Monday updates: Lionshead, Beachie Creek, Two Four Two, Holiday Farm, Brattain fires
(Update: Gov. Brown invokes Conflagration Act for Brattain Fire)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Here are Monday's updates on five of the major wildfires burning in or near Central Oregon.
| Lionshead Fire Update – Monday, September 14, 2020 – 9:00 a.m. |
| Start Date: 8/16/2020 | Approx. Size: est. 148,682 ac. | Resources on the Fire: | Cooperating Agencies: |
| Cause: Lightning | Containment: 5% | 46 Crews | Marion Co. Sheriff |
| Incident Commander: | Total Personnel: 1340 | 50 Engines | Linn Co. Sheriff |
| Noel Livingston Pacific Northwest Team 3 | Approx. Distance: 14 miles west of Warm Springs | 7 Dozers 32 Water Tenders 12 Helicopters | Jefferson Co. Sheriff Deschutes Co. Sheriff |
Weather and Fire Behavior: Today, the dense smoke cover will begin to disperse, continuing through the week as the area experiences a transition in weather. Slightly stronger southwest winds are expected along ridges and in valleys, which may align with terrain to contribute to fire movement. Temperatures will remain in the 70s, but with higher relative humidity levels of 25 to 35 percent. Very active surface fire is anticipated along the northern perimeter of the fire with torching and spotting likely. Some precipitation is expected later in the week.
Current Situation: Heavy smoke has grounded air operations for the last few days, significantly hindering firefighting efforts. Saturday night, crews conducted firing operations to the north of the fire, but later that evening a separate fire spread northward from the Olallie Butte area and crossed planned containment lines. Yesterday, the fire continued this north and northeast push, causing fire crews to adapt their previous strategy and initiate firing operations off the B-200 road further to the east. Active fire behavior north of Breitenbush also challenged firefighters yesterday. Along the eastern edge of the fire, crews made good progress mopping up fire line and continued to secure and scout containment lines to the south of the fire on the Willamette National Forest. To the west, fire crews dealt with a spot fire near New Idanha, but saw decreased fire activity in Idanha and Detroit as structure protection continued.
Today’s Activities: The highest priority for firefighters today will be to check progression to the northeast of the fire to protect communities. If smoke clears, helicopters may be used to support firefighting efforts on the ground this afternoon. As conditions allow, fire crews will continue strategic firing operations begun yesterday and the previous night along the B-200 road on the Warm Springs Reservation. Crews will continue to conduct structure protection in the Olallie Lakes area. To the northwest, crews will continue securing a spot fire between the 46 Road and the powerline corridor north of Breitenbush and preparing containment options using roads in the area. In Idanha, Detroit and Marion Forks, fire crews will patrol and continue mop-up, structure protection and damage assessments as smoke and hazardous conditions allow. Firefighters will continue strengthening containment lines to the east of the fire.
Evacuations: A Level 2 Evacuation Notice has been issued for Sidwalter Flats area on the Warms Springs Reservation. Updates on evacuations can be found on local sheriff’s departments’ websites and Warm Springs Police Facebook. The most current information on statewide evacuation information can be found at the Oregon Office of Emergency Management’s interactive database: https://www.oregon.gov/oem/emops/Pages/RAPTOR.aspx
Closures: For public and firefighter safety, roads and trails on the southwest portion of the Warm Springs Reservation near the fires remain closed to the public. Forest closures are in place for Deschutes, Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests. Deschutes NF Alerts Willamette NF Alerts Mt. Hood NF Alerts
FOR ADDITIONAL FIRE INFORMATION: Fire Information: 971-277-5075
TripCheck: https://www.tripcheck.com/
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7049/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LionsheadFire
Email: 2020.lionshead@firenet.gov
Two Four Two Fire
September 14, 2020 10:00 a.m.
Oregon Department of Forestry IMT 2
Bill Hunt, Incident Commander
Email contact—twofourtwofire.information@gmail.com
Public Information Line: (541) 846-8174
InciWeb—https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7159/
Facebook—https://www.facebook.com/TwoFourTwoFire/
Size: 14,584 Acres
Containment: 12%
Start Date: Sept. 7, 2020
7:00 p.m.
