There is a FALSE news story being circulated about the Swawilla Fire, The 560 KPQ 101.7 released a FALSE story about 28 burned homes on the Swawilla Fire. The Incident Public Information Officers can assure you that this story is FALSE.  Please call us if you need additional information. 509-800-7550

Daily Morning Update for the Park Fire, Thursday, 08-01-2024 

For more information, please visit: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/24/park-fire  

On July 24th, 2024, the Park Fire started near Bidwell Municipal Park in Chico, Ca., and began to spread rapidly. As the fire moved north, it quickly moved through the 41,000-acre Ishi Wilderness and onto the Lassen National Forest.

Firefighters are working aggressively and attacking this fire under a full-suppression strategy.

___________ 

The current acreage is 392,480 total: 

• Butte County: 52,999 acres 
• Tehama County: 339,481 acres 

CAL FIRE: The fire has been active in the northeast portion of the incident. Additional resources have arrived to assist in our efforts from Utah and Texas.  

Today will mark the first of several days where fire weather will become increasingly critical. Temperatures will rise from the upper 90s to the lower 100s. Daytime humidity will fall to upper teens today. Winds will be drier out of the south, but speeds will be close to previous days. There is increased instability in the north where we will see columns and plumes of smoke.  

A warm air mass is predicted to enter the area Friday through Saturday with the potential for thunderstorms and erratic winds.  

Lassen National Forest: Winds are anticipated to increase today ahead of predicted thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday. This could impact the well-established fire activity in the Deer Creek and Mill Creek Canyons. Preparations have been completed around the community of Mill Creek. The Turner Mountain Lookout has also been enhanced in the event the fire approaches that area. 

Crews continue to work in areas of lava rock, steep drainages, and other difficult terrain.   

Damage Inspection Teams are at 85% completion of their assessments. These numbers are updated twice daily.  

Between both counties, there are *483 destroyed structures and *47 damaged structures. *The total number destroyed and damaged includes infrastructure. 

Butte County 

• No damage: 752 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures) 

• Damaged: 43 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures) 

• Destroyed: 356 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures) 

Tehama County 

• No damage: 244 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures) 

• Damaged: 4 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures) 

• Destroyed: 127 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures 

Size / Tamaño: 891 acres    

Start Date / Fecha de inicio: July 20, 2024 / 20 de julio de 2024

Cause / Causa: Human – Under Investigation / Humana, a ser determinada 

Location / Ubicación: 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR / 6 millas al SE de Cascade Locks, OR

Containment / Contención: 0%   

Fuels / Combustibles: Scrub oak, timber, and grass / Arbustos de roble, restos de madera y césped

Total Personnel / Personal total: : 333    

Highlights / Aspectos destacados:

Moderate fire behavior was observed over the fire yesterday.  A ridge of high pressure will build over the region today bringing warmer and drier temperatures to the area. Visible increased smoke production is expected. There have been no recent IR flights over the fire. The acreage size of the fire will be updated as information becomes available.

Ayer, la actividad del fuego fue moderada sobre el incendio. Hoy se formará una cresta de alta presión sobre la región, que traerá temperaturas más cálidas y secas a la zona. Se espera un aumento visible de humo. No ha habido vuelos IR recientes sobre el incendio. Se actualizará el tamaño de la superficie del incendio a medida que la información esté disponible.

Operations / Operaciones:

Crews continue to do good work preparing containment lines and clearing roads and trails to the south along the Rainy-Wahtum Trail #409 from Rainy Lake to Wahtum Lake and continuing to the PCT approximately one mile to the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire burn area. Crews are clearing thick brush along roads with the assistance of masticators to create fire breaks. To the east of the fire, crews continue to strengthen contingency lines. These lines will potentially be utilized for a firing operation over the weekend. The communities in Hood River should expect to see increased smoke from Whisky Creek Fire due to those potential firing operations.

Las cuadrillas siguien realizando un buen trabajo preparando líneas de contención y limpiando caminos y senderos hacia el sur a lo largo del sendero Rainy-Wahtum Trail # 409 desde Rainy Lake hasta Wahtum Lake y continuando hasta el PCT aproximadamente una milla hasta el área quemada por el incendio Eagle Creek de 2017. Las cuadrillas están removiendo la maleza densa a lo largo de las carreteras con trituradoras para crear cortafuegos. Las cuadrillas al este del incendio siguen reforzando las líneas de contingencia. Posiblemente se usen estas líneas para una operación de quema el fin de semana. Las comunidades de Hood River deben esperar ver un aumento de humo como resultado del incendio Whisky Creek debido a esas posibles operaciones de quema. 

Fire Behavior and Weather / Clima e intensidad del incendio: 

Warmer and drier temperatures are predicted to move into the region today and is expected to increase fire activity and smoke production.

