Shadow Lake Fire burnout sends smoke streaming

A large burnout operation on the northwest flank of the Shadow Lake Fire late Monday put up a dramatic plume of smoke that streamed toward the east and drew attention across the High Desert.

Fire information spokeswoman Katie Lighthall said the burnout, aimed at robbing the fire of fuel, was on the northwest corner of the fire and done in advance of a wind shift later in the week that is likely to push the fire west toward Big Lake.

The burnout, at an early estimate of over 1,000 acres, was aimed at protecting the lake and popular recreation area, Lighthall said, adding that the operations manager said it was a very successful operation.

The fuel and weather conditions were right, she said, having delayed the burnout from Sunday because there was too much moisture remaining in the fuel.

Lighthall said a wind shift expected later in the week is likely to push the smoke toward the west, over the Cascades, likely testing the lines in the Big Lake area.

Erratic, hot and dry winds caused the Shadow Lake Fire west of Sisters to grow dramatically by early Monday, topping 3,300 acres, and Labor Day brought new thunderstorms and more worrisome weather for the nearly 450 firefighters working to control it.

“This can be a pretty fast moving fire — I mean, you can get spotting, there’s heavy fuels. It could also be a slow-moving fire — it all depends on the weather,” firefighter Brian Williams said Monday.
“We can sit back and we can run a lot of analysis, and make pretty good guesses,” said Division Supervisor Brian Bishop. “However, at the end of the day, the fire is going to dictate what it’s going to do.”

By Monday morning, officials said the week-old lightning-sparked fire, primarily in the Mt. Washington Wilderness, had burned 3,310 acres, and was still zero percent contained.

The wildfire prompted evacuation of hundreds of nearby campers at Big Lake, which is now playing the role of a natural “fire hydrant” of sorts, with firefighters pumping hundreds of gallons of water out of it.

“Everybody knows that the best thing to put fire out is water, and we’ve got a great water source where we can get quick access to water for some of our engines and tenders,” said Bishop.

But that’s the only easy access firefighters have. Normally they’d be face to face with the flames — but rough terrain is forcing them to take a step back.

“Unfortunately, in this kind of country, with the amount of snags and fuel type it’s burning in, it’s just too dangerous to put firefighters in that direct contact,” said Bishop.

A half-dozen helicopters were taking flight Monday afternoon, in an effort to slow down the fire. But they weren’t dumping water.

Crews are fighting fire with fire, attacking the blaze from above with thousands of little spheres that look like ping pong balls.

Here’s how it works: Small white balls are filled with a chemical, and right before they’re dropped from a helicopter’s undercarriage, they’re injected with anti-freeze.

After a minute on the ground, they blow up, igniting small fires on the forest floor. The idea is to burn some fuel on purpose, to better control what and where the big blaze burns.

“Small burns will turn into one big burn, which will make a huge buffer for the containment lines crews are putting in,” said Matt Ligenfelter.

More from Monday’s fire update:

With thunder clouds looming overhead and high winds in the forecast, crews responded quickly to changing weather conditions and fire behavior Sunday afternoon as variable winds pushed the fire north towards the historic Santiam Wagon Road.

Officials said crews would continue to prepare for possible firing (backburn) operations Monday near Big Lake and along the Wagon Road. This tactic would help remove unburned fuel between the active fire front and these popular recreation destinations in an effort to protect them. Sprinklers and hoses have been placed along bulldozer lines in between the fire and the lake to provide water to structures, if needed.

Warm temperatures and low humidity forecast Monday afternoon are expected to drive fire activity on the northwest and northeast flanks, with the possibility of more spotting to the north. Fire scars that remain from recent fires such as the 2003 B&B Complex, 2002 Cache Mountain Fire, and 2007 GW Fire are expected to slow the fire’s spread.

Dozers began constructing firelines around the spot fires Sunday and were to continue doing so Monday. Helicopters will be used to assist in containing spot fires by dropping water to cool hot areas and slow the fire’s advance.

“Weather conditions are expected to create a challenging day for firefighters,” said Operations Chief Mike Matarrese. “We’ll continue to build on the great work that firefighters did yesterday in preventing the fire from reaching Big Lake and containing a 100-acre spot fire north of the Santiam Wagon Road.” Matarrese stressed that increased fire behavior is expected to continue through the end of the week.

Public and firefighter safety remain the top priority for the National Incident Management Organization Team (NIMO) as they continue to implement a strategy that now includes a combination of direct and indirect strategies to confine the fire mostly within the Mt. Washington Wilderness.

“The exemplary communication that firefighters have demonstrated over the past few days will help ensure a safe operational period today, especially as we consider using aerial ignition north of the fire”, said Matarrese.

“My kid is a firefighter and I would trust him out there with any of you”, Matarrese told firefighters at Monday morning’s briefing.

The closure area around Shadow Lake Fire, which includes a section of the Pacific Crest Trail, remains in effect. Visitors, particularly hunters, heading to the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests should check with Shadow Lake Fire Information frequently due to the possibility for changes to the closure area. Closure information and maps are available at the fire’s InciWeb site (see below).

Local highways are expected to be extremely busy on the last day of the holiday weekend. Motorists are cautioned to remain alert and drive carefully, especially along Highway 20 where there is increased fire traffic. Visitors are urged to respect the road and recreation closures to assist fire management officials in providing for public safety.

A public meeting will be held at Sisters Elementary on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7 pm. Fire management officials and cooperating agencies will be on hand to provide an update on the fire’s activity and answer questions.

Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Users – Due to the recently expanded closure area, the PCT reroute has been terminated. The Sisters and McKenzie River Ranger Districts will not be providing a revised map or signing other possible reroutes around the closure area. This is due, in part, to the potential for additional changes to the closure area and the lack of reroute options. Area maps will be posted at trailheads on Highways 20 and 242 to give hikers a general understanding of the surrounding area.

Follow www.twitter.com/orfireinfo and www.inciweb.org/incident/2550.