September 10, 2010
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
September 10, 2010
No new fires 10 acres in size or larger on ODF-protected lands were reported to the Salem Coordination Center during the past 24 hours.
Kevin Weeks
Oregon Department of Forestry
September 10, 2010
As of 1:00 a.m. on September 10, 2010, the regulated closure that was in place on private land has been suspended for forestlands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry Northeast Oregon District. This includes private, state, county, municipal, and tribal lands in the following counties: Union, Baker, Wallowa, Umatilla, and small portions of Grant, Malheur, and Morrow Counties.
Rain and cooler temperatures have reduced the fire danger allowing the suspension of the Regulated Use Closure. Unseasonable September weather may give a false sense of security which can result in a higher occurrence of human-caused fires. It is important to practice fire prevention, especially as it relates to burning or campfires.
A Fire Season declaration remains in effect for the Oregon Department of Forestry, Northeast Oregon District.
Fire season requirements include:
• Burning permits are required on all private forestland within the Northeast Oregon Forest Protection District for the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) within Union, Baker, Wallowa, Umatilla, Malheur, and portions of Morrow and Grant Counties. Contact your local ODF office in La Grande, Baker City, Wallowa, or Pendleton to acquire a burning permit.
• Logging and other industrial operations must meet requirements for fire prevention, such as fire tools, water supply, and watchman service when those operations are occurring on private lands protected by ODF. Contact your local Stewardship Forester at any local ODF office for more information.
• Campfires must be DEAD OUT! Do not leave fires unattended. Get permission from the landowner before having a campfire.
Joe Hessel Baker City Assistant Unit Forester reminds the public “to be vigilant about putting their fires out prior to leaving camp. Although it is cool and damp, we still want to be attentive to changing fire conditions.”
Do not leave any open burning unattended, including small warming fires. Make sure any open burning or campfire is completely out before leaving it. Have water and a shovel nearby. When practicing campfire safety, build your campfire on bare, level ground away from combustible materials and keep the fire small. Stay with your fire at all times. Before leaving, drown the fire with water, stirring with a shovel until all embers are soaking wet and cold to the touch. Use these practices when disposing of ash from woodstoves and Bar-B-Q’s as well.
To report a fire, call the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center at (541) 963-7171, or 911.
For further information, contact your local Oregon Department of Forestry office:
La Grande Unit (541) 963-3168
Baker City Sub-Unit (541) 523-5831
Wallowa Unit (541) 886-2881
Pendleton Unit (541) 276-3491
More information can be found at the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center website http://bmidc.org/index.shtml — Look under fire restrictions.
Jamie Knight / Christie Shaw
Oregon Department of Forestry, NE Oregon District
September 9, 2010
The Oregon Department of Forestry has suspended Regulated Use Closures on ODF-protected forestland in northeast Oregon, effective 1:00am on Friday September 10. The announcement releases public use restrictions in effect during fire season on private, state, county, municipal, and tribal ODF-protected forests in eastern Umatilla, Wallowa, Union and Baker counties.
Visit the website for ODF’s NE Oregon District at http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/FIELD/NEO/aboutneo.shtml or contact a local Oregon Department of Forestry office for more information:
La Grande Unit (541) 963-3168
Baker City Sub-Unit (541) 523-5831
Wallowa Unit (541) 886-2881
Pendleton Unit (541) 276-3491
For information about Public Use Restrictions for the Umatilla and Wallowa Whitman National Forests: www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/ – or – http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/w-w
Kevin Weeks – Oregon Department of Forestry
September 9, 2010
No new fires 10 acres in size or larger on ODF-protected lands were reported to the Salem Coordination Center during the past 24 hours.
Kevin Weeks – Oregon Department of Forestry
September 8, 2010
No new fires 10 acres in size or larger on ODF-protected lands were reported to the Salem Coordination Center during the past 24 hours.
