Incident Commander:  R. Griffin, C. Olander, (T)
Location:  10 miles southwest of Wise River, MT
Start Date: 7/25/2024 
Cause: Undetermined
Size: 3,700 acres 
Resources on Site: 3 hotshot crews; 5 type 2 hand crews; 10 engines; 2 skidgens; 1 dozer
Total Personnel:  290
 

KEY MESSAGES: 
Rocky Mountain Team 3, a Complex Incident Management Team, will be shadowing the current Type 3 Management Team today and taking command of the fire at 0600 Friday morning. Heavy equipment will be working along the Scenic Byway. Continue to slow down, drive 35 miles MPH and yield to firefighting equipment, engines and vehicles. Fire activity and smoke will be visible in the area. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway remains OPEN but there will be intermittent delays and one lane of traffic with heavy equipment and log trucks moving material on and near the Byway. 
 

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS:  
Active fire behavior was observed in the Grouse Lakes basin with short runs and group torching. Crews utilized aviation support in the form of Large Air Tankers and Type One Helicopters on the ridge to the south of Stine Creek, successfully keeping fire from progressing to the north into Stine Creek drainage. Heavy equipment continued fuels reduction work to protect infrastructure from the Harriet Lou Road to the south on the Scenic Byway.
Crews will continue to hold and secure established control lines in the Reservoir Creek drainage and around structures on the fire perimeter. Heavy equipment will continue to construct a fuel break from the Harriet Lou Road progressing to the south. Crews and air resources will look for opportunities to keep the fire along the ridge south of the main Stine Creek drainage.  
 

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:
On Wednesday, wind gusts and low relative humidities were present in the fire area. Thursday is calling for a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. Active fire behavior is expected with smoke visible in the fire area. 
 

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS:
The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has issued an Area/Road/Trail Closure (Closure #01-02-03-24-05) effective July 31, 2024. This Order is for public and firefighter safety during fire suppression efforts of the Grouse Fire. Closure information and maps are posted on the Forests’ website and the fire’s Inciweb page as they are in place. https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtbdf-grouse.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area.
The Forest is in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. Campfires are allowed only in a permanent metal fire grate/ring provided by the Forest Service in a designated, developed recreation site. Smoking is restricted to vehicles, in buildings, or in an area clear of flammable materials. Devices with an on/off switch that use LPG fuels are allowed in an area clear of flammable materials within 3 feet of the device. 
 

Fire Location: 11 miles west of Wapiti, WY
Size: 1,878 acres
Containment: 10%
Personnel: 157
Start Date: 7/19/24
Cause: Lightning
Incident Commander (IC): Ron Steffens, Wyoming Type 3 Team

Summary 
Crews remain working on holding the fire south of Highway 14, west of Pagoda Summer Homes, and east of the UXU Ranch.   

Engines will continue monitoring the highway corridor for smoke and spot fires through the evening.  Fire crews are working diligently to establish control lines while cooler weather conditions are favorable. 

Drivers along Highway 14 should maintain a safe speed in the fire area. The presence of a USFS law enforcement officer in the corridor is helping to manage traffic. Please do not enter closed campgrounds and closed trail areas so firefighters may work safely. These closures are for public and firefighter safety. 

Closures
Elk Fork Campground is closed indefinitely.  Wapiti Campground, and Clearwater Campground are closed until fire conditions allow otherwise. These closures provide public safety and increased access for fire resources. 

A road and trail closure are in effect at NFS Road #424, Elk Fork Road and NFS Trail # 760, Elk Fork Trail. The closure order (#021404-24-03) can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1196718.pdf

A temporary flight restriction is in effect until August 19, 2024. 

Weather | Anticipated Fire Behavior 
In the coming days, cooler temperatures are foreseeable, though gusty winds with thunderstorm outflows could allow growth of the fire, particularly into the south end of the Elk Fork drainage.  The air quality index is forecasted to remain GOOD for the next 48 hours. 

