ODF Team 1 assumes command of Lane 1 Fire, firing operations continue

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. – Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team 1, Incident Commander Hessel, took command of the Lane 1 Fire at 6 p.m. Saturday from the North Carolina Incident Management Team, Incident Commanders Cheek and Hardee. IC Hessel complimented the hard work the team and firefighters have put in the last three weeks and stated, “We will be continuing to build on the plan they created and the work they have accomplished, it’s a good plan!”

Firefighters have continued to make significant progress securing the northern area of the fire and increasing the depth of cold black adjacent to the fireline. Mop up will continue adjacent to the fireline in this area, while islands of unburned fuel in the interior of the fire burn. Generally, fire is moving slowly across the terrain, backing down hill, with short isolated torching and spotting. 

Town Gulch Fire Daily Update

Sunday, August 11, 2024

Fire Information: 541-208-7092, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.          

Town Gulch Fire Facebook: tinyurl.com/ycypw2bt 

Email: 2024.TownGulch@firenet.gov                           

Linktree: linktr.ee/TownGulchFire

Size: 18,552 acres (1,783 reduction)                           Cause: Lightning

Containment: 37 percent                                             Start Date: August 5, 2024

Total Personnel: 308                                                    Structures Damaged or Destroyed: 4

OPEN HOUSE: The Southern Area Blue Team will be hosting an open house today at the Eagle Valley Grange 656 Hall in Richland from 4:00 – 5:30 PM. There will be a short presentation on the fire situation then an opportunity to talk with operations staff, Incident Commanders and others.   

CURRENT SITUATION: The Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces have completed structure protection measures and evacuation levels have begun to diminish. Due to the progress achieved by firefighters working around the clock, the OSFM task forces and its Blue Incident Management Team will return to their home agencies today. 

The size of the fire has been reduced by 1,783 acres. This is a common occurrence on large fires as the fire perimeter is more accurately mapped. Incident resources are walking the fire perimeter to confirm the exact location of the fire’s edge, which results in a more accurate calculation of total acres.  

The north and northeastern sides of the fire are holding the most heat and continue to demonstrate high fire activity. Today, crews will install two hose lays on the northern end of the fire to provide water for crews extinguishing heat near the lines. Yesterday, an interior pocket of unburned fuel north of China Spring ignited. Crews utilized a progressive firing operation to reduce the fuel load. The fire remained within containment lines. Additionally, two secondary containment lines are in place between the community of Halfway and the fire perimeter. Today, a hotshot crew will improve the line around yesterday’s burn out. The west and south sides of the fire are secure, and crews will continue to monitor and patrol this area to ensure no flare ups threaten the line. 

WEATHER: Temperatures are moderating, with a high around 84 today. High temperatures will drop to the high 70s/low 80s throughout the week. Relative humidity will drop to about 17% today. Humidity is showing good recovery at night, climbing into the low to mid 50 percent. This recovery should moderate fire activity allowing crews to continue to make progress on suppressing the fire. As unburned fuels within the fire perimeter continue to ignite, smoke will impact local air quality with the air in Halfway measured as unhealthy. Current air quality information is available on the Oregon smoke blog (https://www.oregonsmoke.org/).

CLOSURES: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest lands, roads, trails, and recreation sites around the Town Gulch Fire are temporarily closed and fire restrictions are in effect. Forest closure orders and maps can be found on the Forest’s “Forest Orders” web page: tinyurl.com/36t4f2t2. 

EVACUATIONS: Baker County Sheriff’s Office has issued Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuations for areas near the fire. Follow the sheriff’s office Facebook page (tinyurl.com/3auvka4j) for the latest evacuation news. Residents may sign up to receive emergency notifications through Baker County ALERT (tinyurl.com/884czdrf).

The Cliff Mountain Fire started by lightning on July 25th in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area just east of Hells Canyon Dam. It is 1,108 acres with 20 percent containment, burning mostly in wilderness. No smoke was observed on this fire yesterday. No personnel are assigned to the fire.
Evacuations: Cuprum is at a Level 2 (SET) evacuation level, per the Adams County Sheriff. Bear and Wildhorse are in a Level 1 (READY) evacuation. For your safety and the safety of firefighters, please stay away from the fire area. Only residents and property owners are allowed in the area until further notice.
Closures: The Payette National Forest issued a Forest Closure to protect public safety and includes, but is not limited to, the following recreation areas: Big Bar, Black Lake, Sheep Rock, Kinney Point and Horse Mountain Lookout. Huckleberry Campground is inaccessible due to county road restrictions. For more information, about the closure visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-limepoint-fire. County roads within the Forest Closure area are accessible to firefighters and local residents only. Forest Road 454, which runs along the Snake River is open, but please drive with caution due to rolling debris.
Restrictions: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in effect for the Payette National Forest and all state, private and BLM lands in the fire area. Under these restrictions, campfires are allowed only in recreation sites within metal fire pits. Fires of any kind are not allowed in any dispersed camping areas.