September 7, 2010
Two large acreage fires in Oregon under federal management are currently burning:
The View Lake Fire Complex consists of several lightning-caused fires in the Olallie Lake Scenic Area, the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, and Bull of the Woods Wilderness on the Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests, 45 miles east of Estacada. The latest mapping shows the total size of the Complex to be 4,757 acres with containment at 35 percent. On Sunday, management of the View Lake Complex was taken over by the Portland National Incident Management Organization team. More information on the fire is available at: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2088/
The Scott Mountain fire, burning in the Willamette National Forest 14 miles northeast of McKenzie Bridge, is at 3,454 acres and 35 percent contained. Additional information is available at: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2082/
September 7, 2010
No new fires 10 acres in size or larger on ODF-protected lands were reported to the Salem Coordination Center during the past 72 hours.
September 7, 2010
The Birch Creek Road fire 8 miles east of Pendleton was battled by resources from the ODF Pendleton Unit on early Saturday morning. The fire began about 2:00 am Saturday due to a lightning strike but was held to 16.4 acres in size following a swift response from the Milton-Freewater Rural Fire District and ODF. Fire was fully contained by Saturday morning.
Kevin Weeks
Oregon Department of Forestry
August 27, 2010
Following is the latest media relase from the Phoenix Wildland Fire:
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August 27, 2010; 1 p.m.
Contact: Greg Funderburk
(541) 594-3062
Crater Lake, Ore – Interagency fire crews and engines continue to manage the Phoenix Wildland Fire burning an estimated 350 acres in Crater Lake National Park, with about 30 to 50 of those acres on the Fremont-Winema National Forests.
The National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and contract crews have firefighters and equipment on scene. The following resources are presently assigned to this incident: one Type-III helicopter, nine engines, three Type-II crews and numerous other equipment.
The fire was ignited by lightning on the afternoon of August 17. It is currently burning inside Crater Lake National Park’s boundary on the east flank of Timber Crater and in an area on the Fremont-Winema National Forests between Forest Service Road 7015 and 2308. At this time, no structures are threatened and no evacuations have been reported.
The Phoenix Wildland Fire is being managed to allow fire to serve its natural role in the ecosystem and reduce hazardous fuel accumulation in the National Park. A fire suppression strategy is being implemented on the Fremont-Winema National Forests to maximize suppression efforts and firefighter safety.
Due to smoke and increase fire traffic, fire officials ask the public to use caution when driving Oregon State Highway 138 and on National Park and Forest Service roads near the fire. A cold front is expected to move through the area this weekend, bringing cooler temperatures and possible showers that could assist with firefighting efforts.
For more information about the Phoenix Wildland Fire, please contact the National Park Service at (541) 594-3062. For more information, please visit:
http://www.nps.gov/fire/.
-end-
|
| Phoenix Wildland Fire, burning in Crater Lake National Park |
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Jeri Chase
Oregon Department of Forestry
PH: 503-945-7201
August 27, 2010
Fire News – August 26, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. PDT
Contact: Angie Johnson, Oregon Department of Forestry, (541) 620-4360
Picnic Creek Fire – Final News Release
Date Started: 8/26/2010 at 5:21 p.m. PDT
Cause of Ignition: Human (State Fire Marshall’s office is investigating cause)
Location: 8 miles west of Mt. Vernon, south of Hwy 26
Approximate Size: 20-30 acres
Percent Contained: 0%; containment expected late this evening.
Resources include: 5 engines from Oregon Department of Forestry, 1 engine from US Forest Service, and all of Mt. Vernon Rural Protection District; 1 Tender from Oregon Department of Forestry; 2 Dozers; 1 Helicopter (ODF) secured by Mt. Vernon Rural; Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, State Fire Marshall’s Office, and Oregon Department of Transportation also contributed to the effort.
Protection Agency Responsible: Mt. Vernon Rural Protection District.
