Fire Alert

Crews battling Cedar Creek Fire near Waldo Lake also help stop new lightning-sparked blazes

A heavy equipment operator utilizes a masticator head on an excavator to grind fuels and widen the fuel break along the Black Creek Road (FS Road 2421). This road will serve as the primary containment line as the fire backs down the Koch Mountain Ridge — U.S. Forest Service

Published August 10, 2022 11:41 am

Blaze tops 3,700 acres, still 0% contained

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Crews working to contain the nearly 3,800-acre Cedar Creek Fire near Waldo Lake also were able to tackle several new lightning-sparked fires in the area from Tuesday's intense thunderstorms, officials said Wednesday.

Here's Wednesday's full updates on that blaze and the Windigo and Potter fires:

Cedar Creek Fire

August 10, 2022

Daily Update – 8:00 AM
Acreage: 3,772

Containment: 0%

Highlights: Thunderstorms passed over the fire area yesterday and crews assigned to the Cedar Creek Fire were able to assist in providing a quick response to five new lightning-caused fires east of the main fire.

The Union Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) had been engaged in scouting for opportunities to construct fireline from East Black Creek Road (Forest Road 2421) through the Waldo Lake Wilderness to tie into the lake before they were diverted to a new fire. The Devils Staircase Wildland Fire Module that had been working north of the fire area near the lake were able to quickly respond to a new lightning start in that area.

Keeping these new fire starts small is a priority for the Willamette National Forest. Most firefighters assigned to the incident were able to remain engaged in preparing roads as containment features.

Operations: Operations to prepare Black Creek Road as a containment line will continue today. Crews are clearing small diameter woody material on the north side of the road in anticipation of an eventual burnout operation that will contain the southern fire perimeter. Graders and tenders are also widening the road to assist crews that will eventually be tasked with holding and securing the fire perimeter.

Firefighters are also continuing to prepare Forest Road 2417 as a potential containment line on the northern fire perimeter. Firefighters will also remain vigilant and respond to any new fire starts around the Cedar Creek Fire that may “hold over” or retain heat and ignite several days later. These “holdover” fires can ignite up to two weeks after the initial lightning strike.

Evacuations: Currently, there are no evacuations in place.

Weather: Cooler temperatures will return to the area with high temperatures in the mid-70s and relative humidity values from 30-40 percent. Winds are predicted to be generally southeast in the morning shifting to northwest 4 to 8 mph, gusting to 15 mph in the afternoon.

Closures: The entire Waldo Lake Wilderness area is closed due to the Cedar Creek Fire. This includes all trailheads and dispersed camping west and north of Waldo Lake. The lake itself, campgrounds, and trails (including the PCT) on the east side remain open. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place around the fire area.

Restrictions: Fire restrictions are in place on the Willamette National Forest with the exception of the Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Waldo Lake, and Diamond Peak Wilderness areas. All campfires, charcoal or briquette fires, pellet fires, or any other fires will be prohibited, except in designated campgrounds. Portable cooking stoves, lanterns and heaters using liquefied or bottled fuel are still allowed if they can be switched on and off. Motorized vehicles may operate only on designated trails and roads, including within the Huckleberry Flats and Santiam Pass OHV areas.

Smoke: Smoke Forecast Outlooks (in both English and Spanish) are available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook. Air quality in Oakridge, Oregon is expected to be good with the best time of day to recreate outdoors being late afternoon.

Fire Information: Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM |

Phone: 541-201-2335 |

Email: 2022.cedarcreek@firenet.gov |

Online: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8307/ |

https://www.facebook.com/willamettenf |

https://twitter.com/willametteNF |

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/99hdyvjn

Windigo-Potter-Big Swamp-Shelter Fires Update – August 10, 2022

Cooler temperatures and calmer winds were present across the fires Tuesday. Light showers and thunderstorms moved through the area, resulting in minor amounts of precipitation. Progress was made on all fires. Crews on the Windigo Fire strengthened line around the entire perimeter yesterday, increasing the mop up depth to 100 feet in some portions. Today, they will work on mop up operations to secure the line around the fire.

Firefighters on the Potter Fire expect to perform strategic firing operations on the eastern and northern flanks of the fire later in the day, as well as, continue mop up operations and improve fire lines. Strategic firing operations are used to control and secure the perimeter of the fire. Firefighters employ drones and/or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as a burnout tool by dropping plastic sphere dispensers (PSD) that start fires in desired locations to stop the advancing wildfire.

The Big Swamp Fire is at 117 acres following yesterday’s operations. Crews continued to secure line with support from aviation resources. Today, firefighters will work to find opportunities to go direct on portions of the fire, secure lines and conduct mop up operations.

Resources on the fires include 791 total personnel comprised of 13 handcrews, 24 engines, 11 dozers, 12 water tenders, nine Type 1 Helicopters, and one Type 3 Helicopter. Two fixed-wing scoopers are available out of Eugene.

Temperatures will reach 75-80 degrees today. Southwest winds with speeds between 5-10 mph and gusts of up to 2 mph on ridge tops are expected. Fire spotting distances may be up to .25 - .4 miles with a 45-75% chance of ignition on the dry fuels. Visit AirNow.gov for smoke information.

Windigo Fire

Acreage: Approx. 1,009 acres

Containment: 25%

Location: 20 miles southwest of La Pine, OR

Cause: Lightning

Potter Fire

Acreage: Approx. 306 acres

Containment: 0%

Location: 8 miles northeast of Toketee Lake

Cause: Lightning

Closures: For firefighter and public safety follow the Windigo and Potter Closure Orders. http://go.usa.gov/xSGhh

• Pacific Crest Trail – visit https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures/oregon/ for more information.