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.

Retreat Fire Morning Update - August 11, 2024

Fire Information: 509-213-4890, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Email: 2024.Retreat@firenet.gov 
Linktree: linktr.ee/CIIMT14      

Current Situation: The Highway 12 corridor remains closed to public travel for firefighter and public safety. Large fire weakened trees continue to pose a risk of falling on the highway at unexpected times.  Smoldering hot spots remain along the highway corridor and are expected to remain for several more days.

California Complex Incident Management Team 14 is managing the Retreat Fire under a full suppression strategy, prioritizing public and firefighter safety. 

Firefighters continue to focus on securing the control lines to ensure no heat or fire threatens the line. Crews will also continue to extinguish hotspots where needed. Isolated heats sources will be extinguished where it is safe to insert firefighters. Heavy equipment crews continue work on the shaded fuel break near Forest Roads 1200 and 1201. The shaded fuel break will be an alternative control line to protect structures in the Rimrock Lake area.  Firefighters continue to mop up and patrol around the structures at Camp Ghormley, Lost Lake Road, and the Highway 12 corridor.

Firefighters and local agencies have begun identifying the need for fire suppression repair work and will be working on a plan to complete the work in the coming weeks.

Weather: After this last round of thunderstorms, a cool westerly flow has set up. This will bring a cooling trend and increased afternoon humidity, along with some improvement in overnight humidity recovery. Northwest wind will start increasing Monday, after some very weak winds over the weekend.

Evacuations: For the most up-to-date information on evacuations, please visit the Yakima County Emergency Management website at yakimacounty.us/350. 

Fire Closures: 

• US Highway 12 remains closed between the Y at Highway 410 and the summit of the pass at milepost 151.
• Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Retreat Fire Closure (tinyurl.com/5ext5aec).
• The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Southeast Region has temporarily closed part of the Ahtanum State Forest. The public can access the most up-to-date closure information at dnr.wa.gov/ahtanum.
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed the majority of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area to public access due to the Retreat Fire until August 23, 2024. More information can be found at tinyurl.com/bdet7845.

Air Quality and Smoke:  Air quality and smoke condition outlooks can be found at airnow.gov.

Retreat Fire PIO Map - August 11, 2024

Sun, 08/11/2024 - 10:42

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Retreat Fire PIO Map - August 11, 2024

Retreat Fire PIO Map for August 11, 2024

Incident Commander:  Rick Connell, Northern Rockies Team 5

Middle Fork Complex Location: 9 miles east of Garden Valley, ID   

Bulltrout Location: 15 miles WNW of Stanley, ID                  Wapiti Location: 2 miles southwest of Grandjean, ID

Start Dates:  07/24/24 – 08/06/2024

Cause: Lightning

Size:                                       

Bulltrout: 271 acres                         Wapiti: 2279 acres

Middle Fork Complex:                    Bulldog: 1546 acres              Anderson: 1501 acres            Nellie: 900 acres

Containment:                                

Middle Fork Complex: 0%                                       Bulltrout:  73%                           Wapiti: 0%

Resources on site:      

Middle Fork Complex: 1 hotshot crew; 7 type 2 hand crew; 10 engines

Wapiti: 1 type 2 hand crew; 3 engines

Bulltrout: 1 engine

Total Personnel:                  Middle Fork Complex: 305             Bulltrout: 3   Wapiti: 33

KEY MESSAGE:

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. 

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS: 

Middle Fork Complex: The Middle Fork Complex is comprised of Bulldog, Nellie, and Anderson fires. On the Bulldog Fire, firefighters are thinning and trimming to remove flammable debris along the Middlefork Road (FS 698). The strategic firing operations along the south side of the fire last night was successful. Additional strategic firing actions are planned on the southeast corner of the fire tonight and crews are burning the fuels between the active fire edge and the constructed control line. This fire suppression tactic is an effective method of reducing the available fuels ahead of an active fire edge, while reducing the potential resource damage caused when high-severity fire occurs on timbered slopes. 

The public is reminded that the Middle Fork Road is closed at the Forest Service boundary just south of Lightning Creek. The Nellie and Anderson fires are burning in remote, rugged terrain and firefighters are searching for opportunities to engage those fires safely. Yesterday, a new lightning caused fire between Anderson and Nellie was initial attacked and contained at 0.25 acre. Today, firefighters are planning on wrapping the Deadwood Lookout by wrapping it in fire resistant material. 