Additional information: Oregon Department of Forestry and US Forest Service assisted Mt. Vernon Rural Protection District with a fire in their district located in the Picnic Creek drainage, 8 miles west of Mt. Vernon. High winds pushed the fire near the vicinity of 20 structures; one confirmed outbuilding, possibly two outbuildings were destroyed. The use of engines, dozers, and a helicopter has prevented any significant fire spread at this time. Winds have died down considerably, giving crews the upper hand. Crews hope to have the fire lined later this evening. The fire is under investigation by Oregon State Fire Marshall’s office.
Weather: With nightfall, the temperature has dropped nearly 30 degrees on the fire line. Currently it is 66 degrees. Winds have died down and relative humidity has increased.
Closures: At this time, there are no closures in place.
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Jeri Chase
Oregon Department of Forestry
PH: 503-945-7201
Fire Duty Officer Pager #: 503-370-0403
August 26, 2010
Effective Thursday, August 26, 2010, the off-highway vehicle trails in the Tillamook State Forest are RE-OPEN. This includes off-highway vehicle trails in the Browns Camp, Jordan Creek, Diamond Mill, and Trask off-highway vehicle areas, and the BLM Upper Nestucca Riding Area. Fire Season Regulated Use Precautions are still in effect.
Thank you for helping keep the Tillamook State forest fire-safe!
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Jeri Chase
Oregon Department of Forestry
PH: 503-945-7201
Fire Duty Officer Pager #: 503-370-0403
August 25, 2010
There have been several reports of smoke in the air east of Salem from Aumsville on up the Santiam Canyon past Mill City. This is apparently as a result of the Scott Mountain Fire that is burning in the Mt. Washington Wilderness Area, approximately two miles northeast of Scott Mountain,15 miles west of Sisters, OR, and 14 miles northeast of McKenzie Bridge. More information on this fire is available on Inciweb at:
http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2082/ .
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Jeri Chase
Oregon Department of Forestry
PH: 503-945-7201
Fire Duty Officer Pager #: 503-370-0403
August 25, 2010
Roca Canyon Fire: The Oregon Department of Forestry assisted Ashland Fire and Rescue late this afternoon and into this evening (August 24) on an urban interface fire burning near Ashland that ultimately destroyed 11 homes and damaged 2 others. There have been no reports so far of any injuries. ODF resources on the fire included two helicopters from the Medford Tanker Base, numerous engines, and a dozer. The Rogue Valley Structural Fire Department also assisted on the fire.
The fire started at approximately 4:45 p.m. today in a grassy field on the west side of I-5 near a freeway interchange for South Ashland. Winds at that time were gusty and the fire jumped the freeway, crossing over to the east side, where it then burned in scrub and oak up a hill, and into the residential area. As of about 8:30 p.m., ODF resources were being released and the fire remains in the primary jurisdiction of Ashland Fire and Rescue.
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Jeri Chase
Oregon Department of Forestry
PH: 503-945-7201
Fire Duty Officer Pager #503-370-0403
August 24, 2010
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY FIRE NEWS
John Day Unit
Fire News – August 23, 2010 at 9:30 p.m. PDT
Contact: Angie Johnson, Oregon Department of Forestry, (541) 620-4360
Long Box Fire – Final News Release
Date Started: 8/23/2010
Cause of Ignition: Human (vehicle fire)
Location: 6 miles east of Dayville, north of Hwy 26
Final Size: 48 acres
Percent Contained: 100% lined with dozer; containment expected by end of shift tomorrow.
Resources include:
4 Oregon Department of Forestry Engines; 2 Tenders – 1 Mt. Vernon Rural Tender and 1 Oregon Department of Forestry Tender; 1 Oregon Department of Forestry Dozer (operated by Oregon Department of Transportation); 2 Single Engine Air Tankers; 2 Helicopters; 1 Heavy Air Tanker
Agencies Involved: Oregon Department of Forestry, Mt. Vernon Rural Fire Department, State Fire Marshall’s Office, and Oregon Department of Transportation
Additional information:
Monday’s activities – Aircraft and engine crews responded to a fire near Dayville, north of Highway 26. Private land and Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) threatened, including 1 residence and 3 other structures. The fire spread was stopped around 6:30 p.m. this evening with retardant and helicopter bucket drops; the fire was lined with a dozer by 8:30 p.m. An engine will patrol the fire overnight for hot spots.
