EVACUATION LEVEL 3 - Town of Keller

July 24th, 2024 7:30PM

Level 3 evacuation is now in effect from Empire Creek Road (Hwy 21 - MP120) to Silver Creek Road on Highway 21 this includes the town of Keller.

Trout Fire: 19,259 acres - 5% containment

Long Fire: 8,908 acres - 20% containment

Total Personnel: 1,007

Current Situation: On Monday, severe weather affected both the Long Fire and the Trout Fire. Thunderstorms brought rain to the northern sections of both fires and strong winds and lightning to the southern portions. Flash flooding damaged Chimney Basin Rd. on the Long Fire, and there was intense behavior near Machine Creek on the Trout Fire. Despite these challenges, crews achieved 20 percent containment of the Long Fire and 5 percent of the Trout Fire. Crews also completed a crucial handline near Palome Creek and strengthened a control line now reclassified as contained. Today, crews will continue to strengthen control lines, repair roads, and build new firelines. Air support available but weather dependent.

Trout Fire: Thunderstorm significantly affected the Trout Fire Monday afternoon. Strong outflow winds swept westward, fanning flames and producing a large smoke column in Machine Creek and Sirretta Meadows on the fire’s southwest side. Fire behavior was intense, spreading rapidly, and spot fires ignited up to three quarters of a mile away. However, on Sherman Pass Rd., crews successfully completed firing operations on the last half-mile section between the road and the approaching fire. Today, firefighters will work along the eastern edge of the fire, building control lines from Sherman Pass Rd. toward Lunch Meadow. Near Deadwood Meadows and Sirretta Pass, helicopter landing spots will be completed and supply shuttling for firefighting will begin. On the west side, heavy equipment will continue reopening dozer lines from Sherman Pass Rd. southward along Mosquito Meadow Rd.

Long Fire: Thunderstorms also brought rain to the north and strong winds to the south of the Long Fire. Crews completed handline near Palome Creek and strengthened control lines across the southern perimeter. They are confident in the fireline’s ability to prevent fire spread in that area and changed the classification to containment line. However, rain caused flash flooding and debris flows, damaging Chimney Basin Rd., forcing firefighters to take shelter. Today, hotshot crews will continue building control lines, particularly on the northwest side of the fire. Engine crews are working along roads on the eastern side, deploying hose lines and extinguishing hot spots. Heavy-equipment operators will repair roads to ensure roads are safe for fire operations.

Weather & Air Quality: Repeated thunderstorms are forecasted for today starting at noon. The most probable areas to see rainfall will be the northern portions of the Trout Fire and Long Fire. Along the southern perimeter of each fire, strong outflow winds are expected. A daily smoke outlook is produced for the areas and communities affected by the 2024 SQF Lightning fires (tinyurl.com/452x2uzr).

Closures & Restrictions: Sequoia National Forest lands, roads, trails, and recreation sites around the Trout and Long Fires are temporarily closed under Forest Order No. 0513-24-12. Fire restrictions are also in effect under Forest Order No. 0513-24-10. Both orders, maps, and accompanying appendices can be found on the Forest’s “Forest Orders” web page: tinyurl.com/2en2d36k. The Bureau of Land Management’s Bakersfield Field Office has temporarily closed Long Valley Campground, Chimney Creek Campground, and portions of the Pacific Crest Trail. View the emergency closure order here: tinyurl.com/4mprcb9b. The PCT is closed between Hwy 178 at Walker Pass (mile 653) and the South Fork of the Kern River bridge (mile 717.7).

Evacuations: Tulare County evacuation warnings are in effect for zones TLC-E274-B and TLC-E261-B. Tulare County evacuation advisories are in effect or zones TLC-E297-A, TLC-E250, TLC-E274-A, and TLC-E261-A. 

 Road Closure Announcement 

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has put in place the following road closures for the safety of firefighters operating in the area:

Highway 207 Closure:

• Dates: Through Friday, July 26

• Hours: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

• Location: From the OHV area to the 207/19 intersection at Spray

Note: Full closure during these hours is necessary for firefighter safety. The road will be evaluated for hazards related to coarse woody debris before reopening.

Highway 19 Closure:

• Dates: July 22 - July 24

• Hours: 24-hour closure

• Location: From Spray to Service Creek

• Dates: July 25 - July 27

• Hours: Single lane closure

Note: This closure is required for the safety of firefighters holding the line. Please plan your travel accordingly and stay safe. For the latest updates on road conditions, visit https://tripcheck.com/ Thank you for your cooperation and support in ensuring the safety of our firefighters.

COMMUNITY MEETING TONIGHT AT 7-8 pm (JULY 23RD, 2024) AT BONNER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 9045 HWY 200 BONNER MT 59823 MEETING WILL BE RECORDED THEN POSTED TO FACEBOOK

 
CURRENT STATUS 
The fire experienced minimal growth yesterday. On the northeastern section of the fire, crews continued to secure and hold the line. From the Miller Peak ridge top they are continuing their efforts to put in heavy equipment line intothe Allen Creek area. In addition, crews were successful in maintaining lines on the western perimeter of the fire, working into the Miller Peak area. Crews on the southeastern edge of the fire work to secure and hold the direct line within Moccasin creek. Additionally, hand crews, dozers and feller bunchers (large piece of equipment similar to a harvester that cuts down trees and groups them) are securing line along Moccasin Ridge road. In the Greenough Creek drainage, crews continued to construct direct hand line. 

