No holiday for fire crews: Heat, wind push Double Creek Fire in NE Oregon to nearly 38,000 acres; other blazes grow
IMNAHA, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The largest of three wildfires burning in a rugged, remote area of northeast Oregon grew to nearly 38,000 acres Saturday in hot, dry and windy conditions as firefighters also continued to battle other blazes in southwest and eastern parts of the state, officials said Sunday.
About 300 firefighters assisted by air tankers and water-dropping helicopters were building containment lines Sunday to combat the Double Creek Fire, which has forced the evacuations of Labor Day weekend campers, authorities said.
The fire near the community of Imnaha in Hells Canyon Recreation Area grew to about 37 square miles, fed by gusty winds on Saturday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The fire prompted evacuations by campers from Imnaha south to Pallette Ranch, the Wallowa County Sheriff's Office said. The fire, burning in conifer timber stands, grass and shrubs, was detected on Tuesday and started by lightning.
Gov. Kate Brown on Saturday issued a declaration allowing the state fire marshal to take command and send other agency resources to help local firefighters. Crews were focusing Sunday on building containment lines at the fire's southern edge and along the Imnaha River corridor.
Here are Sunday's full updates on that blaze and the other larger fires burning across Oregon:
Double Creek and Eagle Cap Wilderness Fires
September 4, 2022
Daily Update – 8:00 AM
Highlights: There was significant fire growth on the Double Creek and Eagle Cap Wilderness Fires on Saturday as a result of strong winds, hot temperatures, and extremely dry conditions. The Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Green Team was mobilized on Saturday evening and will be in unified command with Pacific Northwest Team 2 for the Double Creek Fire.
Double Creek Fire: 37,862 acres | 0% contained | 232 personnel assigned
The lightning-caused Double Creek Fire is a full suppression fire, and the protection of lives and property remain the primary objectives of this incident. On Saturday, the Double Creek Fire experienced significant growth to the north along Grizzly Ridge and east toward the Snake River. To the south, the fire backed down the Granny Creek drainage toward Freezeout Road. Firefighters were engaged in protecting private lands and infrastructure along the Imnaha River corridor on Saturday but were pushed to areas of refuge on several occasions due to intense and erratic fire behavior. Firefighters and aviation resources responded to evacuate several hunting parties that had been isolated due to the large fire growth.
Despite a forecast for lighter winds on Sunday, warm and dry conditions will result in active fire behavior on the east and west slopes of Grizzly Ridge and additional fire spread to the north. Fire will continue backing downslope toward the Imnaha River in the Schleur, Adams, College, Double, and Blackmore Creeks. On Sunday, firefighters will be working with task forces from the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal to protect property and infrastructure along the Upper Imnaha Road.
Weather: A strong upper disturbance and cold front passed through the area Saturday afternoon bringing isolated showers, gusty winds over 60 mph, relative humidity values of 6 to 10 percent, and temperatures reaching the low-90s. Conditions improved Saturday night with cooler temperatures and good humidity recovery. On Sunday, temperatures are forecast to be in the upper-70s to low-80s with southwest winds at 8-12 mph, gusting to 20 mph. While temperatures will remain warm, relative humidity will be higher than Saturday reaching about 20 percent.
Smoke: With an increase in fire activity across the Double Creek and Eagle Cap Wilderness Fires on Saturday, coupled with cooler overnight temperatures and higher relative humidity values, smoke is expected to settle in the lower elevations and drainages in the early morning hours. Current air quality information for the local area is available on the PurpleAir website.
Evacuations: There are current evacuations in place for the Double Creek Fire. Hat Point and Freezeout Roads are under a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation. The Hat Point Road is also closed due to the fire activity. Imnaha River Road, from Rippleton Creek to the Imnaha Grange is under a Level 2 “Get Set” evacuation. Imnaha River Road, from the town of Imnaha to Rippleton Creek and from the Imnaha Grange to the Pallette Ranch including Imnaha River Woods is under a Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuation.
Closures: There are currently trail and road closures in effect for the Double Creek Fire as well as the Eagle Cap Wilderness Fires. Closure Orders and Maps are available on the Wallowa Whitman National Forest Fire Incident Updates page. Wallowa County issued an Order to restrict use of the Upper Imnaha Road from Imnaha to the junction of Upper Imnaha Road and Forest Service Road 39.
Air Space: Several Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs) have been issued for areas surrounding the Double Creek and Eagle Cap Wilderness Fires. NOTAM 2/0826 and NOTAM 2/0849 have been issued to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft. Do not operate drones near wildfires. If public drones are flying in areas of wildfire activity, tactical firefighting aircraft will be grounded.
Restrictions: Forest Order #06-16-00-22-04 covers Phase B Fire Restrictions for all National Forest System Lands within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, except for the area within a ¼ mile of the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam, River Mile 247.5, downstream to the Oregon-Washington border at Snake River Mile 176.0, which is regulated by Forest Order #06-16-04-22-01.