Important Information
Managing the risk to responders and ensuring public safety remain the highest priorities for the incident management team. The Clearwater fire has not been the only fire contributing to the smoke in the air. Smoke from fires in Canada as well as Idaho and the Northwest have been a steady influence across the area for many days. Use the AirNow link to check current conditions and try to plan your outdoor activities when air quality is at a tolerable level.  

The Shoshone National Forest implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions due to very dry conditions of fuels and continued hot, dry weather. A copy of the order (#02-14-04-24-04) can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1197676.pdf

Fire History 
The Clearwater Fire started on Friday, July 19th, 2024, in the vicinity of the Elk Fork drainage. The location of the fire is in very steep and remote terrain that makes direct attack on the fire very difficult for firefighter access and safety. The fire is burning on steep slopes in conifer forest, brush, and dead and down logs.  The fire was caused by lightning.  

Incident Commander:  R. Griffin, C. Olander, (T)

Location:  10 miles southwest of Wise River, MT

Start Date: 7/25/2024 

Cause: Undetermined

Size: 3,500 acres 

Resources on Site: 3 hotshot crews; 5 type 2 hand crews; 10 engines; 2 skidgens; 1 dozer

Total Personnel:  288

KEY MESSAGES: 

Heavy equipment will be working along the Scenic Byway. Continue to slow down, drive 35 miles MPH and yield to firefighting equipment, engines and vehicles. Although precipitation occurred over the fire yesterday, fire activity and smoke will be visible in the area. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway remains OPEN. 

Current Status/PLANNED ACTIONS:  

Active fire behavior was observed in the subdrainage to the south of Stine Creek with short runs and group torching. Hotshot crews completed a critical piece of handline along the north east flank and tied in with natural features near Grouse Lakes. High winds are affecting suppression efforts on the northeast portion of the fire. Heavy equipment began fuels reduction work to protect infrastructure from the Harriet Lou Road to the south on the Scenic Byway. 

Crews will continue to hold and secure established control lines on the fire perimeter around structures. Heavy equipment will continue to construct a fuel break from the Harriet Lou Road progressing to the south. Crews and air resources will look for opportunities to keep the fire along the ridge south of the main Stine Creek drainage.  

Weather and Fire Behavior:

On Tuesday, wind gusts, low relative humidities and thunderstorms were present in the fire area. Wednesday is calling for more thunderstorms developing in the afternoon with gusts up to 35 miles per hour. Active fire behavior is expected with smoke visible in the fire area. 

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS:

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has issued an Area/Road/Trail Closure (Closure #01-02-03-24-05) effective July 31, 2024. This Order is for public and firefighter safety during fire suppression efforts of the Grouse Fire. Closure information and maps are posted on the Forests’ website and the fire’s Inciweb page as they are in place. https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtbdf-grouse.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area.

The Forest is in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. Campfires are allowed only in a permanent metal fire grate/ring provided by the Forest Service in a designated, developed recreation site. Smoking is restricted to vehicles, in buildings, or in an area clear of flammable materials. Devices with an on/off switch that use LPG fuels are allowed in an area clear of flammable materials within 3 feet of the device. 

Johnson Fire Evacuation Warning

Evacuation Warnings For Johnson Creek Fire:

Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton issued Evacuation Warnings for residents of the East Fork area from Little East Fork Road to Teepee Creek due to the Johnson Fire. The Johnson Fire is estimated at approximately 200 acres at this time and is lightning caused. The Bitterroot National Forest has firefighting resources on scene to include air resources to aid in fire suppression efforts and protect private property.

An evacuation warning means residents should:

Prepare to evacuate immediately if the fire conditions worsen and the fire moves closer to private properties.

Residents with health conditions should consider evacuating during this stage.

Livestock and pets should be relocated if at all possible.

Important documents, medications, and family heirlooms should be located and prepared to be moved.

Download the Ravalli County Sheriff’s App for notifications, and register with Hyper-Reach to receive emergency notifications from Ravalli County Office of Emergency Management. The instructions for registering with Hyperlink are available on the Ravalli County website and on the Sheriff’s app.

