Wildfire in Opal Creek Wilderness north of Detroit prompts area closures
Closures include Elk Lake Campground
DETROIT, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A Type 3 Incident Management team took control of the Beachie Creek Fire Monday evening. The fire is located in rugged and steep terrain in the Opal Creek Wilderness, about 2 miles south of Jawbone Flats and 6 miles north of Detroit.
The fire is estimated at 10 acres and it is 0% contained, Willamette National Forest officials said Tuesday morning.
“As we develop a plan to fight this fire over the next few days, keeping our firefighters and community safe is our top priority,” said Type 3 Incident Commander Jonah Gladney. “This fire is in a remote location, but we are operating with a full suppression strategy.”
There are no roads in the area of the fire, so personnel are currently assessing ground access points. One hotshot crew of 24 firefighters and a team of rappelers have arrived, and several more crews are on order. A large Type 1 helicopter is supporting the fire from the air with water drops.
A number of trails, roads, day-use sites and campgrounds are closed. Included in the closure are the popular sites of Opal Creek, Three Pools, Shady Cove campground and Elk Lake Campground.
Fire growth was limited on the fire Monday; however, anticipated hotter and drier conditions may lead to fire growth.
“The closure seems large, but the fire is in a tough spot, “ said Agency Administrator Dave Warnack. "There is limited road access, and these areas see a lot of visitation which makes moving firefighters and equipment challenging. We ask for patience as firefighters work to get these places open as soon as possible.”
Visit the website at www.fs.usda.gov/willamette/and follow on Facebook and Twitter @WillametteNF for current fire information and a complete list of closures.