Wapiti Fire: Firefighters continue to ensure the structures in the Summer Homes area are protected with defensible space, water pumps, and sprinklers. 

Bulltrout Fire: Crews will continue patrolling the fire area, repairing areas affected by suppression efforts, and extinguishing pockets of heat in the interior of the fire on the south side of the fire. 

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:

After a night of good overnight relative humidity recovery, conditions will be drier today and the inversion will lift by mid-afternoon. General winds will continue to be westerly around 3-7 mph with gusts of 10-12 mph. Late tonight, thunderstorms and showers are possible. This pattern will remain in place through Monday. Fire activity will continue to spread west and north in the South Fork Payette River drainage, and east and south into the Wapiti Creek drainage with spotting and group torching into receptive dead fuels. 

CLOSURES, RESTRICTIONS, AND EVACUATIONS:

Middle Fork Complex: The Boise County Sheriff's Office continues to maintain the Level 2 evacuation notice for residents on and near the Middlefork Road between Stump Ranch Road up to Tie Creek Campground. The Boise National Forest issued areas closure for the fire area on August 8th (Closure #0402-06-58 and Closure # 0402-06-57).

Wapiti Fire: The evacuation order for Summer Homes and the Sawtooth Lodge remain in effect for the Wapiti Fire, as does the area closure issued by the Sawtooth and Boise National Forests (Closure #0402-05-92 effective July 27, 2024). This Order is for public and firefighter safety during fire suppression efforts of the Wapiti Fire. 

Bulltrout Fire: The Bull Trout Fire Area Closure (0402-05-91) remains in effect for the roads, trails, and area surrounding the Bull Trout Fire. Boise National Forest issued this Order on July 27, 2024. It will be rescinded as soon as it is safe to do so. 

Closure information and maps are posted on the Forests’ website and the fire’s Inciweb page as they are in place. https://tinyurl.com/2u8v3pf7 

The Boise National Forest, Idaho Department of Lands, and Bureau of Land Management are in Stage 1 fire restrictions on state, endowment, private and federal lands within the West Central Mountains Fire Restrictions Zone. For more information on the restrictions and a map visit: 

https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions-finder/     

Interior burning increases Crazy Creek Fire acreage; winds to test northeast perimeter

Daily Update August 11, 2024

Fire Information Phone: 541-208-1768 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 

Email: 2024.crazycreek@firenet.gov 

Acres*: Crazy Creek – 82,279; 60% contained
               Kitty Creek – 73; 100% contained

*Acreage changes may occur due to overnight operations and infrared mapping. 

Location: Crazy Creek: 5 miles north of Paulina, Oregon; 498/Kitty Creek: 7 miles south of Mitchell, Oregon 

Start Date: July 22, 2024            Personnel: 641                                             

Resources: 15 crews | 1 helicopter | 29 engines | 11 bulldozers | 15 water tenders | 3 masticators | 27 skid steers 

Highlights: While the number of burned acres increased by 1,194 acres from Saturday morning to a total of 82,279 acres today, the Crazy Creek Fire’s perimeter remained the same. Containment also stayed at 60 percent. The increased acreage was attributed to pockets of vegetation that burned inside the fire’s existing perimeter.

Crews made good progress in fortifying the fire’s containment lines to the south, west, and north by extinguishing isolated hot spots and clearing flammable debris using hand tools and control burning tactics. Containment lines widened in some areas as much as 100 feet. 

To the northeast, rugged terrain and intense fire behavior relegated firefighters to indirect suppression tactics, constructing containment lines further away from the active fire and conducting backfiring operations overnight, where crews burned vegetation from containment lines inward toward the fire to reduce available fuels. Winds forecasted out of the southwest today are expected to challenge this section of the fire, which remains mostly uncontained.

Evacuations: Evacuation orders remain in effect for areas in Crook and Wheeler Counties for areas in or near the fire. Level 3 evacuations have extended from the Forest Boundary to Highway 380. Level 2 evacuations have extended south of Highway 380. For further information, please refer to the Crook County Office of Emergency Management evacuation map. 

Weather: Hot, dry weather continues through the weekend across the region with temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s, light wind and low humidity. 

Importance of Fire Prevention: All public lands in Central Oregon, including the Ochoco National Forest, are in Stage 2 Public Use (Fire) Restrictions. All open flames, including woodstoves and charcoal briquette fires, are prohibited. In times of high fire danger, it is crucial for everyone to follow prevention measures to avoid additional strain on overburdened resources. 

