ODF Incident Management Team 3 takes command of the Battle Mountain Complex as fires grow to 1,786 acres

UKIAH, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team 3 took command of the Battle Mountain Complex today, Friday, July 19, at 6 a.m.

Today, crews will focus on holding the fire to keep it as small as possible, while fighting the fire as safely as possible to minimize damage and protect local communities.

The Battle Mountain Complex currently consists of the 930-acre North Fork Owens Fire and the 856-acre Snake Fire. When multiple wildfires are burning in the same general area, officials will designate a fire complex to manage them under a single organization to improve efficiency and simplify incident management processes.

The North Fork Owens and Snake Fires are two of 17 fires in northeast Oregon that started in the late afternoon and evening of July 17, 2024, as a result of the recent lightning event. 

Closures: A road closure remains in effect for Highway 395, between mile posts 50 through 90, beginning 35 miles South of Pilot Rock. 

Evacuations: Level 1 (Be Ready) , Level 2 (Be Set) and Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations are in effect. For updated evacuation information, visit the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, www.facebook.com/UmatillaCountySheriff, or sign up for the Umatilla County  Emergency Alert System at https://member.everbridge.net/index/2590041373147145.

ODF’s Northeast Oregon District is currently in Extreme (red) fire danger and there are additional restrictions for industrial forest operations on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry in Northeast Oregon. Current fire restrictions for forestlands in Northeast Oregon can be found at www.bmidc.org or by calling the Northeast Oregon Fire Prevention line: (541) 975-3027. 

For current fire info, go to http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/
ODF NEO Facebook: www.facebook.com/oregondeptofforestryNEO/. To report a fire, call Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch at (541) 963-7171 or dial 9-1-1. 

ODF Incident Management Team 3 takes command of the Battle Mountain Complex as fires grow to 1,786 acres

UKIAH, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team 3 took command of the Battle Mountain Complex today, Friday, July 19, at 6 a.m.

Today, crews will focus on holding the fire to keep it as small as possible, while fighting the fire as safely as possible to minimize damage and protect local communities.

The Battle Mountain Complex currently consists of the 930-acre North Fork Owens Fire and the 856-acre Snake Fire. When multiple wildfires are burning in the same general area, officials will designate a fire complex to manage them under a single organization to improve efficiency and simplify incident management processes.

The North Fork Owens and Snake Fires are two of 17 fires in northeast Oregon that started in the late afternoon and evening of July 17, 2024, as a result of the recent lightning event. 

Closures: A road closure remains in effect for Highway 395, between mile posts 50 through 90, beginning 35 miles South of Pilot Rock. 

Evacuations: Level 1 (Be Ready) , Level 2 (Be Set) and Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations are in effect. For updated evacuation information, visit the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, www.facebook.com/UmatillaCountySheriff, or sign up for the Umatilla County  Emergency Alert System at https://member.everbridge.net/index/2590041373147145.

ODF’s Northeast Oregon District is currently in Extreme (red) fire danger and there are additional restrictions for industrial forest operations on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry in Northeast Oregon. Current fire restrictions for forestlands in Northeast Oregon can be found at www.bmidc.org or by calling the Northeast Oregon Fire Prevention line: (541) 975-3027. 

For current fire info, go to http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/
ODF NEO Facebook: www.facebook.com/oregondeptofforestryNEO/. To report a fire, call Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch at (541) 963-7171 or dial 9-1-1. 

Location:    Siskiyou County, CA                                                           Start Date:    Wednesday July 3, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Size:    15,460 acres                                                                             Percent Contained:    18%
Cause:    Under Investigation                                                                Personnel:    2,895
 

CURRENT SITUATION:

As of today, California Interagency Management Team 1 has joined CAL FIRE Team 6 in unified command on the Shelly Fire, completing the transition from California Interagency Management Team 12 and CAL FIRE Siskiyou Unit. 

Yesterday, personnel made good progress in increasing containment along the fire’s north and east perimeter including in the Kidder Creek and Patterson Creek drainage areas, and continued to go direct with air and ground resources along the southern and western portions of the fire. Small pockets of interior fuel continue to burn in some areas; currently they do not pose a major threat to containment lines.  

