OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRE UPDATE: I will be reporting on major fires in the region that pose a significant threat, or have not reached the point where they are of minimal stable fire activity. I will not be reporting on fires that are considered to be well under control, or not likely to be a threat to grow any longer of any size. OREGON - 790 FIRE: Klamath County, in the Sky Lake Wilderness Area north of Mt. McLoughlin. Burning on the Rogue Siskiyou National Forest and Fremont - Winema National Forest. An Oregon IMT II led by Applegate Rural Fire Distrct Fire Chief Brett Fillis has command of the fire. 1940 acres, zero percent containment at last report. Fire is burning in timber. Active behavior with spotting and short crown runs. The 790 Fire is the last remaining fire of the Camp Creek Complex that began on July 31st from lightning. The fire had been used to accomplish resource management objectives while it was on the ground with low intensity. The 790 Fire is located in the Sky Lakes Wilderness with a primary southern edge of Big Ben Creek drainage and east to Snow Lakes. The fire is located in an area difficult for crews to access safely. The terrain is rugged and rocky with much blow down debris and standing snags, which prevent firefighters from safely and actively engaging with the fire perimeter. For fire fighters reading this...M.I.S.T. protocols are being followed. Due to firefighter safety concerns, indirect methods have been utilized to fight the fire. Fire crews were very successful in shoring up the eastern most flanks of the fire. The fire has moved south across Big Ben Creek and toward Luther Mountain. Crews will continue to shore up the eastern flank and will begin shifting work to the southeastern corner of the fire. A segment of the Pacific Crest Trail and many others in the area remain closed due to fire activity. These trail closures are from State Highway 140 to the Crater Lake Boundary. No trail re-route through the Sky Lakes Wilderness currently exists. Fire crews ask that trail users refrain from using these trails as it places themselves and firefighters safety at risk. The hand crews on this fire are being supported by a 10-mule pack string so that the helicopters can concentrate on fire suppression. Resource mix on the fire includes 55 wildland firefighters, 12 rappellers, and 24 smokejumpers, 6 helicopters. and 3 water dropping fixed wing aircraft. DECEPTION COMPLEX INCLUDES PREVIOUS REPORTED STALEY COMPLEX: Willamette National Forest. Lightning caused. A, Oregon Interagency IMT II has command. 946 acres total, 53 percent contained. Fires are burning in timber. Fire behavior was very active plume dominated with torching and long range spotting being seen. Evacuation notices are in effect and road closures are in place. There are a total of 92 currently active or contained and controlled fires making up this complex that spans the Willamette National Forest in the Cascades east of the Eugene and Salem areas. The fires in the complex all resulted from lightning activity between July 31st and August 10th. Fire behavior became very active and plume dominated yesterday afternoon and evening. The Deception Fire made a big run and began to threaten structures including the Middlefork Ranger District Compound. Burning embers were reported in Westfir along with spot fires. Aerial resources arrived to bolster the resources already in place. Structure protection arrived from departments throughout Lane County. Fire behavior reportedly moderated overnight. There are three area, trail and road closures related to these fires on the Middle Fork Ranger District. Check the following web site for details: fs.usda.gov/willamette/. Resource mix assigned includes 24 hand crews, 47 engines, 18 water tenders, 4 bulldozers, 9 helicopters, and 5 air tankers. Total personnel - 1084 CALIFORNIA - HAPPY CAMP COMPLEX - INCLUDES FRYING PAN FIRE: Siskiyou County, near Happy Camp. Lightning caused. Burning on National Forest and private land. A California IMT I is in command of all fires in the complex except the Frying Pan Fire. The Frying Pan Fire is being managed independently by a California type II IMT. Joint attack between Cal Fire and US Forest Service. 32,239 acres, 20 percent contained. Numerous structures threatened including the city of Happy Camp. Fires are burning in timber. Fire behavior became plume dominated with long range spotting and crown runs. Level III Go Now evacuations and road closures went out for the Faulkstein Fire. Falling snags continue to be a significant threat to firefighters. Vehicle traffic along Highway 96 also remains a significant risk to the firefighters and community members. Please slow down, limit distractions, and help keep everyone safe when you are driving through the area. The Frying Pan Fire continues to be the biggest threat to the community of Happy Camp and it is at 26,679 acres alone, with 20 percent containment. The contained part of the fire is nearest to Happy Camp. The fire is spreading in other areas away from town as the effort was focused on keeping it from threatening the town, and Highway 96. The ongoing tactical ignition operations on the south side were temporarily put on hold yesterday because smoke hampered air operations, and some unburned pockets of fuel remain. Last night, because the humidity remained low, the fire on the south side did burn about a mile downslope to Malone Creek and also into Doolittle Creek. The west and northwest sides of the fire were not active last night. The tactical ignition operations on the northeast