Information from the Bitterroot National Forest can be found on the Discover Bitterroot National Forest Facebook page.

Currently only the residents from Little East Fork to Teepee Creek are under this warning. As the situation progresses. Deputy Sheriff’s are currently going door to door in the affected area to advise residents and provide information. If evacuations become necessary, every effort will be made to notify residents individually, in addition to emergency notifications via the Sheriff’s App and Hyper-Reach. Residents are asked to get fire information from these sources and not call 911 for fire information requests.

Follow the Ravalli County Sherriff's office on Facebook for most recent updates: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064911871322

Fire Update –Willamette Complex

Chalk, Coffeepot, McKinley, Moss Mountain, Tire Mountain, 208, and 217 Fires

Thursday, August 8, 2024 – 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: (541) 208-1742

Email:2024.mossmountain@firenet.gov

Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Special Note

There will be a community meeting for the Willamette Complex (formerly Oakridge Lightning Fires) and Ore, Slate, and Pyramid Fires on Thursday August 8th at 6:00 pm. The meeting will be at the Thurston High School Auditorium at 333 58th St, Springfield. California CIMT13 assumed management of the Pyramid, Slate, and Ore Fires this morning. Alaska CIMT3 will assume management of the Willamette Complex on Saturday morning as the Rocky Mountain CIMT1 reaches the end of our extended tour of duty.

Current Situation

Yesterday saw some of the driest conditions experienced on the fires to date. Despite this, conditions remained within a range suitable for continued progress on fireline construction and removal of fuels with low intensity firing operations. With three of the smaller fires in the complex contained, and completed lines around two of the larger fires, fire managers are feeling positive, even with the large amount of work still ahead. Lower temperatures and the potential for some moisture beginning on the weekend are further reasons for optimism.

Chalk Fire

Divisions AA and TT: Last night the Firing Group worked until 11:00 pm to remove fuels and developing black line depth along indirect containment lines in the western portions of both of these divisions. This establishes a continuous line around the northern perimeter of the fire, which will now need to be widened and further secured. Today, crews will continue to strengthen and patrol the line and begin filling in a large green island that is inside these containment lines using strategic firing as necessary.

Division KK: Work in this division is nearing completion, but there remains a small amount of cleanup in an interior island. Crews will complete that today and continue securing and patrolling firelines along the entirety of this division.

Coffeepot Fire and Moss Mountain Fire

Divisions PP and RR: There is now fireline around the Coffeepot Fire with containment reaching 19% along the fire’s western edge. Crews are focused on improving and patrolling uncontained firelines to increase containment in the days ahead. Today, crews will also work on cleaning up interior unburned fuels in the southeastern portion of the fire.

Division SS: Fire supervisors are assessing options near the southern end of Moss Mountain Fire to connect the 290 and 2120 Roads with dozer line. This would serve as a check line to prevent westward and southward movement of the fire and potentially reduce future fire growth. Crews have been moved to the area to assist with preparation of the lines.

Division WW: Chipping of fuels along indirect containment lines continued in the western part of the division. Mechanized equipment and hand crews continued prepping the 2300 road as an indirect line, working to the northwest. This multi-day project, which is being closely coordinated with Resource Advisors, will continue today.

Contingency Group: This group continues working with local resources to identify and construct secondary containment lines to protect high value assets existing south of the Coffeepot and Moss Mountain fires.

208 Fire

The 208 Fire in Diamond Peak Wilderness has shown little growth over the past several days. Fire managers plan to aerially assess the fire today, conditions permitting.

217 Fire, Tire Mountain Fire, and McKinley Fire

The 217, Tire Mountain, and McKinley fires are 100% contained and in patrol status.

