Small fire in Mt. Washington Wilderness to be monitored

(Update: Adding Malheur National Forest fire with similar treatment)

After initial assessment, Central Oregon fire managers said Sunday they have developed a strategy to confine and monitor — but not extinguish — a small wildfire in the Mount Washington Wilderness.

The Pacific Fire (formerly identified as Incident 847) was first reported late last Thursday, but wasn’t located until Friday due to rain in the area, officials said.

Aerial photos show the fire, still at about 1/10 of an acre, is adjacent to the Lake George fire scar and surrounded by lava flows that would limit any fire spread to the east, as well as by the Shadow Lake and Cache Mountain fire scars to the north and northeast.

” Moisture from recent rains and the past fire history in the area, as well as the availability of resources, provides an opportunity to manage this fire to meet wilderness character objectives and desired ecological conditions, ” Sunday’s announcement said.

Fire staff have hiked in to the fire area, in the Sisters Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest for an on-site assessment.

A Type 3 incident commander and a 10-person Wildland Fire Module ( WFM ) have been assigned to the incident. The WFM will provide on-site information and real-time updates to fire managers.

Management action points are being developed to identify key locations for fire managers to engage additional firefighters using Minimum Impact Suppression Techniques, if necessary, fire officials said.

Smoke from the fire may be visible from Sisters, parts of Highway 20 and surrounding areas.

For current Central Oregon wildfire and prescribed fire information, visit www.centraloregonfire.org or follow on Twitter: @ CentralORFire .

A similar strategy and rationale is being used on a new 50-acre fire on the Malheur National Forest. Here is a news release issued Sunday on the Box Fire:

Lightning Caused Fire Reported on Emigrant Creek Ranger District

HINES, JOHN DAY, and PRAIRIE CITY, Ore. – The Box Fire was discovered as a lightning start on Friday, August 30. Malheur Forest Type 3 Incident Management Team is managing the Box Fire on Emigrant Creek Ranger District of the Malheur National Forest.

Crews are using an indirect strategy that will allow the Forest to achieve resource objectives; primarily, the reduction of fuels and the restoration of ecosystem functions. This strategy is similar to fall burning. However, the source of ignition is a wildfire.

These actions will build upon fall 2018 and spring 2019 burning, when the Forest safely and successfully accomplished prescribed fire operations on approximately 13,450 acres. These burnout operations will reduce surface fuels (including needle litter, and dead and down wood), increase the height of some canopy, reduce small tree densities, and help promote fire resilient trees; thereby, improving the ability to protect communities from wildfire. Additionally, these operations improve wildlife habitat, and improve long-term ecosystem integrity and sustainability by reducing the risk of high-severity wildland fire.

Operations such as this are designed to both reduce the risk of larger and/or catastrophic wildfires, as well as to restore overall health of the National Forest System lands. Fire is an essential, natural process, having shaped the landscape for thousands of years; releasing, and recycling nutrients from vegetation, duff, and soil layers, improving the overall health of plants and animals.

Science over the last several decades has shed a great deal of light on the essential role that these low-intensity fires play in a fire-dependent system like the Forest. Fire, when used strategically and repeatedly across larger areas, helps sustain healthy forest ecosystems, reduces the risk of out-of-control fires, reduces the severity of future wildfires when they do occur, and keeps our communities and firefighters safer.

The fire management team would like the public to be aware of the potential for light smoke impacts to the Alder Springs, Emigrant and Falls campgrounds; as well as, several dispersed recreation sites near Forest Road 4340.

To ensure public and firefighter safety, roads, trails, and areas may need to close temporarily as firefighter operations are taking place. Smokey conditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures.

More information will be shared as it becomes available.

To report wildfires please call 911 or 541-573-1000
For Further information please contact the Burns Interagency Communication Center at 541-573-1000.