Fire Information
Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Phone: 541-216-4579
Email: 2022.doublecreek@firenet.gov
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8366/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/doublecreekfire2022
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/Double-Creek-Fire
Cedar Creek Fire Update, Sept. 4
Size: 16,715 acres
Contained: 12%
Start Date: August 1, 2022
Location: 15 miles E of Oakridge, OR
Cause: Lightning
Total personnel: 629
Resources: 9 engines
8 crews
25 heavy equipment
8 helicopters
Current Situation: Fire activity was moderate yesterday due to cloud cover in the morning and higher humidities. Firefighters attempted to engage the fire where it crossed the retardant line near Edith Creek, but could not gain safe access because of extremely steep slopes. Firefighters initiated a strategic firing operation in the southwest area of the fire on Forest Service Road 2421. Humidities were very high, making ignition difficult, but they were able to make some progress. Today, fire behavior is expected to be slow and steady because of seasonal weather in the forecast.
Today’s Activities: Fire managers have started implementing a new plan in the southeast area of the fire, where the fire crossed over the fire-retardant line. Crews will be enhancing the area around Black Creek to use as a barrier to stop fire growth to the south. In the northern area, firefighters are utilizing Winchester Trail as a checking line to slow fire growth. In the southwest, crews are utilizing small firing operations to keep the fire north of Forest Service Road 2421.
Weather: Seasonal temperatures in the lower 80s.
Closures: All of the Waldo Camgrounds and Waldo Road are closed. Kiahane Campground and Box Canyon are closed. Forest Road 19 ( Aufderheide Scenic Byway) is closed from Kiahane Campground to Upper RoaringRiver. An expanded Area Closure is in place as of August 23rd for the Cedar Creek Fire. This includes all trailheads and dispersed camping west and north of Waldo Lake. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place.
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.
Smoke: Smoke Forecast Outlooks are available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook.
Fire Information: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Phone: 541-201-2335 | Email: 2022.cedarcreek@firenet.govOnline: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8307/ | https://www.facebook.com/CedarCreekFire2022/ | https://www.facebook.com/willamettenf | https://twitter.com/willametteNF |
YouTube: https://www.tinyurl.com/cedarcreekfireyoutube
Evacuations: These evacuation notices are a combined effort of Lane County Sheriff’s Office and Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Oregon.
NEW LEVEL 3 (GO NOW) EVACUATION NOTICES:
Shadow Bay Campground and the area to the southwest of Bobby Lake Level 3 means leave immediately! Do NOT take time to gather things. GO NOW. There is immediate and imminent danger and you should evacuate immediately.
NEW LEVEL 2 (Be Set) EVACUATION NOTICES:
The area southwest of Bobby Lake following the county line to Highway 58 All areas east of the current Level 3 Evacuation Area out to approximately 2 miles including Johnny Lake, Clover Meadow, Lemish Lake, Many Lakes Trailhead north to the line between Township 19 and 20 (Just south of Winopee Lake).
Level 2 means you must prepare to leave at a moment’s notice, and this may be the only notice that you receive. Public safety personnel cannot guarantee they will be able to notify you if conditions rapidly deteriorate.
NEW LEVEL 1 (Be Ready) EVACUATION NOTICES:
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has extended the Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation notice to the following areas:
All areas east of the current Level 2 Evacuation Area, north of FS 4290, west of Cascade Lakes Hwy, and South of the line between Township 19 and 20 (just north of Corral Swamp). Cultus Lake Resort, Cultus Lake Campground and Little Cultus Lake Campground are excluded from this Level 1 Evacuation at this time, but could be included if conditions change.
Level 1 (Be Ready) means you should be aware of the danger that exists in your area, monitor local media outlets and telephone devices to receive further information.
LEVEL 3 (GO NOW) EVACUATION NOTICE REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
Islet Campground, North Waldo Campground and Harralson Horse Camp All dispersed camping and recreation in the area east of the Waldo Lake shoreline between the United State Forest Service forest closure to the north, and south to Shadow Bay Campground, and east to the Charlton Lake and Taylor Lake areas.
Forest Service Road 19 (Aufderheide Drive) from milepost 20 (just east of Kiahanie Campground) to milepost 35 (south of Roaring River Campground). This includes the Box Canyon Campground, Box Canyon Staging Area/Horse Camp and Skookum Creek Campground and all surrounding dispersed camping areas.Irish and Taylor Lake campgrounds and dispersed camping in the Charlton and Taylor lakes areas and north along the Pacific Crest Trail to Lindick Lake.
LEVEL 2 (Be Set) EVACUATION NOTICE REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
The area between Taylor Lake and Lemish Lake along the Taylor Burn Road, including the Many Lakes and Metolius-Windigo Trailheads. Residents and visitors should monitor www.LaneCountyOR.gov/CedarCreek for evacuation information and maps.