Weather and Fire Behavior

Last night remained dry with poor humidity recovery. Today, we can expect temperatures in the 80s and minimum relative humidities of 30-40%. Winds will again be light and shifting from southerly to northwest by afternoon. High clouds will begin moving in tonight, and cloud cover with ground level smoke will be present on Friday. The weekend may see some moisture, and winds will remain light throughout the period. Fires should burn actively today, which will aid in removing unburned fuels inside existing containment lines. Fires at higher elevations with more direct sun exposure, like Moss Mountain and 208, may see an uptick in fire intensity.

Evacuations

For evacuation information please visit: https://www.LaneCountyOR.gov/2024wildfires

To sign up for evacuation alerts please visit: https://www.LaneAlerts.org

Closures and Fire Restrictions

Area, road, trail, and recreation site closures are in place on the Willamette National Forest in the vicinity of many active fires. Temporary road barricades are in place to restrict traffic across the fire areas.

For specific closure information follow this link:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd552029

Fire restrictions on the Willamette National Forest may be found at this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=81487

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) are in place over the Chalk and Moss Fires.

Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

For More Information:

Phone: (541) 208-1742

Email: 2024.mossmountain@firenet.gov

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orwif-oakridge-lightning-fires-2024

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakridgeLightningFires2024/

Total Willamette Complex Personnel: 1,061

Fire Cause: Lightning

Location: North & South of Oakridge, OR

Southwest Area Incident Management Team assumes command of Battle Mountain Complex

Total Complex Estimated Acres: 182,604 
Location: Ukiah, Oregon 
Cause: Under Investigation 
Personnel: 1670           
Containment: 48% 
Estimated Cost: $56 million 
Resources:  57 crews | 70 engines | 9 helicopters | 40 water tenders | 25 dozers

Highlights: Southwest Area Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the Battle Mountain Complex last night at 6 p.m. Oregon Department of Forestry Team 3 ensured a smooth transition to the new team who will continue the work to contain the fires. 

Operations: Yesterday afternoon, firefighters ignited small burns in several locations to remove unburned vegetation that remained between control lines and the main fire. On the northside, fire was brought down to the road in Swale Creek to secure that area. Ignitions around Ellis Creek, within the Potamus drainage were also successful. There are still small sections on the northern side where burning may be necessary to secure the fire’s edge and make mop up and patrol more efficient. 

Today, firefighters will look for additional opportunities to secure the fireline with burning operations on the north end. The southern, eastern and western sides of the fire will continue to be mopped up, secured and patrolled. Suppression repair work will also continue. The goal of suppression repair work is to limit the potential impacts of erosion and allow dozer and handline to revegetate. Crews continue to patrol the southern and southwestern sides of the fire and will start to remove any equipment that is no longer needed. The equipment will be cleaned, rehabbed and made available for other fires burning in the area. 

Weather: Increased cloud cover is expected today with isolated showers and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. These potential showers are not expected to bring much rain. Humidities will be slightly higher. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected Friday and Saturday which could bring gusty winds and lightning, including new lightning ignitions around the area. Temperatures are expected to moderate.

Smoke: Smoke from regional fires is expected to persist in the area. Residents can expect to continue to see smoke from interior pockets of unburned fuel as well as small burnout operations. Helicopter resources will patrol the fire and provide bucket-drop support where visibility allows. Additional smoke information: https://linktr.ee/battlemntcomplex2024

Public Land Closures: The Bureau of Land Management and the Umatilla National Forest have closed public lands in the fire area. Visit https://linktr.ee/battlemntcomplex2024 for more information.

Road closures and fire restrictions: https://linktr.ee/battlemntcomplex2024 

Grant, Morrow and Umatilla County Evacuations: https://linktr.ee/battlemntcomplex2024

Falls and Telephone Fires Update for Aug. 8, 2024

Telephone Fire Quick Facts:

Size: 53,487                 Start Date: July 22, 2024                      Location: 12 miles NE of Burns, OR

Containment: 59%     Total Personnel: 504 personnel                     Cause: Lightning/Natural

Resources Assigned: 14 hand crews, 22 engines, 4 bulldozers, 7 water tenders, 4 skidders

Falls Fire Quick Facts: 