Fire Restrictions and Closures: The Ochoco National Forest has implemented a forest closure for the Paulina Ranger District. The Bureau of Land Management has issued a temporary closure for public lands in Crook and Grant Counties. 

More Information: 

InciWeb:  https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orocf-crazy-creek 

Facebook: Facebook.com/Crazy Creek Fire

Central Oregon Wildfire Information: https://centraloregonfire.org/  

Crook County Emergency Information Map: https://arcg.is/1ij0vb  

Fire
On the Whisky Creek Fire, crews complete and monitor indirect handlines while helicopters with buckets drop water directly on any active fire. Today, winds will be westerly and temperatures in the upper 80s are expected. The Whisky Creek Fire is currently 1743 acres. The Sandstone fire is creeping and smoldering within the perimeter of a wildfire that burned in 2006. Some increased fire activity is expected this afternoon. An indirect suppression strategy is currently being explored. The fire is 612 acres in size. On the Williams Mine Fire, west winds and drier will increase fire activity. The fire is 7297 acres in size.

Fuego
En el Incendio Whisky Creek, los equipos completan y monitorean líneas de defensa indirectas mientras que los
helicópteros con cubos de agua arrojan agua directamente sobre cualquier fuego activo. Hoy, se esperan vientos del oeste y temperaturas en los 80 grados. El Incendio Whisky Creek tiene actualmente 1,671 acres. El Incendio
Sandstone está avanzando lentamente y ardiendo dentro del perímetro de un incendio forestal que ocurrió en 2006. Se espera cierta aumento en la actividad de fuego esta tarde. Actualmente se está explorando una estrategia de supresión indirecta. El incendio tiene un tamaño de 513 acres. En el Incendio Williams Mine, los vientos del oeste aumentarán la actividad de fuego hasta el sábado. El domingo, condiciones más húmedas podrían limitar la actividad de fuego y la producción de humo. El incendio tiene un tamaño de 5,549 acres.

Smoke
Winds will be more westerly and clear smoke in much of the outlook area. Winds are expected to remain westerly
through the period. Air quality will generally be between Good to Moderate for much of the smoke outlook area with localized areas of smoke pooling for locations nearest to the Williams Mine, Whisky Creek, and Sandstone Fires.

Humo
El sábado, los vientos serán más del oeste y despejarán el humo en gran parte del área dentro de la perspectiva. Se espera que los vientos permanezcan del oeste durante el fin de semana, con la posibilidad de acumulación durante las horas de la noche, lo que aumentará las concentraciones de humo en áreas localizadas. En general,
la calidad del aire será de Buena a Moderada en gran parte del área dentro de la perspectiva de humo, con áreas
localizadas de IGS en las ubicaciones más cercanas los incendios Williams Mine, Whisky Creek y Sandstone.

The Homestead Complex includes seven fires totaling 3,841 acres with an overall containment of 14%. There are 519 personnel currently working on the fire. Fire managers continue directing resources to fires based on threats to property, infrastructure, industry, and areas with the highest probability of success while providing for firefighter and public safety. The fire is being managed by Northwest Incident Management Team 8.

Yesterday, on the No Man (1,465 acres) and Salmon 33 (239 ac.) Fires, crews and heavy equipment continued primary and indirect line construction along the south side of No Man and the west side of Salmon 33. To the northern side of those fires, crews focused on securing line with indirect firing operations from dozer line to the road system and the division break west of No Man and got within 300 feet of their objective as the fire held inside control lines. Night shift then completed that task around 3 a.m. Sunday. On Horse Heaven Creek Fire (1,096 ac.), heavy equipment was brought in from other areas of the complex to focus on road prep and contingency line construction as the fire continued to move north and east. Smoke continues to cause major visibility issues in this area. The Fuller Lake Fire (295 ac.) continued backing down to the 5851 Road on the east side of Fuller Lake. Firefighters used UTV's on the Bullpup Fire (389 ac.) to scout east in the 300 Road area for the expected fire growth toward that control line. Strengthening of the control lines and tree felling operations continue on this fire. On the Reynolds Butte Fire (333 ac), a hot spot off the 210 Road was worked on and secured along the fire’s edge. 