Hoy se espera que temperaturas más cálidas y secas se desplacen a la región lo que aumentará la actividad de los incendios y la producción de humo. 

Road and Trail Closures / Caminos y vías cerrados: 

The Mt. Hood National Forest and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area have expanded a joint emergency closure for the fire area to include the Pacific Crest Trail and areas south of I-84. Closure information can be found at: Whisky Creek Fire Closures in Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. Hood River County has closures in effect for Kingsley Campground, Kingsley Road, Dead Point Road, and Green Point Road viewable on their website.

El Bosque Nacional Mt. Hood y el área escénica nacional del río Columbia emitieron un cierre conjunto de emergencia sobre la zona del incendio e incluyeron el Pacific Crest Trail y las áreas al sur de la I-84. Puede encontrar más información sobre los cierres en: Cierres por el incendio Whisky Creek en los espacios naturales de Mark O. Hatfield. Puede ver los cierres vigentes en el condado Hood River para el área de acampar Kingsley Campground, Kingsley Road, Dead Point Road y Green Point Road en sus páginas web.

Total Fire Resources Assigned / Total de recursos asignados al incendio:
•    Approx. 333 personnel/personal, 9 hand crews/equipos de obreros, 5 water tenders/tanques de agua, 3 dozers/topadoras, 5 masticators/trituradoras  and 1 helicopter/helicóptero.

Contact Information / Información de contacto:
Email / Correo electrónico: 2024.whiskycreek@firenet.gov
Phone / Teléfono: 541-208-1743 8 A.M - 8 P.M
 

Malheur National Forest Southern Area Closure 

John Day, Prairie City and Hines, Ore. (August 1, 2024) — The Malheur National Forest has issued a new area closure. To protect public health and safety, fire managers have closed the area described below due to fire activity and fire suppression operations. This closure will be effective August 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024, unless rescinded sooner. This Forest Order rescinds and replaces the previous Falls Area Fire Closure #3 and the Temporary Malheur Forest Closure Order. 

Closure Area Description: 

• South of Grant County Road 63 following the National Forest boundary to Highway 395C, south of Seneca. 

• Highway 395C south of Seneca following the National Forest Boundary to Forest Service Road 1600 to the eastern boarder of the Malheur National Forest. All National Forest lands to the south of Forest Service Road 1600. 

• The entirety of the Emigrant Creek Ranger District on the Malheur National Forest.

Map of the closure area is included in the attached pdf file. 

Size: 1,311 acres

Start Date: July 22, 2024

Cause: Undetermined

Location: 5 miles west of Mosier, OR

Containment:  79%

Fuels: Brush, timber, and grass

Highlights:

Firefighters were able to achieve containment along the west and east lines and along Interstate 84 increasing containment to 79%. The fire size remains at 1,311 acres. Hot and dry conditions are forecasted for today and residual pockets of vegetation will continue to burn producing visible flame and smoke. 

Operations:

Today, crews may conduct a tactical burning operation on an interior island of green vegetation. Mosier and the surrounding communities will see a temporary increase in the amount of smoke within the fire area.

Crews will continue to monitor the entire fire’s perimeter to ensure continued security of lines, extinguish hot spots where accessible, and work to increase containment from Old Hwy 30 to I-84. 

Fire Behavior and Weather:

Record high temperatures are expected and a heat advisory has been issued. Fuels will be dry and interior pockets of unburnt vegetation may produce smoke.  Drivers are asked to please use caution on Interstate 84 as firefighters are still working in the area.

Evacuations:

Level 2 and 1 evacuations remain in effect Wasco County: https://www.facebook.com/WascoCountySheriff 

Level 2 and 1 evacuations remain in effect for Hood River County: https://www.facebook.com/hrcso 

Road and Trail Closures:

For public and firefighter safety, there are closures in place for The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail and for roads in Hood River County. Details of these closures are available on their websites: https://www.hoodrivercounty.gov/closures and https://stateparks.oregon.gov/

To stay informed on the most up-to-date road conditions on Interstate 84, visit https://tripcheck.com/ 

Total Fire Resources Assigned:

• Approx. 167 personnel, 4 hand crews, 9 engines, 2 water tenders, 2 dozers, and 1 skidder.                                   

Contact Information: 

Email: 2024.microwavetower@firenet.gov,

Phone: 541-208-1744, 8 A.M - 8 P.M 

Durkee Fire Information 

Community Meeting

Friday, August 2, 2024 @ 6:00 p.m. PDT

We invite you to receive the latest information on the Durkee Fire from the current incident management team and connect with local agency representatives. 

Churchill School, 3451 Broadway St., Baker City, OR 97814

Fire Info Line: 541-208-4371

A recording of the meeting will be available on the Durkee Fire Facebook page after the event.

