Terwilliger Fire tops 11,000 acres, 75 percent contained

The nearly month-old Terwilliger Fire on the Willamette National Forest has grown to cover more than 11,000 acres and is now 75 percent contained, officials said Monday after a weekend where crews worked on removing weakened and damaged trees around Terwilliger Hot Springs.

Here’s the Monday morning update from NW Incident Management Team 8 (Incident Commander Doug Johnson):

Special Announcements: This past weekend, a special team of staff from the McKenzie River Ranger District worked to mitigate hazards posed by fire weakened and damaged trees around the Terwilliger Hot Springs. The fire burned through the springs with varying levels of severity. Approximately, five burned trees were felled. These trees posed the most imminent danger of falling and further damaging the springs and the rock work constructed around them. Additional hazard trees around the hot springs will likely need to be felled in the coming months. Only the minimum number of staff needed to do this work are entering the area due to the myriad of fire hazards that remain in the vicinity of the springs and along Aufderheide Scenic Byway (Forest Service Road 19).

Forest Service Road (FR) 19 remains closed to the public due to unsafe conditions from falling rocks, debris and fire weakened trees. The closure begins at the junction of FR 408 south to Box Canyon. Firefighters are allowed on portions of FR 19 where mitigations to reduce risks have been taken. No fire traffic, except for emergency vehicles, are allowed on FR 19 adjacent to the Cougar Reservoir; beginning from the junction of FR 415 south to the FR 1985. The Terwilliger (Cougar) Hot Springs remain closed. The public is asked to respect the road and area closures for the protection to themselves and firefighters.

Acreage: 11,082

Completion : 75%

Public Information Phone: (541) 719-8135 Available 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Information Websites: Inciweb – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6160 Email: terwilligerfireinfo@gmail.com

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/willamettewildfires/

Resources: Total personnel assigned – 367: 6-type 2 IA hand crews, 2-camp crews, 1-heavy lift helicopter, 1-light lift helicopter, 13-engines, 5-water tenders, and 6-tracked heavy equipment.

Current Fire Information: Creeping and smoldering fire activity was observed in a few locations within the perimeter, mostly from large, heavy fuels that continue to be slowly consumed . Yesterday’s precipitation amounts over the fire area ranged from 0.15 to 0.18 inches which was not enough to penetrate through the forest canopy in most locations. The northeast corner of the fire continues to creep slowly east into the Three Sisters Wilderness. Approximately 1 mile of preparation is successfully completed per day on FR 1993 as a containment line. Chipper operations are working to dispose of the debris generated from this operation. Fire crews are monitoring fire activity from the air and ground. P atroling and mopping-up heat on the west flank near the private lands continues to move closer to mop-up standards. Locating and cooling hotspots is of the utmost importance along the west line to ensure containment lines will hold if tested in the future by strong east winds. Chipping operations of piled slash created during containment line development is ongoing along FR 415 and 416.

Planned Actions: Fire crews will patrol the fire perimeter and mop up hot spots where fire suppression activities have occurred. Chipping of material created during containment line development will continue. FR 225 will actively be worked on to repair and close the road when completed. Helicopters are available for reconnaissance and water drops as the weather allows. Firefighters will be on heightened alert due to the potential hazards such as fire weakened trees and rocks. Any additional wind and rain will escalate potential of falling and rolling debris.

Weather : A cool and dry Northwest flow with maximum temperatures 5-10 degrees below normal and minimum Relative Humidity values in the 35-55% ranges. High temperatures of 61-66 degrees with winds light and variable less than 5 mph then after 11:00 4-7 with gusts of 12 mph. Firefighters will remain vigilant to watch for falling hazards including rocks and trees.

Restrictions: The Willamette National Forest has implemented a Forest-wide campfire ban, which includes all campgrounds and Wilderness areas. For specific information on Forest Order 06-18-01-18-18, see the Willamette National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices .

Closures: An Area Closure has been issued by the Willamette National Forest for the protection and safety of the public and firefighters. Closure order # 06-18-01-18-19 may be viewed in its entirety at http://go.usa.gov/xRnz7 or on Inciweb .

Evacuations: There are currently NO evacuation notices in place for this fire.

Temporary Flight Restrictions: Temporary flight restrictions (TFR) are in effect around the entire fire area. Remember, that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unauthorized, unmanned aircraft systems (drones). If you fly, we can’t!

Air Quality: For smoke monitoring information, see Oregon Department of Environmental Quality https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map or https://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/ or http://www.lrapa.org

Safety Consideration: Area Closures are currently in effect. Hunters and recreationists are encouraged to “Know Before You Go”. People intending to hike or hunt in previously burned areas should remain alert and aware of their surroundings at all times. Don’t camp and linger in these burned areas. Know the forecasted weather before leaving home, assess the weather conditions, and stay clear of burned and fire weakened trees. As always, let someone know your planned route, destination, and expected return time. Safely enjoy you national forest.