Fire near Marion Lake now 90 percent contained
Aided by cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity, firefighters made substantial progress Monday toward containment of the Marion Fire, which is still 120 acres and now about 90 percent contained, officials said Tuesday.
“The weather did us a huge favor,” said Incident Commander Chad Calderwood. “Firefighters were able to take full advantage of the conditions to reinforce hand line construction and get water to hot spots. The firefighters have done an excellent job working safely and efficiently.”
The official cause of the fire was determined to be a smoldering lighting strike from a thunderstorm that moved through a week ago.
“Even though the Marion Fire was not human-caused, this shows how destructive a single spark can be,” stated Detroit District Ranger Grady McMahan.
Campfires are currently prohibited on the Willamette National Forest, except in developed campgrounds. A complete list of campgrounds allowing campfires can be found on the Willamette National Forest website.
For public and firefighter safety, trail closures will remain in effect for a portion of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. A list of trails that are currently closed is included below. The Pacific Crest Trail (#2000) and the Turpentine Trail (#3490) remain open.
— Marion Lake #3436
— Marion Outlet #3495
— Blue Lake #3422 to the intersection with Bowerman Lake #3492
— Bowerman Lake #3492
— Minto Pass #3437
— Lake of the Woods #3493 between Minto Pass Trail #3493 and Swallow Lake Trail #3488
— Pine Ridge #3443 east of the intersection with Turpentine Trail #3490
— Marion Mountain #3435
— Temple Lake #3444
Smoke from the fire may continue to be visible from the Bend area as well as on the west side of the Cascades. Visitors are asked to use caution when traveling in the Marion Forks area on stateHighway 22 due to increased fire traffic.
Meanwhile, a newer fire located on a ridge north of, and outside of, the Middle Santiam Wilderness boundary has continued to be aggressively attacked by helicopters and crews, forest officials said.
The lightning-caused fire has remained at two acres in size and fire behavior continues to be moderated through the use of helicopter water drops and the hard work of the crews. Cooler weather is forecast for the next few days, a welcome relief for firefighters working the steep slopes.
Road access to the site was improved through the assistance of Oregon Department of Forestry and a local timber company.
“I am so grateful for the way our community comes together,” remarked District Ranger Cindy Glick. “it is good to have the expertise and support of so many individuals, other agencies and other officials during times of need.”
For additional information, follow the forest on Twitter at: twitter.com/willametteNF. Willamette National Forest Campfire information: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/willamette/home