Actualización diaria del incendio Pioneer                   

1 de agosto de 2024

Datos clave

Tamaño:  33,761                 

Fecha de inicio: 8 de junio de 2024    

Ubicación: 31 millas al NO de Chelan, WA

Contención: 12%               

Personall: 685                       

Causa: De orígen humano, a ser determinada

Recursos asignados:  8 crews, 4 helicopters,  28 engines,  28 water tenders,  17 heavy equipment

El Equipo 3 del Noroeste se está preparando para transicionar los incendios Pioneer e Easy al Equipo 15 de California. Hoy se informará al equipo entrante sobre la situación actual y los objetivos operativos y el sábado tomará el mando del incendio.

SITUACIÓN ACTUAL: Los bomberos han protegido con éxito los muelles, las casas y otras infraestructuras, a la orilla del lago, desde Safety Harbor hacia el norte hasta la desembocadura del arroyo Fourmile. Ya está contenido la mayor parte del borde del incendio a lo largo de la orilla del lago. Ayer continuaron las operaciones de neutralización y el patrullaje alrededor de las estructuras entre Flick Creek y Fourmile Creek. Se insertó una cuadrilla con éxito en el extremo noroeste del incendio, entre Fourmile Creek y Hazard Creek, y trabaja para suprimir los focos de calor, coordinando con los recursos de aviación que vierten agua. Continúa el trabajo de protección estructural y comunitaria alrededor de Stehekin donde los bomberos trabajan para mejorar las líneas de protección comunitaria, al crear un espacio defendible alrededor de las estructuras, removiendo árboles peligrosos e instalando bombas y rociadores. Se han instalado 16 millas de manguera por toda el área de Stehekin.

Ayer los bomberos de nuevo no detectaron ninguna actividad de calor o fuego en el desague de Lone Fir. Al sur del incendio, las cuadrillas han preparado líneas de contingencia a lo largo de Nelson y Coyote Ridge para usarse en caso de que el fuego se desplace más al sur y hacia Manson. Estas líneas se conectan con Cooper Ridge Road, donde las cuadrillas han minimizado los combustibles mediante la trituración y la eliminación de la vegetación para crear una división de combustible. Continúa el trabajo en los caminos para mantener la entrada y salida de los equipos contra incendios. Anoche el equipo de gestión de incidentes realizó una reunión comunitaria en Manson. Una grabación de la reunión se puede ver en la página de Facebook sobre información del incendio Pioneer.

ACTIVIDADES DE HOY: Los bomberos insertados ayer en el área de Fourmile Creek y Hazard Creek siguieron extinguiendo los focos de calor y coordinando con los recursos de aviación que vierten agua. Sus esfuerzos combinados crean una acción para frenar el avance del fuego hacia el norte. Las operaciones de neutralización y el patrullaje a lo largo de la orilla del lago continuará. En Stehekin, los bomberos continuarán tomando medidas para proteger a la comunidad, lo que incluye el trabajo en espacios defendibles e instalando bombas, mangueras y rociadores. También continuarán preparando y mejorando las líneas de contingencia indirecta al sur del incendio.

CLIMA Y HUMO: Vendrán condiciones climáticas cada vez más calurosas y secas desde el día hoy hasta el fin de semana, con una probabilidad pequeña de tormentas eléctricas el viernes. Seguirá anormalmente cálido con períodos de vientos ventosos en el lago. Se ha emitido una alerta de calor excesivo para el viernes y el sábado. Consulte el Pronóstico actual del humo para el centro norte de Washington (airfire.org) para más información sobre el humo y la calidad del aire.

EVACUACIONES:  Los niveles 1, 2 y 3 de evacuación siguen vigentes alrededor del incendio Pioneer. Visite https://t.ly/QoH9w para tener más información.

CIERRE DEL BOSQUE: Cierres vigentes del Parque nacional North Cascades: https://www.nps.gov/noca/index.htm

El Bosque Nacional Okanogan-Wenatchee ha emitido una orden de cierre sobre gran parte del área afectada por el incendio: https://bit.ly/PioneerClosure. Las fogatas están prohibidas. Hay una restricción temporal de vuelo (TFR, en inglés) sobre el área del incendio: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6779.html. La actividad de drones no autorizados está prohibida por la TFR.

 InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wases-pioneer 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560760893080 

Línea de información sobre el incendio: 541-861-5808, de 8 AM a 8 PM

Correo electrónico: 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov

Durkee Fire Update for Thursday, August 1, 2024

DURKEE FIRE

• Size: 293,882 acres                             
• Containment: 58%                
• Location: 1 mile west of Durkee, OR
• Start Date: July 17, 2024                   
• Personnel: 475
• Cause: Lightning

DURKEE FIRE PUBLIC MEETING – FRIDAY AUGUST 2, 2024, at 6 p.m. PDT

On Friday August 2 at 6 p.m. PDT a public meeting on the Durkee Fire will be held at the Churchill School, 3451 Broadway St., Baker City, OR.