Size: 147,403               Start Date: July 10, 2024                    Location: 13 Miles NW of Burns, OR

Containment: 76%     Total Personnel: 553                           Cause: Human-caused, under investigation

Structures Triaged:    Residences: 386 / Commercial: 119 / Outbuildings: 760

Resources Assigned:  25 hand crews, 40 engines, 17 bulldozers, 22 water tenders, 6 masticators, 11 skidders

Sand Mountain Fire Quick Facts:

Size: 7,542                   Start Date: July 25, 2024                    Location: 17 miles SW of Seneca, OR

Containment: 0%       Total Personnel: Staffed by Falls Fire  Cause: Lightning/Natural

Other Fires Quick Facts:

Whiskey Mountain: 4,345 acres / Cow Creek: 86 acres / Parasol: 485 acres / Poison: 1,060 acres / Ritter: 461

Total Personnel: Staffed by Falls Fire   

Aerial resources assigned: Two Type 1 helicopters / One Type 1 Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) assigned and available to all fires in the area

Priorities for Thursday, August 8: 

1. Initial Attack (IA): The potential for new fire starts remains significant; firefighters are ready to respond to any new threats and remain vigilant and focused on IA.
2. West side of the Telephone Fire/King Mountain area
3. Northeast side of the Falls/Sand Fire along the 31 road

Fire Summaries:  Low relative humidity, surface winds, and unstable air continue to drive the potential for moderate fire activity. These conditions are challenging firefighters working to deepen containment lines.

Telephone Fire: The Telephone Fire remained moderately active despite softer winds.  The hard work of both the day and night shifts yesterday resulted in major increases in blackline.  Blackline is a burned-out area of fuel that widens containment lines by ensuring there are no unburned fuels between the fire edge and the fireline.  Crews continued working to build line in the area of earlier fire spread across the 2820 road near King Mountain, making excellent progress and completing the line to 600 Road.  Today, resources will continue to patrol and mop-up, gaining depth on large portions of the fire perimeter, and will work on adding more line in the Pine Creek Canyon area.  Given the large perimeter and ongoing critical fire weather, work is expected to be challenging, but crews remain vigilant and committed to deepening containment lines and securing any problem areas.

Falls/Sand Mountain Fires:  Yesterday, resources continued holding the southern and western perimeters, patrolling and monitoring throughout. The northern perimeter where the Falls Fire joins the Sand Mountain Fire remained the most active.  In the northeast road preparation continued on the southern end of the 31 Road, while on the north end, firefighters secured numerous spot fires.  Crews are preparing to conduct burn out operations on a five-mile section of the 31 Road starting tonight. This is likely to be a long-term effort given the challenging fuel types in the area and dry, potentially windy weather conditions. A burnout operation removes unburned fuel between the containment line and the fire edge to reduce the potential for further fire activity. Burning out also allows better control over the intensity of the fire against the containment line.  With the significant progress made over the recent shifts, crews will also focus on deepening containment lines.  As before, initial attack remains the highest priority to limit new fire activity.

Weather:  Today, slightly cooler temperatures will prevail again. Increasing clouds are expected and conditions will remain seasonably hot and dry with terrain driven winds in the morning. This afternoon, gusts up to 20mph are possible along with increasing air instability. Looking ahead, there is an increased chance of showers and thunderstorms in the region, but that will end before the weekend.

Evacuations: The Harney County Sheriff’s Office is again lowering evacuation levels for the Falls and Telephone Fires 2024 due to the increasing containment of the fires. Downgrading from Level 3 to Level 2 (Be Set):  Zones 025C, 049B and 049C—The area east of the Telephone Fire that includes Pine Creek Road to the bottom of Stinking Water Pass on Highway 20. Refer to the map here https://bit.ly/FallsFireEvac for full details.  Grant County Emergency Management has also reduced its Falls Fire evacuation zones.  The zone South of Swamp Creek Lane and the Burns-Izee Rd. and North of the Harney County line has been downgraded to a Level 2; the zone north of the Harney County line, East of Antelope Creek and South of Logan Valley Lane has been downgraded to a Level 1.