As further progress has been made, evacuation orders and warnings have been reduced accordingly; please visit the Siskiyou County Sherriff Office webpage for the latest information. Drivers in the area should remain alert for fire personnel and heavy equipment on or near the roadways, as crews continue expanding containment lines and addressing any flare-ups around the fire’s perimeter.

WEATHER:

A hot and dry pattern with enhanced terrain-driven winds will continue for the next several days, with a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms Saturday evening.

EVACUATIONS:

For current evacuation status, visit www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff and www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountyOES. Additional evacuation information and a map can be found on the Genasys site at https://protect.genasys.com/search?z=14&latlon=41.550694%2C-122.905589.

SHELTERS:

RV Dry Camping/Parking West Webb St. and Hoag St. in Montague

Please note, at this time, there are no extra services (sewage/water/power hookups). This is currently set up for DRY camping.

Animal shelters are available at the following location(s) for those who have pets and animals displaced due to the Shelly Fire:

Dog Evacuation Shelter:

Rescue Ranch Yreka, 2216 East Oberlin Road, Yreka CA 96097

Contact: John Golay 541-698-7526

Livestock Animal Evacuation Shelter (horses, pigs, sheep, goats, birds):

Siskiyou Golden Fair, 1712 Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097

Contact: Tom Taylor 530-340-1038

Cat Evacuation Shelter:

Siskiyou Golden Fair - Armory Building, 1712 Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097

Contact: Becca 530-340-0656

CLOSURES:

An official forest closure around the Shelly Fire went into effect on July 4th. Hikers are not permitted and will be asked to leave the area. For details and a map of the closure area, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1187463.pdf. 

FIRE RESTRICTIONS:

Forest fire restrictions also went into effect on July 4th. Campfires and stove fires are restricted to those developed areas listed in the forest order located at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/?aid=88596. Smoking, welding, and operating an internal combustion engine also have restrictions in place. 

Pacific Crest Trail Information: https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures

Varios incendios nuevos fueron causado por más de 800 rayos en Oregón y Washington la noche del 17 de julio. El Nivel 5 de Preparación Nacional se declaró ayer, lo que significa que muchos recursos de extinción de incendios están comprometidos y la posibilidad de inicios de fuegos nuevos es alto. El Equipo 12 del NO ha tomado el mando del incenido Easy (20 millas aéreas al oeste de Mazama) y se encargará de ambos incendios. Los encargados de los incendios están pidiendo más recursos de extinción, a medida que estén disponibles, para reforzar ambos incidentes. El Equipo 3 del NO llegará hoy para informar sobre ambos incendios.

Tamaño del incendio Pioneer: 25,688 acres | Causa: De orígen humano | Contención: 14% | Personal total: 783

Los bomberos trabajaron por todo el valle de Stehekin para fortalecer, mejorar y ampliar los cortafuegos al mismo tiempo que instalan más mangueras para apoyar en proteger la comunidad. Justo al norte de Moore Point, los bomberos construyeron un cortafuego directo hasta la orilla del lago y realizaron una operación de fuego exitosa para fortalecer los cortafuego. Ayer los helicópteros vertieron 110,000 galones de agua en esta área para asistir a los bomberos que preparaban el terreno cerca de Hunts Creek. Los helicópteros trabajarán hoy con cubetas de agua para enfriar y frenar los incendios mientras apoyan a los bomberos en tierra. Están preparados para iniciar operaciones de quema, si es necesrio, para proteger los valores en riesgo, incluyendo las viviendas y la infraestructura. Siguen disponibles los recursos de este incendio para ayudar con ataques iniciales.

Tamaño del incendio Easy: 107 acres | Causa: Rayos | Contención: 0% | Personal total: 35

El incendio Easy fue provocado por las tormentas eléctricas secas que se desplazaron por el valle de Methow. El incendio Pioneer envió recursos de aviación para que realizaran un ataque agresivo inicial contra este nuevo incendio, ya que tuvo un crecimiento grandísimo de fuego. Las cuadrillas permanecieron en el incendio por la noche, pero los esfuerzos de respuesta inicial fueron afectados por semanas de temperaturas extremas, condiciones secas récord y terreno peligroso, combinado con la falta de acceso por carretera. Hasta el día de ayer, el fuego no había cruzado la cresta de la línea divisoria entre los condados de Skagit y Okanogan. Los bomberos están explorando el terreno montañoso para identificar estrategias para usar barreras naturales y otras tácticas de extinción y así contener el fuego.