Fire Information: 917-921-5226, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Media Line: 917-921-5226, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Email: 2024.lightning@firenet.gov
Inciweb Fire Info: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/casqf-2024-sqf-lightning
 

Trout Fire: 23,597 acres | 70% contained 

Long Fire: 9,204 acres | 98% contained
Total Personnel: 171

Trout Fire: Crews will continue to hold and mop-up along Sherman Pass Rd. Transition to damage assessment and suppression repair continues with a group being established to focus on these efforts where needed across both fires. Excess hose and equipment are being inventoried and backhauled. All crews have been extracted in steep country where there will be continued monitoring by air. The fire is burning in sparse fuels under timber understory. With the forecasted weather the fire will struggle to reach the indirect line for the next several days. Fire activity is expected to increase in the afternoon as relative humidity (RH) drops and the sun heats fuels. With west winds, spotting will be less of an issue.

Long Fire: Fire activity remains minimal with containment at 98 percent. The Long fire is being monitored by air. Suppression repair work continues, particularly in the Kennedy Meadows area. Grading operations are completed on Canebrake Rd. Fire suppression equipment is in the process of being inventoried and removed.
 

Weather & Air Quality: A series of troughs moving through the region will lead to increasing winds through the middle of next week. Temperatures will continue to trend down through the period, with steady but low humidities. Max temperatures of 72-82 degrees are expected today with a minimum relative humidity (RH) of 17-27%. West wind speeds of 13-18 mph with gusts of 27 mph are expected after 3pm. On ridges/exposed areas wind speeds of 15-20 mph with gusts of 32 mph are expected. Tonight, minimum temps across the fire will range from 47-61 degrees with RH recoveries between 35-65 percent.
 

Sequoia National Forest & BLM Closures & Restrictions: Sequoia National Forest lands, roads, trails, and recreation sites around the Trout and Long Fires are temporarily closed under Forest Order No. 0513-24-13. All orders, maps, and accompanying appendices can be found on the Forest's website. The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office has temporarily closed Long Valley Campground, Chimney Creek Campground, and portions of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The PCT is closed between Hwy 178 at Walker Pass (mile 653) and the South Fork of the Kern River bridge (mile 717.7).
 

Evacuation Center: The Tehachapi Education Center (126 S. Snyder Ave., Tehachapi) has been placed in a standby status, due to no residents currently utilizing the service. Contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.
facebook.com/SequoiaNF/x.com/SequoiaForest
 

Large-Animal Assistance: The rodeo grounds in Kernville (467 Scodie Ave., Kernville) is available for residents who need to move large animals or livestock. For more information, contact Orion, Kernville Chamber of Commerce, 661-340-0026.
 

Road Closures: The Trout Fire Closure Area boundary begins at the intersection of the Sequoia National Forest Boundary and Sierra Way (Mtn 99) in Section 14, Township 25 South, Range 33 East, Mount Diablo Base & Meridian, then continues approximately 76.5 miles south, east, north, and west along the Forest Boundary to its intersection with the North Fork of the Kern River in Section 1, T. 20 S., R. 34 E., MDB&M, then continues along Mtn 99 approximately 20.3 miles to the starting point. Visit the Forest Service Forest Orders and Forest Regulations website for more info on closures in the Sequoia National Forest.
 

Evacuations: Everyone in areas of active fires should “Know Your Zone.” Go to Genasys Protect to identify the zone you reside in.
•Tulare County has evacuation warnings and advisories in effect due to the Trout and Long Fires. The following zones are under an evacuation advisory: TLC-E250, TLC-E261-A, TLC-E261-B, TLC-E274-A, TLC-E274-B, and TLC-E297-A.

Acres:  43,225                                                                         Start Date: 08/05/24

Location: Lake County, OR                                                  Personnel: 225

Containment: 0%

Highlights: Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 1 assumed command of the Warner Peak Fire this morning at 6 a.m.

Fire Activity: Resources continued working towards establishing and strengthening fire lines on all sides of the Warner Peak Fire yesterday. The hot, dry weather and exceptionally receptive fuels are conducive to rapid fire spread. These conditions reduce the efficacy of retardant and water drops, which work best when crews on the ground can back them up by digging line and addressing hotspots. The steep, rugged terrain in some areas of the Refuge makes access and travel very difficult for firefighters.

On the east side of the fire, crews were able to hold the line along Blue Sky Road. The spot fire that spread to the northeast yesterday at Swede Knoll was slowed by a change in fuels coupled with some strategic retardant drops. It did not grow any further today. To the north, crews continued to secure the Refuge Headquarters and to halt fire spread at the Hart Mountain Road. Crews and bulldozers worked to reinforce the stretch of the Hart Mountain Road from the Refuge entrance south past Hart Lake to The Narrows to act as a control line. Fire behavior was very active on the south side, spreading into Riffle Canyon and towards The Narrows. Firefighters were able to keep it from crossing the Hart Mountain Road with the help of bucket drops from helicopters. Overnight, crews conducted additional firing operations along Hart Mountain Road from the Refuge entrance south to Hart Lake to prevent further growth to the west. 