Current Situation

Please drive carefully near firefighters and equipment in the fire area to allow them to work safely. 

Yesterday’s weather was warmer and drier than expected causing smoke and smoldering in interior pockets of unburned fuels. Firefighters responded to a flareup southeast of Stump Spring Butte and east of Chicken Peak. This small area was well inside containment lines. Despite the conditions, firefighters did not detect much heat near the edges of the fire but were prepared to respond if necessary. On the north side of the fire, crews continued mopping up after previous strategic firing operations, finding some heat as temperatures rose and fuels dried out. Firefighters cold trailed northwest of Clarksville and up Shirttail Creek to Rye Valley where they are still finding heat under junipers. Crews continued removing excess structure protection equipment where it is no longer needed. In the I-84 corridor and on the west and south side of the fire, firefighters patrolled and mopped up, looking closely for heat in the riparian areas where green fuels can ignite and spread fire rapidly. Aviation resources again supported the nearby Badlands Complex and Falls Fire.

Crews began to plan for suppression repair. This involves returning firelines and other areas disturbed by wildfire suppression operations to as natural a state as is practical to minimize erosion.

Today, increased fire activity is expected as the warming and drying trend continues. Firefighters will remain vigilant for flareups of unburned pockets of fuel in the interior. An initial attack contingency crew is available for quick response. Crews will patrol and monitor the edges of the fire, mopping up hotspots to strengthen containment lines and cold trailing to ensure no heat remains. Aircraft will be available to respond as needed and for a potential reconnaissance flight on the northwest side of the fire. Marathon Petroleum Corporation will be flying a survey mission to check for damage on their pipeline on the east side of the fire.

Weather and Fire Behavior

The dramatic drop in relative humidity will continue today. Minimum relative humidity is expected to be 17-20% with conditions becoming increasingly unstable in the afternoon. Temperatures will climb to around 102 degrees, with a rapid warmup to 107 degrees by Friday. Overnight temperatures will steadily increase with lows of 70-74 degrees expected. An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for Friday and Saturday. Dry thunderstorms are possible Saturday night into Sunday and potentially Monday, producing wind and lightning with little rain.

Evacuations

The Malheur County Sheriff’s Office (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069245917855) and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064434892363) have issued evacuation orders for multiple areas during the Durkee Fire. Please continue to be vigilant and stay tuned to their Facebook pages for the latest information. Weather patterns and fire activity may lead to an increase in evacuation levels.

Residents in Level 3 Evacuations “GO NOW” should leave immediately and not return to their property until evacuation levels are lowered. Carry enough supplies to support you and your family for multiple days. A real-time map of fire evacuations is available on the State of Oregon Fire Dashboard (https://www.arcgis.com/apps/instant/portfolio/index.html?appid=22d04c007866419c91ccf00d097526c8).

Closures:

• The Baker County Sheriff's Office has closed Burnt River Canyon Road to non-local, non-emergency traffic.
• I-84 and other highways: Please go to tripcheck.comfor current road closures as the situation is dynamic and subject to change.
• A burn ban is currently in effect for all of Malheur County (https://www.malheurco.org/category/public-notices), and all Bureau of Land Management lands in Malheur and Baker counties.
• A temporary flight restriction remains in effect over the Durkee Fire. More information is available at https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6061.html. Please remember, if you fly we can’t! If a drone or other aircraft enters the air space, all firefighting aircraft will be grounded.

Additional Resources:

• For current air quality information, visit fire.airnow.gov.
• Weather and fire behavior could impact transportation, power transmission, cell service and other utilities. Monitor IdahoPower.com for information.
• Post-fire resources for eastern Oregon livestock and agricultural producers are available. For immediate assistance associated with livestock, forage, and crop losses contact your county’s USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. Learn more about these and other disaster relief programs at www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery/wildfire and contact your FSA Service Center.
• For technical expertise regarding livestock, post-fire rehabilitation and land management, call Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center at (541) 573-8900.
• Questions related to agriculture and natural resources, family and community health, and more may be directed to the OSU Extension Service office in your county (https://extension.oregonstate.edu/find-us).
• If you don’t have access to a computer and/or internet connection, Extension offices house Ag Disaster Relief Resource Computers, which are available to producers to access federal/state relief programs.
• Oregon Wildfire Response & Recovery website (wildfire.oregon.gov/recovery) provides guidance on topics including wildfire insurance, filing a homeowners claim after the fire, returning to a home that survived a fire, replacing lost or missing documents and next steps for people whose homes or businesses burned.
• For longer term management needs, contact the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) field office in your county to explore current funding/technical support available and inform future program offerings in your county. Go to www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/oregon/whats-available-in-my-county.