For the most accurate evacuation information, please visit the Harney County Sheriff’s evacuation map here: https://bit.ly/FallsFireEvac, or the Grant County Emergency Management Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068819321423.

Closures:  A closure is in effect for portions of the Malheur National Forest west of 395B, north of Mt. Vernon and south of Long Creek, in the Fox Valley area, including all roads, trails, and camping locations within the fire closure area. Due to control and containment measures portions of the Malheur National Forest previously under the South Area Closure are now reduced.  A detailed map of the closure is available on the Malheur National Forest website (https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/malheur/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1198892) and local in U.S. Forest Service offices.

Investigation: U.S. Forest Service fire investigators are seeking the public’s assistance with any tips or information pertinent to the start of the Falls Fire on the Malheur National Forest. Please submit any information that could assist fire investigation efforts to SM.FS.R6TipHotLine@usda.gov.  

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): TFRs in the area have been changing; pilots should check the latest information on the Federal Aviation Administration TFR website prior to flying: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr_map_ims/html/index.html

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/p/Falls-Fire-2024-61562126623985/

Falls Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ormaf-falls-fire

Telephone Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ormaf-telephone-fire

Fire Information Line: 541-208-4370, staffed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Email: 2024.Falls@firenet.gov

Harney County Non-emergency Evacuation Questions: 541-589-5579

Air Quality Questions: 541-573-2271. Air quality information, searchable by zip code: https://fire.airnow.gov/

Smoke Outlooks: https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook

Incident Commander: David Tingley

Location:  3 miles South of Springer Memorial Community, in the East Fork

Start Date: 7/25/2024    

Cause: Lightning

Size: 270 acres  

Resources on site: 3 Hand Crews, 2 Engines, 2 Heavy Equipment

Current Status and weather

Not much fire activity in the past 24 hours, the fire is still estimated at 270 acres. Yesterday crews finished wrapping the McCart Lookout in protective material (like a giant space blanket). Crews continue to improve contingency lines, and increase plumbing lines with hose-lays. Fire crews are continuing to work on expanding fuel breaks to protect the Springer Memorial Community and upper East Fork areas. Moisture from the past few days continue to prevent fire growth. Below average temperatures will continue for today and into the weekend, but when fuels return to pre-wetting rain conditions, we expect increased fire activity.  

Fire Update –  Pyramid and Slate Fires

Thursday, August 8, 2024 – 9:00 a.m.

California Interagency Incident Management Team 13

Josh Boehm, Incident Commander 

Information Phone: (541) 208-1264 (Hours – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Email: 2024.pyramid@firenet.gov

Special Note: Today there is a community meeting for the Pyramid Fire, Slate Fire, Ore Fire, and Willamette Complex (Oakridge Lightning Fires) on Thursday, August 8th at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Thurston High School Auditorium at 333 58th St., Springfield.

Current Situation: The Pyramid, Slate, and Ore Fires are now being managed by California Interagency Incident Management Team 13. 

Pyramid Fire (1,331 acres, 31% contained)

Fire behavior continues to be high today, and crews will continue to focus on holding and securing the fire perimeter. Crews have installed and are continuing to utilize sprinkler systems to help to ensure control lines hold. Today, firefighters will be improving control line depth and extinguishing hot spots.

Slate Fire (91acres, 99% contained)

Firefighters will continue to patrol and secure the fire perimeter today with the objective of keeping the fire within control lines. Suppression repair operations continue on the Slate Fire again today.  

Weather & Fuel Conditions: Today will continue to be hot and dry. Predicted maximum temperature is 90 to 94 °F in the valleys and 86 to 90 °F on the ridgetops. Predicted minimum relative humidity is 28 to 34 percent in the valleys and 32 to 38 percent on the ridgetops. Fire behavior potential continues to be high today with potential for spotting and torching. Smoke and air quality conditions are available on: AirNow.gov 

Evacuations, Closures & Fire Restrictions:

On July 17th, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Willamette National Forest, issued a Level 3: Go Now Evacuation Alert for the closure area affected. 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). To sign up for evacuation alerts, visit https://www.linnsheriff.org/. 