Today, on the No Man Fire, firefighters will be working to hold the now-completed control line on the northern side of the fire and push their progress along the 3821 Road when opportunity allows. Crews are seeking to increase containment to the south and will continue tree-felling operations and road prep to the west along primary control lines. The Salmon 33 Fire has shown some minimal growth to the north, and crews today will focus on tying in that portion of line to keep the fire within its footprint. On the Horse Heaven Creek Fire, smoke continues to be thick in the area and make for slow progress. Crews will be focusing on the Windy Creek area today, plumbing handline and being prepared for when visibility improves. Contingency line operations are ongoing off the 5850 Road and the 010 spur down the ridgeline to the southeast. On the Bullpup Fire, efforts will continue on the eastern flank as fire personnel stay aware of the slow growth northward. The Fuller Fire is similarly flanking slowly north and south as crews prioritize cleaning up the 5851 Road. On the Reynolds Butte Fire, firefighters have made much progress and are nearing the point of reallocating resources to other parts of the complex. Mop-up work will continue along established control lines as crews extend hoselays along completed control lines in support of burnout and mop-up operations. The Lost Bucket Fire (34 ac.) was contained on July 29 and remains in a patrol status.

Today’s weather will continue to replicate the last few days: sunny skies above the smoke, temperatures in the 70s and low 80s, relative humidity in the 40-50 percent range. Terrain-driven winds during the morning and noon hours will pick up at the higher elevations into the afternoon, with west-northwesterly gusts up to 20 mph possible. Cooler weather is on the horizon, with approximately an 8-degree temperature drop projected for tomorrow and into the next couple of days.

 

Current forest fire restrictions and danger ratings are: 

Fire Danger Rating: Very High 

Industrial Fire Precaution Levels (IFPL): 3 

Public Use Fire Restrictions (PUR): 3

CLOSURES:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Roseburg District, has issued a closure order for portions of BLM land which border the Umpqua National Forest Emergency Fire Closure north of Steamboat. The closure order can be viewed here: https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2024-07/orwa-fpo-rbg-072624.pdf. 

The Umpqua National Forest has Emergency Fire Closures in place. ORDER NO. 06-15-24-05 and ORDER NO. 06-15-02-24-01 can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices.

Fire Prevention:

Fuels remain dry and accidental fire starts can very easily happen. 9 out of 10 wildfires nationally are started by a human. Remain vigilant and be sure to do your part, it only takes one spark! 

Firefighters often refer to standing, weakened trees as hazard trees or snags. These two terms refer to trees with structural defects that make them more likely to fall in whole or in part. 

After a fire has moved through an area, roots and other components of a tree may have been affected, weakening the tree and making it more likely to unexpectedly fall. These fire-weakened trees present a significant danger to firefighters working in an area. Strong or gusty winds from storm cells can cause a hazard tree to easily topple, as can a vertical down wash of air (known as rotor wash) from helicopters or water and retardant drops during suppression operations.

Not only do firefighters need to use caution working in an area with standing, dead trees, so do people recreating in an area with multiple burned trees.

To address this, a standard practice is for firefighters to move into a recently burned area, assess trees and identify those that pose the greatest risk, and assign qualified sawyers to fell the trees to improve safety. Firefighters maintain a heightened sense of awareness when working around trees that present a fall risk, use lookouts, and plan quick and safe escape routes if necessary.

The photo sequence below shows a Horseshoe Meadow firefighter felling a burned tree behind the corrals in the Elk Fork Campground for safety mitigation on Saturday, August 11. (Note; Due to the size the photos, each may take a few seconds to load.)

• Falling Tree Sequence, Photo 1
   
• Falling Tree Sequence, Photo 2
   
• Falling Tree Sequence, Photo 3

The Diamond Complex on the Umpqua National Forest consists of 27 lightning-caused fires totaling approximately 8,256 acres, with 743 people assigned. The Middle Fork Fire in the northwest corner of Crater Lake National Park has 28 people assigned, but the Diamond Complex is sharing resources as needed. The park remains open. 

KEY MESSAGES: We will no longer be reporting on the following fires, which have reached 100% containment: Birds, Canal, Clearwater, Dog, Elephant, Garwood, Mowich, Pig Iron, Sheep, Slide, Toolbox, and Watson.  

Highway 230 along the northwest corner of Crater Lake National Park will be one-lane traffic with a flagger and pilot car due to work occurring on the Middle Fork Fire. Expect delays and plan accordingly. 

OPERATIONS:  

Middle Fork Fire (4,718 acres, 0% contained): On the western flank crews continue road preparation with mastication and are scouting for additional containment features. On the northern portion of the fire up to HWY 230, sawyers are cutting down hazardous trees in preparation for potential firing operations. To the north northeast between HWY 230 and HWY 138, log loaders are moving large debris from established dozer lines, creating up to a 60-foot buffer. These dozer lines will be equipped with hose lays and water resources. Today outside the north entrance road to Crater Lake National Park, crews and heavy equipment operators will trial a lighter-handed approach to clearing vegetation to determine its effectiveness, in balance with impacts to the landscape. If determined appropriate, this method will continue inside the park on the north entrance road. 