Expected
Containment Date: Sept. 25, 2020
Location: Northwest of Chiloquin, Oregon
Cause: Unknown
Est. Cost: $2.8 million
Personnel: 505
Resources: 9 hand crews
37 Engines
17 Dozers
12 Water Tenders
Aircraft: 4 Helicopters
Evacuations: Level 3: (Go)
Hwy 62 from mile post
100 to mile post 94
Hwy 422 North from
U.S. 97 to Hwy 62
North of Collier State
Park Logging Museum
on Glendale Drive
Level 2: (Get Set) None
Level 1: (Get Ready)
Highway 62 from milepost 94 to Sun Mountain Road
Structures
Threatened: 1,278
Structures
Damaged: 70
Structures
Destroyed: 35
Closures: Road Closures are in
place at: Modoc Point
Road from Hwy 62 to
milepost 1; Hwy 62
from milepost 94 to
100; and Hwy 422
North from Hwy 97 to
Hwy 62
Fire Summary:
Last night, an infrared flight was able to capture the fire's hot spots.
Today, crews will focus on extinguishing those as well as focusing on mopping up around the perimeter. “Every day, we’ll get a little deeper and a
little deeper into the fire's perimeter,” states Operations Section Chief
John Pelliser.
Yesterday we did not get the wind event that forecasters predicted. But nonetheless, crews are working hard to reinforce lines and secure
areas with a lot of heat. Today’s forecast calls for a Red Flag Warning from
noon to 9 pm today.
We will be holding our third Facebook live virtual community
meeting tonight at 7 pm. Tune into our Facebook page for the latest updates. The public does not have to have a Facebook to watch the live
event, use this link https://www.facebook.com/events/351351509239951
All evacuation levels remain the same. Current evacuation levels
are shown above. We do not expect them to change until after the
Red Flag Warnings expire and the predicted winds end.
Safety remains our top priority. This includes trying to prevent
COVID-19 infections. Personnel are following the Center for Disease Control guidelines. We continue to limit personal contact within fire camp and
the community. The fire camp continues to be closed to the public and
media.
Beachie Creek Fire Update for Monday, September 14, 2020
Brian Gales, Incident Commander, NWIMT13 Les Hallman, Incident Commander, OSFM
| Start date: Aug, 16, 2020 | Location: Santiam Canyon west of Detroit, OR, Southern Clackamas County | Cause: Unknown |
| Fire size: 188,374 acres | Air Assets Assigned: 7 | Total personnel: 563 |
Salem, Ore. – Firefighters will resume work on Monday to secure the perimeter of the Beachie Creek Fire. Crews and heavy equipment are working to tie the pieces of existing control line together on the west and northwest portions of the fire. Line construction and reinforcement efforts which began Saturday south of Highway 22 will continue. Firefighters continue to work with landowners on the southeastern perimeter of the fire to build and secure control lines in that area. Firefighters began mopping up and systematically assessing damage to structures inside the fire on Sunday and will continue those efforts today.
The Beachie Creek Fire and the Riverside Fire remain about one mile apart. Officials from nearby fires are coordinating strategies to minimize fire growth and stabilize incidents. The combination of winds, record dry forests, and a lack of natural holding features in the Table Rock Wilderness and surrounding areas mean it is still possible the fires could burn together. Based on current weather, it is anticipated that a future merger would not result in dynamic fire behavior as seen last week.
Fire officials are working closely with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, ODOT and the Oregon State Police to coordinate recovery efforts along the Santiam Canyon. Currently 16,776 structures are at Level 3 evacuations and another 18,528 homes in level 2 evacuations. It is imperative to protect first responders and communities in the path of the fire that everyone heeds fire and law enforcement road closures and evacuations. Anyone who enters the fire perimeter jeopardizes firefighting and rescue operations, puts lives at risk, and potentially increases the time it will take to return residents to their communities.
WEATHER: Valley inversions are likely to persist through the day again. High temperatures Monday will generally be in the upper 60s to low 70s, with forecast minimum relative humidity of 45-55 percent on the west side of the fire. Relative humidity is expected to be much lower, 30-45 percent, on the east side of the fire and at elevations above 2,500 feet. The weather pattern is predicted to change in the next 24 hours, with a chance of rain on the west side of the fire.
SAFETY: Members of the public are encouraged to heed local evacuation orders issued by the county sheriff’s office and emergency notification systems. Know the Ready, Set, Go levels and make appropriate preparations. READY your belongings; SET your things at the door or prepack them in your car; GO and leave immediately.
SMOKE: Smoke will continue to be heavy across the area of the Beachie Creek Fire again today. This will lead to “unhealthy” and possibly “hazardous” conditions. Individuals with respiratory issues may find themselves affected by the intense smoke. Areas closest to fires - near Detroit, Florence, and Eugene – will have severe smoke impacts. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather.
Check current conditions on DEQ's Air Quality Index or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone.