Closures: The Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge is closed for the safety of the general public.

Weather: Warm and dry conditions will persist today, with temperatures into the high 80s and low relative humidities. Winds from 5-9 miles per hour out of the southwest will impact the fire area in the afternoon. 

Smoke: Wildfire smoke from the Warner Peak Fire may impact the community of Plush. Go to fire.airnow.gov/ to see the latest smoke conditions in your community. 

More Information:

Information Phone Line: 541.208.1770 

Email: 2024.warnerpeak@firenet.gov  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563957367189 

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orshr-warner-peak  

Join us for the Middle Fork Complex, Bulltrout, and Wapiti Fire Community Meeting today at 7pm for an in-person explanation of current fire activity and planned actions on these fires. The Community Meeting will be located at the Crouch Community Center, 1022 Old Crouch Road. 

Join us for the Middle Fork Complex, Bulltrout, and Wapiti Fire Community Meeting today at 7pm for an in-person explanation of current fire activity and planned actions on these fires. The Community Meeting will be located at the Crouch Community Center, 1022 Old Crouch Road.

Willamette Complex North (Ore, Pyramid, Slate Fires)

Community Meeting

There will be a community meeting for the Willamette Complex North on Tuesday, August 13th at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Sweet Home Fire Station located at 1099 Long Street, Sweet Home. The meeting will be live streamed and recorded on YouTube at the 2024 Pyramid and Ore Fire Info - YouTube page.  

A recording of the meeting will be available on Facebook after the meeting is concluded.

Actualización Matutina del Incendio Retreat - 11 de Agosto 

Información sobre incendios: 509-213-4890, de 8 a.m. a 8 p.m.                       
Correo electrónico 2024.Retreat@firenet.gov 
Linktree: linktr.ee/CIIMT14

Situación actual: El corredor de la autopista 12 permanece cerrado a la circulación pública por seguridad de los bomberos y del público. Los grandes árboles debilitados por el fuego siguen suponiendo un riesgo de caída sobre la autopista en momentos inesperados.  A lo largo del corredor de la autopista sigue habiendo focos humeantes y se espera que permanezcan varios días más.

El Equipo 14 de Gestión de Incidentes Complejos de California está gestionando el incendio de Retreat con una estrategia de extinción total, dando prioridad a la seguridad pública y de los bomberos. 

Los bomberos siguen centrándose en asegurar las líneas de control para garantizar que no haya calor ni fuego que amenace la línea. Las cuadrillas también continuarán extinguiendo los focos donde sea necesario. Las fuentes de calor aisladas se extinguirán donde sea seguro introducir a los bomberos. Las cuadrillas de equipos pesados continúan trabajando en el corte de combustible sombreado cerca de las carreteras forestales 1200 y 1201. El cortafuegos sombreado será una línea de control alternativa para proteger las estructuras de la zona del lago Rimrock.  Los bomberos continúan limpiando y patrullando alrededor de las estructuras en Camp Ghormley, Lost Lake Road y el corredor de la autopista 12.

Los bomberos y los organismos locales han empezado a determinar la necesidad de realizar obras de reparación para la extinción de incendios y elaborarán un plan para completarlas en las próximas semanas.

El tiempo: Después de esta última ronda de tormentas, una corriente de aire fresca del oeste se ha establecido.  Esto traerá una tendencia al enfriamiento y el aumento de la humedad de la tarde, junto con una cierta mejora en la recuperación de la humedad durante la noche. El viento del noroeste empezará a aumentar el lunes, tras unos vientos muy débiles durante el fin de semana.

Evacuaciones: Para obtener la información más actualizada sobre evacuaciones, visite el sitio web de Administración de Emergencias del Condado de Yakima en yakimacounty.us/350. 

Cierres por incendio: 

• La US Highway 12 permanece cerrada entre la Y de la Highway 410 y la cima del puerto en el punto kilométrico 151.
• Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Retreat Fire Closure(tinyurl.com/5ext5aec).
• La Región Sureste del Departamento de Recursos Naturales del Estado de Washington (DNR) ha cerrado temporalmente parte del Bosque Estatal de Ahtanum. El público puede acceder a la información más actualizada sobre el cierre en dnr.wa.gov/ahtanum.
• El Departamento de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Washington ha cerrado al acceso público la mayor parte de la zona silvestre de Oak Creek debido al incendio Retreat Fire hasta el 23 de agosto de 2024. Más información en tinyurl.com/bdet7845.

Calidad del aire y humo: Las perspectivas sobre la calidad del aire y el humo pueden consultarse en airnow.gov.