Perimeter fire growth was minimal yesterday as most of the fuel consumption remained on ground level. Fire spread potential remains with current forecasted weather conditions. Air resources remain available in the form of helicopters and the arrival of two Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The Pacific Crest Trail from the Dutton Ridge Intersection to Hwy 138, Lightning Springs, Bald Crater Loop, Bert Creek, and Boundary Springs Trails (within the park) are closed.  

Diamond Complex Fires  

Pine Bench Fire (North of Hwy 138 near Dry Creek, 2,203 acres, 51% contained): Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) performed a recon flight on the Boulder Creek drainage to gather infrared imaging of fire activity. On the eastern flank, fire crews continue to cool the fire’s edge (mop-up) and secure established fire line along Forest Service (FS) Road 4774. To the west of the Boulder Creek Wilderness, road preparation continues on FS 4670. Road preparation with heavy equipment on Forest Service Roads 3402 and 3400 in between the Pine Bench and Potter Fires is near completion. To the southeast fire crews will continue structure protection activities. 

Potter Fire (North of Hwy 138, two miles southeast of Potter Mountain, 2367 acres, 0% contained): Crews are putting finishing touches on structure protection wrap and hose lays around wooden trestles and other hydropower infrastructure south of the fire. On the eastern flank a dozer line has been established and crews will continue to secure the line. To the north, resources have been added to start containment features.  

Ooya Fire (North of Hwy 138, one mile northeast of Bird Point, 327 acres, 0% contained): Favorable conditions allowed drone operators to perform a firing operation on the western flank yesterday. Today, firefighters will fight the fire directly with a combination of hand and dozer lines, utilizing hose lays and water to secure the eastern and western flanks. 

Lost Fire (Northeast of the Trep Fire, 58 acres, 0% contained): Helitack crews remain in place today. 

Bear Trap Fire (Two miles south of Hwy 138 near Bear Trap Mountain, 65 acres, 14% contained), Campwood Fire (Two miles south of Hwy 138, 20 acres, 0% contained), Wood Fire (Two miles south of Hwy 139, 23 acres, 58% contained), Trap Fire (One mile south of Hwy 138 near Trap Mountain, 16 acres, 0% contained): Firefighters are shifting attention to these fires, located north of Trep and Lost fires, to increase containment features.  

Brodie Fire (Five miles south of Hwy 138, south of Devils Canyon, 189 acres, 0% contained): Masticator work will continue today on the access road to the fires edge. A water pump is operating at Skookum Lake, syphoning water to hose lays on the fire line to be used to cool the fire’s edge. 

Lemolo Fire (North of Lemolo Lake on Bunker Hill, 1247 acres, 6% contained): Fire crews are working further into the black today to cool areas where heat remains, such as in stumps and logs, and will patrol the line.  

Trep Fire (About four miles south of Hwy 138, 445 acres, 0% contained): A division supervisor has been added to determine containment strategies on the ridge to the south and to the east at Bear Creek. 

Trail Fire (East of Hwy 138 on the west slope of Mt. Thielsen, 843 acres, 48% contained): Firefighters will continue to mop up and secure the fire perimeter today, while addressing hot spots to the north. 

Other fires within the Diamond Complex:   

Loafer Fire (42 acres, 59% contained) 

Rough Fire (11 acres, 0% contained)  

Thin Fire (Four miles northwest of Diamond Lake, 0.6 acre, 52% contained)   

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR: Today will bring sunny skies with widespread smoke as fires within the complex and surrounding areas continue to show activity. Temperatures will rise into the upper 70s to low 80s. The burn period for the day will likely be shortened due to the higher relative humidity levels and increased smoke layer through the operational period. 