Seguridad y cierres: El Servicio de Parques Nacionales-North Cascades ha ampliado su lista de cierres: https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/fire-closures.htm. El Bosque Nacional Okanogan-Wenatchee ha emitido una orden de cierre sobre gran parte del área afectada por el incendio. Podrá encontrar detalles y mapas disponibles en: https://bit.ly/PioneerClosure. La restricción temporal de vuelo (TFR, en inglés) sobre el área del incendio fue ampliada ayer: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6779.html. La actividad de drones está prohibida por la TFR, ya que los helicópteros no pueden volar si hay drones no autorizados.

Evacuaciones:  Los niveles de evacuación de nivel 1, 2 y 3 permanecen vigentes alrededor del incendio Pioneer. Visite https://t.ly/QoH9w para tener más información. No hay evacuaciones vigentes para el incendio Easy, aunque están cerradas secciones del Pacific Crest Trail.

Clima y humo: Permanece en efecto un aviso de calor. Se prevé que para el viernes habrá temperaturas cálidas, cielos soleados y vientos ligeros con baja humedad relativa. Se espera que el humo se disipe un poco por la tarde. El calor casi récord y prolongado,continúa secando los combustibles y está contribuyendo a empeorar la posibilidad de incendios. El pronóstico de la calidad del aire se puede ver en: https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke.. Obtenga más información sobre el humo en http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/. El jefe de bomberos emitió clasificaciones de peligro de incendio y restricciones: https://t.ly/WLBds.

Cougar Creek Fire Update for Friday July 19, 2024 

Clarkston, WA – The Cougar Creek Fire is burning in Southeast Washington along the Washington – Oregon boarder, approximately 40 miles SW of Clarkston, WA near Hwy 129. The fire is in rugged rangeland with isolated pockets of timber in a mixed topography of ridgelines, benches, plateaus and secondary drainages. 

Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 13 assumed command of the fire yesterday. There has been active fire growth since first reported with moderate fire behavior. The fire is expected to primarily spread north and northwest today. Additional air and ground resources are being ordered and will arrive on incident to support current crews building containment lines. Multiple agencies from County, District, State and Federal agencies are fully engaged in suppression activities. 

Incident objectives include protecting adjacent communities, structures, and assets such as timber, rangeland, and livestock through minimizing fire growth. Crews have been directly fighting the fire near Wenatchee Creek and have been aided by an increased amount of green vegetation in the drainage, minimizing acres burned. Night operations are in place, and spike camps are being developed to keep personnel closer to this full suppression fire. To the southwest, crews have been scouting alternative line placement in the Grouse Flats road system and providing structure protection.  To the south, crews are controlling and monitoring fire spread along the river system.  To the north, retardant is being dropped along ridges to protect from further fire spread. 

WEATHER: High pressure will return to the fire on Friday with sunny, hot, and dry weather conditions anticipated. Wind will generally remain light under the expected pattern. Daytime temps will remain in the upper 90s, and additional warming is expected through the weekend and into next week before minor cooling. Minimum humidity is expected to be 10% to 15% today. 

The hot and dry weather conditions will support active fire spread. Predicted light winds and smoke cover will keep fire activity from becoming extreme. 

SAFETY: There are evacuations levels in effect, please see the evacuation notice from Asotin County Sheriff and Asotin County Emergency Management. 

SMOKE:  Smoke will continue to be moderate across the area near Troy, Anatone, and Clarkston for the next few days. If you are “unusually sensitive” to particle pollution, consider reducing your activity level or shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on AirNow.gov. 

CLOSURES: The Grande Ronde Road is closed from Troy, Oregon to the Highway 129 junction. Forest officials are temporarily closing the southeastern portion of the Pomeroy Ranger District located in Asotin County and small portions of Garfield County and Wallowa County on Umatilla National Forest Lands to ensure public safety. This temporary closure will also ensure the safety of firefighters engaged in operations to suppress the Cougar Creek Fire. Fire managers are continually assessing resource needs based on fire spread and behavior. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. 