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Hot and dry conditions persist over the fire area. Yesterday, temperatures warmed up into the 90s and humidity 
readings once again dropped into the teens. The fire location is under a heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service until Tuesday. The fire area will be under a Fire Weather Watch starting midday on Wednesday, which implies hot, dry and gusty winds are expected. 

CLOSURES 
A temporary flight restriction is in effect over the fire area. An area and road closure around the fire is in effect due to hazardous conditions resulting from fire activity. Stage II fire restrictions are in effect in the area. Specific closure information and maps are posted on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtlnfmiller-peak-fire and https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lolo/alerts-notices as they are implemented. 

Smoke
Air quality in most of the forecast area is expected to be Moderate overall with periods of USG later today. Last night, we saw some scattered showers which cleared some of the smoke out. Expect air quality to worsen throughout the day as smoke rolls in from fires west of the forecast area. Wednesday, Moderate to USG is expected in the morning with some possible clearing of smoke in the afternoon as winds pick up.
Roadway Visibility
Smoke may reduce visibility along I-90 and Highway 93 today and tomorrow. 

Smoke Outlook 7/23 - 7/24 Eastern Oregon

Special Statement

An Air Quality Alert has been issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for Harney, Malheur, Grant, Baker, and Morrow Counties until further notice.

Fire

There are multiple fires effecting the forecast area. For more information on these incidents, please visit Inciweb.

Smoke

Smoke from multiple fires will continue to impact the area. Given the close proximity to active fires, Spray and Monument expected to have HAZARDOUS conditions. Burns is expected to have VERY UNHEALTHY air quality overall, as smoke settles in during the morning and overnight. Winds are expected to generally be from the west, effecting John Day and Seneca, where UNHEALTHY conditions are expected, and Baker City, Ontario, and Enterprise where air quality is expected to be UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS. Thunderstorms are possible today, and if they do occur, they will produce gusty winds and unexpected air quality impacts.

HILL FIRE INCIDENT UPDATE

Date: July 23, 2024

Location: Humboldt County, CA

Size: 7074 acres

Cause: Under Investigation

Fire Information: 530-414-9056 

Hours: 08:00AM to 8:00PM

Email:2024.Hill@firenet.gov

Incident Website:

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/casrf-hill-fire

https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/16/hill-fire

Start Date: Monday July 15, 2023, at 5:40 PM

Percent Contained: 8 percent

Personnel: 2156               

CURRENT SITUATION: 

Favorable weather patterns during the early part of the week allowed firefighters to gain good positioning on the Hill Fire and increase containment to 8%. Tactical firing along Forest Road 6N06 on the eastern boundary of the fire has enabled crews to create as much as 200 feet of depth between the fireline and the primary fire expanding the fire footprint 7074 acres. This strategic approach continued with unmanned aircraft assisting in the evening, further extending the depth. 

Crews have successfully connected these firing operations with a combination of dozer and hand lines connecting to Mosquito Creek and the western edge of the fire. Mop-up operations were continued to address remaining hotspots along the fire's perimeter. Control lines in the north and west continued to be monitored, and hotspots eliminated overnight.

With rising temperatures and lower relative humidity expected during the next few days, these proactive operations have positioned crews ahead of the weather change. Structure defense teams remain active to identify potential risks and implement mitigation strategies as part of the larger contingency plan. 

Today, with the drier weather and hotter temperatures, fire activity is expected to increase, allowing for the ignition of some areas within the fire perimeter that still have unburned fuel. Crews will be monitoring the west side and patrolling for any hot spots. On the east side, crews will focus on suppressing any remaining hot spots as well as continued tactical firing operations. 

WEATHER:

High pressure will peak today with heat approaching 100 and relative humidity near 20 percent in clear valley. Smoke, especially on the east side will generally moderate conditions, but still expect to be hotter and drier than yesterday. Increased lift will help disperse smoke but weak and battling winds switching from south to north will not be favorable to efficient smoke transport.  Compressing inversion will bring poorer overnight recoveries to mid-elevations. Despite high pressure at the surface, instability and moisture aloft will bring a slight chance of dry thunderstorms by early Wednesday morning. 

EVACUATIONS:

Evacuation order and warnings remain in effect. For current updates on evacuations, visit https://www.facebook.com/HumboldtSheriff and https://humboldtgov.org/2383/Current-Emergencies. 

Conditions are subject to change at any time, visit https://protect.genasys.com/search for a full zone description. 