SMOKE OUTLOOK:  Smoke will remain in the area and may reduce visibility and hinder air operations. For the most up to date information, please visit fire.airnow.gov/  

CLOSURES, RESTRICTIONS, EVACUATIONS: Umpqua National Forest has two closures in place across the forest in response to fire activity to protect public and wildland firefighter safety. Emergency Fire Closure ORDER NO. 06-15-24-05 and Emergency Fire Closure ORDER NO. 06-15-02-24-01 impacts all the Cottage Grove Ranger District, most of the Diamond Lake Ranger District, and parts of the Tiller and North Umpqua Ranger Districts. The closure orders can be found here: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices. Fire danger is set at VERY HIGH, and Public Use Restrictions Level 3 ORDER NO. 06-15-24-04 is in effect: https://tinyurl.com/PublicUseRestrictions  

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office evacuation order for the Trail Fire west of Hwy 138 is set at Level 1: Get Ready and east of Hwy 138 is set at Level 3: GO NOW. The evacuation order for the Lemolo Fire south of Lemolo Lake is set at Level 1: Be Ready and northeast of Lemolo Lake is set at Level 3: GO NOW. There is still a Level 2: BE SET for the Pine Bench Fire. There is also a Level 2: BE SET for the Potter Fire.  For an interactive map of evacuations, visit the Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Office website: www.dcso.com/evacuations 

Limepoint and Cliff Mountain Fires 

Sunday, August 11, 2024 

Contact Fire Information: 208-992-3032 

or 2024.limepoint@firenet.gov 

Limepoint: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-limepoint-fire 

Cliff Mountain: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf-cliff-mountain 

https://www.facebook.com/payettenationalforest/ 

Yesterday, fire behavior was active and gusty winds resulted in increased tree torching. Hotshot crews held established lines in the northern area of the fire and continued to cool areas of heat in and around Cuprum. Due to unfavorable conditions, firefighters were unable to conduct strategic burning south of Horse Mountain Lookout. Much of the fireline in the southern and western sides of the fire is considered contained.   

Today, Great Basin Team #4 took command of the fire. South to southwest winds up to 15 mph are expected, with temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s. On the eastern side of the fire, crews will continue to cool areas of heat and improve fireline north of Boulder Creek and along Forest Road 071. As conditions allow, firefighters will continue with strategic burning operations south of Horse Mountain Lookout and along Grassy Ridge, with hotshot crews and drones. Structure protection in communities near the fire remains in place.  

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. 

Whisky Creek

Size: 1,743 acres, 0% contained

Cause: Human – Under Investigation

Start Date: July 20, 2024

Location: 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR

Fuels: Scrub oak, timber, and grass

Sandstone

Size: 588 acres, 0% contained

Cause: Lightning

Start Date: Aug. 5, 2024

Location: 9 miles SW of Ripplebrook, OR

Fuels: Timber and grass

Whisky Creek Highlights

Crews on the Whisky Creek Fire are holding the firelines established over the last two days and addressed a spot fire by H10. They began mop-up operations and completed the contingency line along the fire’s eastern edge.

Sandstone Highlights

Crews established fire control lines along the east and west perimeters of Blister Creek. Initial attack crews continue to put in handlines in response to increased fire activity on the northern edge of the fire.

Operations

Masticators and dozers continue work on the Sandstone Fire today. Crews continue to cut handlines in areas inaccessible to heavy equipment, especially on the western perimeter of the Sandstone Fire, and establish line on the eastern perimeter to 7010000 Road. Air operations continue on both fires, with Type 1 aircraft performing water drops.

Fire Behavior and Weather

A chance of thunderstorms is expected in the area through Monday; which will bring higher humidity, chances of rain, and lower temperatures. Meteorologists expect reduced fire activity today and tomorrow. There will be sustained wind in the area, with gusts up to 25 MPH on ridges. Crews will be on the lookout for spotfires.

Smoke is expected in the afternoon as fine fuels dry and become more receptive to burning.  Smoke forecasts specifically for the Whisky Creek and Sandstone Fire areas can be found at AirNow.gov.

Road and Trail Closures

The Mt. Hood National Forest and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area closure information can be found at: Whisky Creek Fire Closures in Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. Evacuation and closures for the Sandstone Fire can be found at: Sandstone Fire closures; evacuations in effect. Hood River County has closure information that can be found on their  website. Closures are put in place for the safety of the public and fire crews – intrusion in a closure area can stop fire suppression activities, endanger life and property, and can result in fines.

Total Fire Resources Assigned

• Whisky Creek – 7 crews, 4 initial attack crews, 4 engines, 2 helicopters, 1 dozer, and 4 water tenders
• Sandstone - 9 crews, 1 initial attack crew, 4 engines, 2 dozers, 4 masticators,
  and 2 skidgines                  

Email: 2024.whiskycreek@firenet.gov, 2024.sandstone.or@firenet.gov

Phone: 541-208-1743, 8 A.M - 8 P.M