Pioneer and Easy Fires Update for July 19, 2024  

Incident Commander Jeff Dimke

Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 12

541-861-5808, staffed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov 

Over 800 lighting strikes in Oregon and Washington the night of July 17 led to numerous new fires. National Preparedness Level 5 was declared yesterday, meaning many firefighting resources are committed and the potential for new starts is high. NW Team 12 has taken command of the Easy Fire (20 air miles west of Mazama) and will manage both fires. Fire managers are requesting more firefighting resources, as they become available, to bolster both incidents. NW Team 3 arrives today to inbrief on both fires.

Pioneer Fire Size: 26, 137 acres | Cause: Human-caused | Containment: 14% | Total personnel: 782

Firefighters worked across the Stehekin Valley to strengthen, improve, and extend firelines while increasing hose lays to support community protection. Just north of Moore Point, firefighters constructed direct fireline to the lake’s edge and executed a successful firing operation to secure firelines. Helicopters dropped 110,000 gallons of water in this area yesterday to support firefighters securing the ground near Hunts Creek. Helicopters will be working water buckets today to cool and slow the fires as they support firefighters on the ground. If necessary, firefighters are prepared to initiate firing operations to protect values at risk, including homes and infrastructure. Resources from this fire remain available to assist with initial attack.

Easy Fire Size: 107 acres | Cause: Lightning | Containment: 0% | Total personnel: 35

Dry lightning storms that moved through the Methow Valley started the Easy Fire. The Pioneer Fire dispatched aviation resources as part of the aggressive initial attack on this new fire, which was experiencing explosive fire growth. Crews remained on the fire overnight but weeks of extreme temperatures, record dry conditions, and dangerous terrain combined with no road access hampered initial response efforts. As of yesterday, the fire had not crossed the Skagit-Okanogan county line ridge. Firefighters are scouting the mountainous terrain to identify strategies using natural barriers and other suppression tactics to contain the fire. 

Safety and Closures: The National Park Service-North Cascades has expanded their list of closures: https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/fire-closures.htm. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has a closure order in place: https://bit.ly/PioneerClosure. There are two Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) in place over the fires: https://tinyurl.com/wduxpesz (Pioneer) and https://tinyurl.com/mtxej9zj (Easy). Drone activity is prohibited within the TFRs.

Evacuations: Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation levels remain in effect around the Pioneer Fire. Please visit https://t.ly/QoH9w for more information. There are no evacuations in place for the Easy Fire though portions of the Pacific Crest Trail are closed.

Weather and Smoke: A Heat Advisory remains in place. Friday's forecast calls for hot temperatures, sunny skies and light winds with low relative humidity. Smoke should clear up some in the afternoon. Extended, near record-breaking heat, continues to dry fuels and contributes to heightened fire potential. The air quality outlook can be found at: https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Learn more about smoke at http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/. The fire marshal issued fire danger ratings and restrictions: https://t.ly/WLBds.

Operational Update for the Watch and Buckhorn Fires for Friday, 19, 2024, provided by John McLaughlin, Plannings Operations Trainee for Southwest Area Incident Management Team 2.  Also available in Apache! As presented by Shelly Swift. 

Available now on the San Carlos Apache Forest Resources Program-Foresty Facebook page! See below for links to both videos. 

Complex Incident Management California Team 4 will assume command of the incident at 6:00pm today, July 19, 2024, in unified command with CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 2

Current Situation:

Yesterday, spot fires along Friday Ridge were successfully contained. Firing operations were completed along Route 1, reinforcing that road as a potential containment line. Crews constructed direct and indirect dozer line along the south and southwest corner of the fire and continued to scout along the west side of the fire for opportunities to go direct. 

Today firefighters will continue with firing operations along Route 1 to reinforce that potential containment line. Crews will mop-up the spot fires to the north to ensure they stay within the footprint of their fire perimeters. Crews will also continue scouting to the north and east of the fire for opportunities to go direct or possibly indirect depending on potential risk to firefighter safety. As a precaution, a structure protection group will be assessing structure protection needs within the communities of Friday Ridge, Willow Creek and South Fork Road. Air resources continue to perform water and retardant drops along the perimeter of the fire. Despite commercial airline disruptions, incident air operations will not be impacted. 