side of the fire, just south of Wolf Creek, proceeded slowly yesterday, but the fire did continue to burn downhill along the dozer line into the night. Crews working on that ignition operation expect to finish it today. The fire on the east side along Grider Ridge has slopped over the fireline at the ridgetop in six places and is backing slowly downhill. Firefighters are building fireline north of the slop-overs east of the Wolf Creek area in an effort to halt any northward spread. One crew started constructing line yesterday at the top of Grider Ridge and is advancing downslope toward another crew constructing line upslope. The fire retardant that air tankers applied on Sunday and Monday contributed to slowing down the fire’s advancing front, allowing the new incident management team on the east side some time to develop a strategic plan for the eastern edge. The Faulkstein Fire is now at 5225 acres and zero percent contained. Firefighters are engaging the fire on several fronts. Terrain and fire behavior—both observed and predicted—are primary factors in determining tactics. In the southeast portion, where several spot fires have been burning, crews are attacking the fire both directly and indirectly. Indirect attack is used when it is unsafe to work directly on the fire’s edge. These crews are being supported by helicopters dropping water and retardant. The east and north portions of the fire are holding in Grider Creek drainage. Crews are planning to build line along this drainage with the objective of holding it there. Contingency lines are being scouted. The primary area today is the ridgeline near Rancheria Creek toward Bark Shanty Creek. Firefighters are working side by side with resource advisers as they scout the area. Crews have wrapped the Lake Mountain Lookout to provide for structure protection. The Frying Pan and Faulkstein Fires are approximately one quarter of a mile apart. The Frying Pan Fire will likely merge with the Faulkstein Fire, and consume the entire Grider Creek drainage. Both fires are burning towards an area burned over by the Stanza Fire in 2002, and the Goff / Corral Complex in 2012. When the fires reach those old burn areas, it is hoped their behavior will moderate. Weather conditions this week will be hot and dry. This will increase fire behavior and east winds are expected to develop. This could drive the Frying Pan Fire into even more difficult terrain. Smokejumpers and helitack crews have contained or extinguished the smaller fires of the complex in wilderness or difficult to reach areas. They will be ready to go to work on the Frying Pan Fire should it enter rough, inaccessible terrain. Resources from the Complex will assist the local units on new fire starts. A full mix of resources including 48 hand crews, 86 engines, 22 water tenders, 16 bulldozers, 8 helicopters, and 4 air tankers. Total personnel - 1729 JULY COMPLEX...INCLUDES THE ACTIVE WHITES, AND MAN FIRES: Siskiyou and Trinity Counties, nearest Sawyers Bar and Etna. Lightning caused. A national type I IMT has command. 37,889 acres, 71 percent containment on the complex all on the Whites Fire. Numerous structures are threatened. Evacuations have been dropped and roads are being reopened. For a complete rundown of evacuations and road closures, please click on this link....inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4035/. Fires are burning in timber. The complex in total is mostly in very rough terrain. Access is a major problem here so a lot of indirect attack of the fires will be utilized. Gaining control of fires in this area is never easy and this will be no different. Minimal fire behavior yesterday due to an inversion over the fire. There was some single tree torching observed. Whites Fire - No new smoke was visible on the eastern side of the fire. Crews have made significant progress along the Sawyers Bar Road eliminating hazard trees, as well as clearing rock and rolling debris from the road. Structure protection remains in place in the areas of Idlewild, Robinson Flat and Sawyers Bar. Idlewild still has smoldering fuels due to burning in the riparian area, and will be in monitor status. Smokejumpers will remain in place to monitor a low-intensity area of heat on the west side of Taylor Lake and continue handline construction down to Lower Russian Lake. The southeastern and southern edges of the fire continue to be in the patrol and suppression-repair phases. The Whites Fire is now at 35,661 acres, and is 79 percent contained. The Man Fire is at 1964 acres in size at last report with zero containment. This fire is going to be long duration as it is in rugged terrain and burning through abundant dried out fuels. Tactical firing operations recommenced today on the northeast corner of the fire, below the edge of the Pacific Crest Trail. By midafternoon the heavy smoke grounded all air support to the firefighters. The crews continue to make good progress with suppression efforts. Full suppression objectives continued—utilizing Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics to reduce impacts on the wilderness values.. Resources from the Complex will assist the local units on new fire starts. A full resource mix of 29 hand crews, 51 engines, 16 water tenders, 5 bulldozers, 11 helicopters and 4 air tankers are assigned to the fires. Total personnel - 1154 Fire information brought to you by Southern Oregon Subaru, Volvo, Mitsubishi. Click here to see their complete inventory.....sosubaru/index.htm
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:20:14 +0000
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