CLOSURES: Willamette National Forest roads, trails, and lands around the fire area are closed. View the official order (Order 06-18- 04-20-13). Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in the vicinity of the fire and State lands managed by Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) including the Santiam State Forest are also closed to the public. Go to InciWeb (link below) for a list and map of closed areas, roads, trails, and recreation sites.
| Public information: Facebook: facebook.com/BeachieCreek E-mail: BeachieCreek@gmail.com Phone: 541-583-0526, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7001/ Oregon Smoke Blog http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/p/air-quality-now.html |
Holiday Farm Fire Information
September 14th, 2020
Oregon Department of Forestry IMT 3
Link Smith, Incident Commander
Oregon State Fire Marshal's Red Team
Ian Yocum, Incident Commander
Holiday Farm Fire Information: (541) 357-9729 (7am—10pm)
Lane County Non-Emergency Call Center: 541-682-3977 (7am-10pm)
Linn County Non-Emergency Call Center: 541-812-2260
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7170/
email: holidayfarmfireinfo@gmail.com
Estimated Size: 166,573
Containment: 6%
Start Date/Time: 9/7/2020 8:20 p.m.
Expected
Containment Date: 10/29/2020
Location: Lane County
Cause: Unknown
Personnel: 745
Assigned Resources:
Hand Crews: 19
Engines: 48
Dozers: 25
Water Tenders: 13
Other Heavy
Equipment: 2
Assigned Aircraft: 7
Structure Task Forces: 6
Injuries: 0
Structures
Threatened: 23,456
Structures
Damaged: Assessing
Structures
Destroyed: Unknown
Evacuations: Level 1 (READY), Level
2 (SET) and Level 3
(GO!) are in effect
Springfield, Ore. –“Big iron stops fires, reinforced by the precision of crews digging hand lines,” said Jason Pettigrew, Operations Section Chief on ODF Incident Management Team 3.
This describes a good part of the suppression strategy being taken on the Holiday Farm Fire. The fire team is using bull dozers and other heavy equipment to construct control lines across large portions of the fire perimeter. Where the ground is too steep or rocky, firefighters build hand lines to stitch together a solid perimeter of control lines. Structural crews continue to mop up hot spots around homes.
Solid work by fire fighters combined with favorable weather conditions have led the Lane and Linn County Sheriffs to lower the evacuation levels in several areas.
The evacuation level for residents on Camp Creek, Upper Camp Creek, McKenzie Highway between Cedar Flats and Camp Creek have been downgraded from a Level 3 (GO NOW) to a Level 2 (BE SET). The evacuation level for Deerhorn Road remains at Level 3 (GO NOW).
Residents should be aware that the change to Level 2 (BE SET) reflects that fire danger has only subsided in that area enough to allow access to the area so they can make additional preparations for their homes, livestock or other animals. They should expect that if fire behavior increases these areas may return to Level 3 (GO NOW) and must be able to leave again at a moment’s notice.
Level 2 (BE SET) indicates significant danger to your area. Residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or with family/friends outside of the affected area or be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. Emergency responders may not have time to provide you with additional notice if danger increases.
Please continue to monitor cell phones, landlines, local media and official
information sources for evacuation updates.
Lane County: www.lanecounty.org/mckenziefire
Linn County: www.linnsheriff.org/fire_live_updates_sept_2020/
Structural assessment teams are working with the 80-person national urban search and rescue team (USAR). The teams are assessing structures and looking to locate unaccounted for people within the fire perimeter. This is a large-scale operation supported by OSFM structural resources.
Fire managers request that the public please avoid the area.
Roads are closed in the fire area and much of the Willamette National Forest (WNF) and Salem/Eugene BLM. Road hazards include falling trees and rocks and debris. For more information on closures on the WNF, visit:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=61574
For more information on closures on the BLM visit:
https://www.blm.gov/press-release/extreme-fire-activity-prompts-closure-bureau-land-management-landsnorthwestern-oregon
Fire personnel are warmed by the community’s support but are unable to accept donations or use volunteers. The fire must use individuals with the appropriate qualifications. Those looking to volunteer or donate can connect with local organizations at:
https://www.lanecounty.org/cms/one.aspx?pageId=17035134
BRATTAIN FIRE UPDATE
New Level 3 evacuation information Monday afternoon from the Lake County Sheriff's Office:
Level 3
· Highway 31 from Government Harvey Road (Forest Road 29) south to include all of Paisley – from Red House Lane (north of Paisley), continuing south on Highway 31 to Valley Falls/the junction with U.S. Hwy 395.
· All of Clover Flat Road from the intersection with Hwy 31 (Beachler’s Corner) south to Valley Falls.
· West of Highway 31 to Forest Road 28.
Level 2
· From Government Harvey Road/Forest Road 29 north to Summer Lake Store.