Area, road, trail, and recreation site closures are in effect in the Willamette National Forest. Specific information is posted at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=61574. 

Fire restrictions are in effect for Willamette National Forest. Read the complete restrictions at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=81487. 

Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Pyramid Fire Statistics:

Size: 1,331 acres      Containment: 31%   

Location: East of Middle Santiam Wilderness

Reported: July 17, 2024                              Cause: Lightning

Slate Fire Statistics:

Size: 91 acres      Containment: 99%     Total Personnel: 65

Location: 5 miles SW of Detroit

Reported: July 23, 2024                          Cause: Undetermined

For More Information:

Information: (541) 208-1264

Email: 2024.pyramid@firenet.gov

Linktree (includes InciWeb and Facebook): https://linktr.ee/2024_Willamette_Complex

Cougar Creek Fire Update for August 8, 2024

Incident Commander Jeff Dimke

Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 12

509-210-2928, staffed 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

2024.cougarcreek@firenet.gov 

Quick Facts:

Size: 20,922 Acres               

Start Date: July 15, 2024        

Cause: Under investigation

Location: SW of Clarkston, 1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde River intersection

Containment: 35%              

Personnel: 483                        

Fire Strategy: Full suppression                      

Resources Assigned: 10 crews, 3 helicopters, 33 engines, 12 water tenders, 14 heavy equipment

There will be a virtual community meeting for the Cougar Creek Fire tonight at 7:30 PM on the Cougar Creek Fire Facebook Page; the meeting will also be recorded and posted on that page. No login or Facebook account is required. You can send questions in advance to 2024.cougarcreek@firenet.gov 

Operations: Firefighters carefully initiated firing operations along FSR 43 yesterday, burning west from the NW corner of the fire perimeter to add depth to containment lines along the road. The aerial UAS platform with a plastic sphere dispenser (PSD) was also used for precision firing in the steep terrain where crews could not safely work. Fire crews also started firing operations north from Saddle Butte late yesterday afternoon but needed to stop the operation later in the evening due to changing conditions and limited resources. There is still a pocket of interior heat burning in the Medicine Springs drainage. Heavy and medium helicopters used water bucket drops to support the firing operation and cool hot spots around the fire perimeter yesterday. Helicopters on the Cougar Creek Fire also assisted the nearby Wolf Fork Fire as well, dropping a combined total of 29,000 gallons of water across both fires. 

Favorable weather conditions are a driving factor in this week’s fire suppression strategy to prevent the fire from entering the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. Yesterday’s winds pushed the flames from the firing operations back towards the fire interior. Firefighters today will focus on extending the recent firing operations along FSR 43 westward to the junction of FSR 40 and the Kelly Camp Spur. Given favorable conditions, firefighters will continue firing operations near Wickiup Campground and around the northwestern corner of the fire southward down FSR 40 toward the Cabin Saddle campground. 

Evacuations and Closures: Forest closure descriptions and maps are available online on the Umatilla National Forest closure website. In Washington, evacuation notices are posted on the Asotin County Sheriff website and Asotin County Emergency Management Facebook website. Grande Ronde Road is closed from Troy, Oregon, to the Highway 129 junction in Washington. A level 2 evacuation remains in effect for all of Grouse Flat. The TFR remains in effect: https://bit.ly/4duptei. Drone activity is prohibited under the TFR as firefighting aircraft cannot fly with unauthorized drones present. Please respect road and area closure orders and use extra caution while driving for your safety as well as our firefighters.

Weather and Smoke: Weak westerly flow today will keep conditions cool and dry, but on Friday the weather pattern will begin to change. Temperatures will be slightly warmer and drier as we enter an extended period of dry weather. Learn more about smoke at http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/.