Tuesday’s activities – 2 engines and a 20-person hand crew will be on the fire conducting mop-up activities, as well as continuing patrol for hot spots.
Weather:
Clear skies and higher temperatures are expected through Wednesday.
Closures:
At this time, there are no closures in place.
August 24, 2010
Four engines from the ODF John Day Unit are battling the Longbox Fire, burning six miles east of Dayville in the Schoolhouse Gulch area of Grant County. The fire, reported Monday afternoon, has consumed an estimated 15 acres of grass/juniper/sagebrush and is continuing to burn Monday. Cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Private landowner equipment is assisting with what is expected to be an extended attack on the fire Monday evening. In addition to assistance from a water tender and bulldozer on the ground, aerial attack on the fire is provided by 2 small single engine air tankers, an ODF large air tanker and two helicopters.
Kevin Weeks
Oregon Department of Forestry
August 23, 2010
Contact: Paul Galloway, Rogue River-Siskiyou NF Acting Public Affairs Officer, 541-618-2113
Monday, August 23, 2010, 10 a.m. – A wildfire was spotted yesterday burning in a remote area of the Gold Beach Ranger District of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The Cedar Creek Fire has grown to an estimated 70 acres this morning as smokejumpers will be reinforced with four additional handcrews, and helicopter water drops.
The Cedar Creek Fire was initially reported by aerial reconnaissance Sunday at noon and estimated to be 2 acres at that time. The fire is located two miles west of Sourdough Camp and two miles north of the Oregon-California state line. Burning in grass and brush with pockets of heavy timber, twenty smokejumpers, two air tankers, and helicopters assigned to the Oak Flat Fire were deployed yesterday to attack the fire.
Today crews will work to establish a fire line around the fire and helicopters will be used to cool hot spots. Air tanker support will again be available. A Red Flag Warning has been posted for the area until Tuesday morning for high winds and low humidity.
An Incident Command Post has been established at the Coos Forest Protective Association compound in Brookings, and the Winchuck Campground will be utilized as a spike camp for the crews. Helicopter and some logistical support for the Cedar Creek Fire will be provided by some resources currently assigned to the Oak Flat Fire burning on the Wild Rivers Ranger District.
The public is warned to avoid using the Sourdough Trail (#1114) from Sourdough Camp to Packsaddle Mountain at this time.
August 23, 2010
The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a Red Flag Warning in effect from 11:00 Monday night until 11:00 Tuesday morning for most fire zones in eastern Curry, Josephine and Jackson counties. A major exception to the warning area is Fire Zone 622 – generally the Medford metro area north to the Shady Cove area – not being included in the Red Flag Warning.
Very strong winds in the nighttime hours paired with very low humidity will increase fire potential overnight. Eastern winds of 5-15 MPH with gusts as high as 30 MPH on ridges are forecast
A Red Flag Warning is issued when weather forecasters detect conditions which create a higher than normal potential of fire activity for a limited timeframe is either underway or imminent.
Kevin Weeks
Oregon Department of Forestry
August 23, 2010
The skies about SW Oregon were clear enough Sunday for NASA’s MODIS land imagery system to get a good look at the Oak Flat fire burning near Grants Pass.
Satellite images help fire managers understand the behavior of fires, establish very accurate acreage counts, alert air quality agencies about potential smoke drift, and provides additional valuable data.
For the full scale Sunday afternoon MODIS sweep photograph of the northwestern US and Canada, go to:
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=USA1.2010234.terra.1km
Kevin Weeks
Oregon Department of Forestry
August 23, 2010
No new fires 10 acres in size or larger on ODF-protected lands were reported to the Salem Coordination Center in the past 24 hours.
Kevin Weeks
Oregon Department of Forestry