Fire weather includes low humidity recovery along the ridgetops, continued dry conditions, with temperatures in the 80’s along the ridgetops. Winds will be north and northwesterly with gusts up to 10-15 mph during the day.

Fire behavior is expected to be relatively moderate, similar to yesterday with flanking and backing activity to the north. The north side of the fire is burning within the footprint of Ammons fire where the fuels are sparse which results in minimal fire behavior in that area. There is potential for growth to the south of the fire due to the north/northwesterly winds. 

Evacuation Information:

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 currently in effect across the Six Rivers National Forest. 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.

Inicio del Incendio del Lago: viernes, 5 de julio de 2024 a las 3:48 p.m.

Causa: Bajo investigación

Localización: Cerca del lago Zaca, en el condado de Santa Barbara, al norte de Los Olivos, California.

Tamaño en el momento de la actualización: 38.663 acres
Contención: 73%

Personal: 2.055

Detalles completos del incidente: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/calpf-2024-lake-fire

Informe de Incendios de la Zona Norte: El Equipo de Gestión de Incidentes Complejos de California 2 (CA-CIMT2) ha llegado al Incendio Lake y se reunirá hoy con el CA-CIMT13 saliente, antes de asumir el mando del Incendio Lake a las 7 p.m. de esta noche. Un sistema aéreo no tripulado (UAS) fue volado de nuevo ayer para ayudar a los equipos en la localización y extinción de puntos calientes y brasas ardientes. Los vientos cambiantes y una advertencia de calor excesivo pueden aumentar la actividad y el humo visible desde dentro del perímetro del incendio. Las cuadrillas siguen trabajando para asegurar que el fuego no se escape del perímetro existente. La desmovilización o reasignación de recursos continuará a medida que las cuadrillas completen sus tareas y el incendio aumente su contención.

Zona Sur: La reparación de extinción de incendios continúa en la Zona Sur. Pequeñas ocurrencias aisladas de calor permanecen en el interior. Para obtener información más detallada relacionada con el Incendio Lake, visite la Oficina de Manejo de Emergencias del Condado de Santa Barbara.

Previsión para el viernes: Se esperan las condiciones más calurosas y secas en lo que va de semana con máximas en los mediados de los 90 a cerca de 100 bajo pleno sol. Habrá bajos niveles de humedad en todo el incendio.

Donaciones: Agradecemos el apoyo de la comunidad. Pedimos que cualquier donación o esfuerzo voluntario se dirija a los bancos de alimentos locales para ayudar a la comunidad. Los puestos de Comando de Incidentes de Lake Fire no pueden aceptar donaciones.

Cierre del área del incendio del lago: Los caminos y senderos dentro del cierre están cerrados. Consulte la Orden de Cierre y el Mapa de Orden de Cierre.  Esto permanecerá en vigor hasta el 18 de agosto de 2024, o hasta que sea revisado o rescindido.

Humo: A medida que mejoran las condiciones de calidad del aire, el Distrito de Control de la Contaminación del Aire del Condado de Santa Barbara (APCD por sus siglas en inglés) - Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Santa Barbara y el Distrito de Control de la Contaminación del Aire del Condado de Santa Barbara (APCD por sus siglas en inglés) han levantado la Alerta de Calidad del Aire en el Valle de Santa Ynez. La vigilancia de la calidad del aire se mantendrá en todo el condado, y las condiciones de calidad del aire se prevé que sea buena a moderada en todo el condado.

Áreas de evacuación: El Sheriff del Condado de Santa Barbara ha reducido algunas de las órdenes de evacuación y advertencias.  Vea las actualizaciones más recientes: https://www.readysbc.org/4275/Lake-Fire-Incident---July-2024. Regístrese para recibir alertas de emergencia en ReadySBC.org. 

Cierre de carreteras: Visite el Mapa de Cierre de Carreteras del Condado para más detalles.

• Happy Canyon Road en el límite del Servicio Forestal
• Montaña Figueroa justo al norte de la escuela Midland
• Ruta forestal 10N06 
• Zaca Lake Road al este de Foxen Canyon Road.

CURRENT EVACUATION LEVELS FOR THE DURKEE FIRE-

Level 3 (GO NOW) has been issued for the Rye Valley area. Baker County Sheriff's Office personnel is in the area notifying residents.