Sign up for Humboldt Alert emergency notifications at https://humboldtgov.org/2014/Emergency-Notifications 

CLOSURES:

Forest Closure Order currently in effect for the area impacted by the Hill Fire. It is temporarily prohibited to be on any national forest system land, trail, or road within the closure area. To view the closure order and map of closure area visit the following link www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1191963.pdf.

Road closures are currently in place on Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Service Route 6N06, Friday Ridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N01 and Friday Fridge Rd. at Forest Route 5N04. For updated road closure information, visit protect.genasys.com or humboldtsheriff.org/emergency.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS:

Forest fire restrictions also went into effect on July 12th. Campfires and stove fires are restricted to those developed areas listed in the forest order located at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1188610.pdf.

Smoking, welding, and operating an internal combustion engine also have restrictions in place.

Start Date & Location: July 9, 2024,    5 miles south of York, MT

Cause: Human, under investigation         Size: 15,167 acres         Containment: 95%

Key message

A critical fire weather watch has been forecasted for the next few days due to high temperatures, gusty winds, and low relative humidity levels over the fire area. Thunderstorms are also a possibility which could bring lightning to the area.  With the fire scaling down and an increased need for fire fighters on fires in other parts of the state and region, the Northern Rockies Team 2 will be leaving today and the fire will be transitioning to a Type 3 organization managed by local Type 3 under Incident Commander, Anthony Emacio.   

Current Status

Yesterday the containment continued to increase as crews focused on mop-up operations to put out any leftover heat along the northern portion of the fire.  Today and going forward, suppression repair will continue on all areas of the fire as crews and equipment will be used to repair fire lines. This will help mitigate any heavy rainfall events before vegetation can be established on those lines.  Heavy equipment will also be utilized to repair roads that were heavily used by crews to access the fire so that those roads are left better than when the fire started. Crews will also continue to monitor and patrol the fire line and mitigate any residual heat near control lines.

Looking Forward

While the fire is nearly contained, there will continue to be pockets of low intensity, smoldering fire burning throughout the interior of the fire. It is unlikely that these pockets would pose a significant risk of escaping control lines.  However, there will likely be visible smoke until the area receives significant moisture events.  While this may cause some concern for local residents, this is normal. From an air quality perspective, poor air quality is forecasted to continue in the area throughout the week. This smoke is primarily being generated by Canadian wildfires and other fires thought the northwest.  Going forward, updates may not be published every day, but email and phones will be staffed for inquires.  Inciweb (inciweb.nwcg.gov) continues to be the single best source of current information for this and all fires across the country.

Evacuations and CLosureS

Evacuations: Effective 7/19/24, all evacuation warnings have been lifted.

Road Closure: Residents only access on Jimtown Road from Riverside Road to Trout Creek Road and on Black Bear Road. All other roads including Canyon Ferry Road are open, except roads within the fire perimeter.

Forest Closure: The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest closures remain in place around the fire area. Details can be found at Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest - Home (usda.gov)

Campground Closure: The Vigilante Campground, within the forest closure area, remains closed. As of 7/19/2024, all other campgrounds are now reopened. 

BLM Closure: The Butte Field Office has issued a closure on BLM lands near the fire area. https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-publication/mthlf-horse-gulch-fire/signed-blm-area-closure-07-14-2024 

FIRE RESTRICTIONS Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Stage 1 Fire Restriction Information can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/hlcnf/alerts-notices/?aid=89019

CURRENT SITUATION: Yesterday, fire activity was again affected by an inversion over the area. In the afternoon, increased fire activity was observed on the fire's southwest flank when the inversion lifted. Very little activity was observed for the remainder of the fire. Today, the focus of control efforts continues with the opening of forest roads using heaving equipment and masticators around the fire perimeter to protect the Middle Santiam Wilderness, private industrial timberlands, and nearby communities.

WEATHER: Seasonable weather with consistent onshore flow is expected throughout the week. Tuesday and Wednesday will be slightly warmer and drier with little change in the weather pattern through the weekend.

CLOSURES: On July 19th, the Willamette National Forest issued an emergency closure order for the Pyramid Fire to ensure public and firefighter safety. Please refer to the link below for a map of the closure area and a list of trails, recreation areas, and forest roads affected by the fire. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1194122.pdf

ROADS: Please be mindful of firefighting equipment when driving on the roads in the area. Refer to the emergency closure order for forest roads affected by the Pyramid Fire. For information about all other roads, visit the Oregon Department of Transportation website at https://tripcheck.com 

EVACUATIONS: On July 17th, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Forest, issued a level 3: Go Now Evacuation Alert for the closure area affected. No residential structures are in jeopardy of the fire. This LEVEL 3: GO NOW! Evacuation Alert is primarily impacting forest and recreation areas.  Please refer to the Linn County Fire Map https://tinyurl.com/LinnCoFireMap for full details of the issued evacuation area (which will appear in red). Follow the Linn County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LinnSheriff 

FIRE RESTRICTIONS: Effective July 17, 2024, fire restrictions apply to all lands within the Willamette National Forest, including the Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Waldo Lake, and Diamond Peak Wilderness areas. Read the full restriction at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=81487