Level 1
· From Summer Lake Store north along Highway 31 to the top of Picture Rock Pass.
· Abert Lake area southeast on 395, south on Highway 31 to Chandler State approximately 5 miles south of Valley Falls.
The Brattain Fire is active on both the north and south ends due to erratic winds. If you don’t need to be in the area, please leave now.
Highway 31 is open, but prepared for traffic congestion, delays and increased fire traffic. Please use caution driving in the area.
The Red Cross has an evacuation area at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeview (1900 North 4th St.). There is fire information there as well.
See interactive map: https://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=448e20c02fd0417993a97c164393f04f
September 14, 2020
Virtual public meeting for the Brattain Fire is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15th at 7:00 PM on the Fremont-Winema Facebook page. The Brattain fire is currently burning approximately 10 miles south of Paisley. The fire is burning in sagebrush-juniper with stringers of Ponderosa Pine in steep, rugged terrain with limited access points and high winds. Firefighting crews continue to operate on a 24-hour schedule and are battling winds and extremely dry conditions.
Yesterday’s Operations:
Firing operations to protect Paisley and surrounding areas were successful in preparation for the Red Flag Warning for strong, gusty winds and low relative humidity. Erratic winds hampered control efforts along Hwy 31, causing a temporary road closure and a few spot fires, all of which are under control.
Today’s Operations:
The Eastern Area Incident Management Team transitioned with local fire management today, allowing for more resources to be assigned to the fire. Firefighters continue to monitor and patrol yesterday’s firing operation to protect the community of Paisley and surrounding areas on the north/northeastern perimeter of the fire. Additional firing operations to defend control lines are planned if weather conditions allow. Efforts to secure fire lines and check on residences on the southern portion of the fire will also be a primary focus as the fire grew in this area overnight. A Red Flag Warning is in effect today until 9 PM and a Fire Weather Watch is in place for tomorrow due to strong gusty winds and low relative humidity.
Evacuations:
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has issued the following evacuation notices:
Level 3 (Go) – All of Paisley, from Red House Lane (north of Paisley), south on Highway 31 to Valley Falls/the junction with U.S. Hwy 395; All of Clover Flat Road from the intersection with Hwy 31 (Beachler’s Corner) south to Valley Falls.
Level 1 (Be Ready) – From Red House Lane north along Hwy 31 to the intersection with Government Harvey Road/Forest Road 29.
The Red Cross has an evacuation area at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeview (1900 North 4th St.). There will be fire information there as well.
Closures:
The Fremont-Winema National Forest issued emergency fire closure order 06-02-03-20-03 for the area east Forest Road 28 and south of Forest Road 29 (Government Harvey). Forest Road 29 is closed; Forest Road 28 remains open. Forest Road 33 is closed at the Forest Boundary south of Paisley to the junction with Forest Road 28. Forest Road 3510, which makes the southern edge of the closure area is closed, as is Forest Road 3510-018 from Clover Flat Road to the Forest Boundary, and Forest Road 3315 at the intersection with Mill Street in Paisley. All recreation sites within the closure area are closed.
SIZE: 30,000 acres
CONTAINMENT: 0%
CAUSE: Human
PERSONNEL: 264
Management:
Eastern Area Incident Management Team
FIRE INFORMATION:
541-947-6243
INCIWEB:
inciweb.nwcg.gov
search “Brattain Fire”
Facebook:
www.facebook.com search:
Fremont-Winema National Forest @R6FWNF
South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership @SOCFMPFIREINFO
LEVEL 3 EVACUATION
Paisley; Hwy 31 & Clover Flat Road (both roads) to Valley Falls
LEVEL 1 EVACUATION
North of Paisley
SAFETY:
Paisley Schools – Closed September 14-15.
Anticipate congestion on Hwy 31 due to fire traffic. Please use caution and avoid the area.
Governor Kate Brown Invokes the Emergency Conflagration Act in Response to Brattain Fire
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown approved an emergency conflagration declaration for the Brattain Fire near Paisley, Oregon, in Lake County.
"The situation remains very dangerous in Paisley," said Governor Kate Brown. "Wind continues to fuel these wildfires, with devastating consequences across the region. People’s homes, lives, land, and safety are at risk. If you're in the evacuation zone, please stay vigilant. Pay close attention and listen to local calls to evacuate as needed — this can save your life, your family and the lives of our firefighters."
In accordance with ORS 476.510 - 476.610, Governor Brown determined that a threat to a life, safety, and property exists due to fire, and the threat exceeds the firefighting capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment. The Governor's declaration authorizes the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal to mobilize resources to assist local resources battling the fire.
