Crews on 6,500-acre Cedar Creek Fire will hike into Waldo Creek Wilderness in effort to stop its spread
OAKRIDGE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- After three weeks of work in rugged terrain and no official containment, firefighters on the nearly 6,500-acre Cedar Creek Fire have begun using burns and will hike into the Waldo Creek Wilderness in coming days in a more direct effort to stop the fire's spread, officials said Sunday.
Here's Sunday's update on that blaze and the Windigo, Potter and Big Swamp fires.
Cedar Creek Fire - August 21, 2002
Size: 6,472 acres
Contained: 0%
Start Date: August 1, 2022
Location: 15 miles E of Oakridge, OR
Cause: Lightning
Total personnel: 788
Resources:16 engines
16 crews
40 heavy equipment
7 helicopters
Current Situation: Late yesterday afternoon fire was carefully and deliberately introduced into an unburned area of the Waldo Lake Wilderness, between the lake and the eastern edge of the wildfire. This is being done so firefighters can enter the wilderness and create a fireline to stop the fire from spreading further to the south. In the coming days, firefighters will hike into the wilderness and create an “anchor” point for the line where the fire meets Waldo Lake. They will then engage the fire using Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics (MIST), including setting up pumps and hoses. These tactics also take advantage of natural barriers like lakes and marshy areas to balance suppression objectives with environment impacts. Waldo Lake will not be used as a water source for this operation. Also Saturday, firefighters successfully brought fire down to the primary line on Black Creek Road (FR 2421) west of the Joe Goddard Interpretive Site. Night shift personnel monitored that area overnight to keep fire north of the road.
Today’s Activities: Crews will use masticators, chippers, and other heavy equipment to fortify both primary and alternate firelines on roads throughout the fire area. While firefighters do not anticipate fire to pass the primary line, these alternate lines are being prepared as a precaution to protect the values at risk, including the community of Oakridge. On the small Slapjack Fire, near Hills Creek Reservoir, crews expect to have a line around the 3.5-acre fire by the end of today. Helicopters with water buckets are available to support firefighters on the ground on both fires.
Huckleberry OHV Park is open today but only via High Prairie Road, from the south. In the interest of public and firefighter safety, access will be closed at the Forest Service Rd. 19/Forest Service Rd. 1928 intersection, through the weekend. The OHV park will again be closed from both directions beginning tomorrow morning, August 22.
Virtual Community Meeting: A virtual community meeting is planned for Tuesday August 23rd at 7:00pm and will be streamed live on the Cedar Creek Fire Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CedarCreekFire2022/
Evacuations: Currently, there are no evacuations in place.
Weather: Today is expected to be increasingly hot sunny, and dry, with only light winds. The conditions may promote increased fire activity, especially at higher elevations.
Closures: An Area Closure is in place for the Cedar Creek Fire. This includes all trailheads and dispersed camping west and north of Waldo Lake. The lake itself, campgrounds, and trails (including the PCT) on the east side remain open. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place.
Restrictions: Fire restrictions are in place on the Willamette National Forest with the exception of the Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Waldo Lake, and Diamond Peak Wilderness areas.
Smoke: Smoke Forecast Outlooks are available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook.
Fire Information: Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Phone: 541-201-2335 | Email: 2022.cedarcreek@firenet.gov | Online: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8307/ | https://www.facebook.com/CedarCreekFire2022/ | https://www.facebook.com/willamettenf | https://twitter.com/willametteNF | YouTube: https://www.tinyurl.com/cedarcreekfireyoutube
Windigo-Potter-Big Swamp - Fire Update
August 21, 2022
Fire Information Phone: 541-625-0687 (8am - 7pm) Email: 2022.Windigo@firenet.gov
Potter Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8291/
Windigo Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8292/
Big Swamp InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8323/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WindigoPotterBigSwampFireInfo/
Weather: Temperatures for today are expected to be much like Saturday, in the high 80s with relative humidity at 22%. A slight uptick in winds is expected northwesterly along the ridgetops later in the day and into the overnight hours. For smoke information visit: AirNow.gov.
Big Swamp Fire: Firefighters continue mop-up near containment lines. Some interior islands of fuels remain and will be monitored for rekindling and burning where they approach fire lines. Sprinklers placed along the 2153 Road mid-slope have been successful in holding the fire in place.
Potter Fire: Firefighters have been diligently working to harden fire lines as the fire continues to creep down Potter Mountain towards established containment lines. Heavy helicopters continue to use water bucket drops on remaining hot spots to aid crews with mop-up operations on the ground. Fire crews are working to deepen, strengthen, and cool containment lines as the fire slowly backs down to fire control lines. Chippers and masticators are being used to widen fuel breaks along roads and remove downed woody vegetation.
Windigo Fire: The fire remains in patrol status. Resource Advisors are working closely with firefighters and repair work is going faster than expected. Crews are working to complete repairs to dozer lines and roads used by suppression equipment.
Resources: 25 hand crews, 11 engines, 3 dozers, 8 water tenders, 5 Type 1 helicopters. Total personnel 719.
Closures: For firefighter and public safety, follow the Big Swamp, Windigo, and Potter Fires. Additional Potter Fire Road Closure – https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices
Pacific Crest Trail – visit https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures/oregon/ for more information.
Public Safety: As fire activity diminishes, hazards from fire effects and suppression activities remain. Crews and equipment continue to use roads for both suppression and post-fire suppression repair. Activities like brushing and chipping along roadsides and falling trees remain hazards on the landscape. You can help keep firefighters and the public safe by adhering to the closure orders until they are officially lifted.
Windigo Fire
Acreage: Approx. 1,007 acres
Containment: 96%
Location: 20 mi SW of La Pine, OR
Cause: Lightning
Potter Fire
Acreage: Approx. 619 acres
Containment: 65%
Location: 8 mi NE of Toketee Lake
Cause: Lightning
Big Swamp
Acreage: Approx. 110 acres
Containment: 50%
Location: 6.5 mi N of Lemolo Lake
Cause: Lightning
