 3 skidgens.
There will be a Hendrix Fire community meeting on Friday, July 28 at 6 p.m. in Ruch, Ore. Details on the location will be announced when they are final.
CURRENT EVACUATION ORDERS:
The evacuation level has been reduced to Level 1 for the entire Jackson County
Hendrix Fire evacuation area. A Level 1 Evacuation means “BE READY” for potential evacuation.
Residents should be aware of the danger that exists in their area, and monitor
emergency services websites and local media outlets for information. For the
latest information, go to http://jacksoncountyor.org/sheriff/. Residents in the area are encouraged to sign up for
Citizen Alert at http://www.jacksoncounty.org/alert. More info about evacuation levels and preparedness can be
found at http://www.rvem.org.
July 25, 2018
MERLIN, Ore. – The
Garner Complex is now reported at 19,944 acres, a change of 2,575 acres
since yesterday morning. Containment grew slightly to 18%.
Much
of the growth occurred on the Taylor Creek Fire west of Grants Pass, where
controlled burnout operations were conducted last night to consume fuel between
the fire and control lines. More burnouts are planned for today. This fire is
reported today at 11,831 acres. Roughly half that is on lands protected by ODF,
including BLM, and half on Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
More
than a hundred additional personnel have joined the suppression effort, with
personnel now at 2,432. Ten more fire engines are on the fire for a total of
112. Other resources include:
- 47 water
tenders
- 35 dozers
- 5 other
heavy equipment
- 74 hand
crews
There
are now 27 aircraft assigned to the Complex.
Ignition
date: July
15, 2018
Acres
burned:
19,944
Containment: 18%
Personnel: 2,432
Cause: Lightning
July 25, 2018
A
great part of the state’s firefighting resources are now engaged in suppression
efforts on Oregon’s 13 active large wildfires. ODF has also been able to call
on additional resources (see details below).
The
statewide heat wave is also keeping state, federal and local fire
departments busy putting out new fires, which are able to spread quickly in the
dry fuels. Scores of these fires have been successfully quelled this week.
ODF
has been able to call on several out-of-state resources to help with fires for
which the agency is responsible. A 20-person Type 11 initial attack hand crew
from New Mexico has been sent to assist ODF’s Central Oregon District. The crew
is based in Prineville.
Another
22 people – 17 from North Carolina and 8 from Florida – are assisting on
the Garner Complex, with two more expected to arrive tonight. They are mostly
serving in direct operational roles, such as heavy equipment operators,
task-force leaders, and operations chiefs. Another Floridian is on ODF’s Salem
Support Team in an administrative capacity.
Two more people from Idaho are helping backfill for two staff from Douglas Forest Protective Association who are assisting the Southwest Oregon District.
Many other firefighters from outside Oregon are working on federally managed wildfires.