Crockets Knob Fire Update
NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12
Incident Commanders: Jeff Dimke and Bobby Shindelar
September 04, 2022
Weather:Lighter winds from the west and northwest at less than 10mph are expected along ridgetops today. Skies will be clear most of the day. Conditions will be very dry and temperatures above normal, into the 80s and lower 90s.
Operations: Yesterday, winds gusting up to speeds of 50 mph on the ridgetops challenged firefighting efforts on the north edge of the fire. Even with lower temperatures and an increase in relative humidity, fire activity continued to test containment lines. Firefighters were able to locate and contain several spot fires west of FSR 45 with the support of aircraft. Several smokejumpers have been assigned on the north end of the fire to wrap the Indian Rock Lookout with protective, heat-resistant fabric. Increased fire activity and high winds in the area have created challenges to accomplishing the project. Wrapping of the lookout should be completed today and firefighters will be engaged in the area throughout the shift.Resources will be engaging on the northeast corner of the fire to construct both direct and indirect line in areas with the highest probability of successful containment. Work continues today to hold containment line along FSR 45 on the western flank, as well as slowing fire spread on the north edge of the fire. Hotshot crews will be working with aerial firefighting resources on areas of the line that are threatened by shifting winds and rising temperatures. Engines, heavy equipment, and crews continue working to increase containment along the southern edge.
Closures and Evacuations: Grant County has issued a Level One evacuation advisory in the area of the fire. Level One means be ready and aware of fire conditions. You can view a map of the evacuation zone on the Grant County Emergency Management Facebook page. An expanded closure is in effect on the Malheur and Umatilla National Forests today. For complete closure information, please go to: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/malheur/notices/...
Smoke may be visible to nearby communities and Forest visitors. Smoke and air quality impacts within the state can be monitored by visiting: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com
Quick Facts:
SIZE: 4,280 Acres
CONTAINMENT: 15%
CAUSE: Lightning
PERSONNEL: 611
LOCATION: 19 miles north of Prairie City
FIRE INFORMATION: 541-625-0892
2022.crocketsknob@firenet.gov FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CrocketsKnobFire INCIWEB: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8355/
TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION
There is a Temporary Flight Restriction over the Crockets Knob Fire area. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone - if you fly, we can’t.
#RumCreekFire Morning Update for Sunday, Sept. 4
Quick Stats -
Acreage - 18,966
Resources Assigned - 2,098
Containment - 27%
Fire Information: 541-414-3278 or 541-414-3278
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8348/
Evacuations: https://tinyurl.com/JOCOEvacMap
Containment rises on Rum Creek Fire
MERLIN, Ore. – Firefighters are taking advantage of cooler, more humid weather to make progress containing the Rum Creek Fire. In the last few days, containment has risen to 27%. “Containment” is an expression of confidence that the control lines will hold given the expected fire behavior and weather.
Nearly the entire Rum Creek Fire is encircled by well-defined control lines. Natural fire spread or tactical firing operations have burned the fuels adjacent to these lines. Crews are mopping up burned areas near the fire’s edges, searching for any hidden pockets of heat that might flare up later and allow the fire to escape fire lines. All of these remaining hot spots must be extinguished to secure the fire edge.
Portions of the fire line will not be declared “contained” until fire managers agree that pieces of fire perimeter have been thoroughly cooled and will not escape. An increase in containment represents a lot of work: planning and preparing fire lines, deploying hose lays, tactical firings, monitoring for spot fires outside the lines, mopping up, and repeated checks with more mop up as needed.
On Saturday, fire personnel continued tactical firing on the northwest side of the fire. Firing operations were suspended when smoke was too thick for ignited fuels to burn well. Crews plan to complete firing operations today, connecting the line from Mount Peavine north to the Rogue River.
Tactical firing will continue on the northeast side of the fire, where the fire is slowly progressing through the McKnabe Creek drainage. To the north and south, crews continue to mop up areas near Grave Creek and Stratton Creek.
On Saturday, the Office of State Fire Marshal began demobilizing task forces from the Rum Creek Fire. Two task forces were reassigned to the Double Creek Fire, others are returning to their home units. Other OSFM resources will remain on the Rum Creek Fire for the next three operational shifts. They continue to mop up remaining hot spots near structures, cutting hazard trees, and patrolling areas along Galice Road. Firefighters are working on structure assessment and pre-planning to the north and southeast of the fire.
On Saturday, the aircraft with Distributed Real-Time Infrared (DRTI) completed its last mapping flight for Rum Creek Fire. It has been reassigned to a fire with a greater need for its capabilities. Other resources will be released as they are no longer needed, allowing them to go to other fires or back home to prepare for their next assignments.
Evacuations: Existing evacuation orders and notifications remain in place. An interactive map showing evacuation levels according to address can be found at //JosephineCounty.gov/FireMap. For the most current evacuation information and resources, go to Josephine County Incident Information (rvem.org).
Road control: Josephine County Sheriff’s Office has established traffic access points around the fire zone. Road blocks are located at Galice Road near Crow Road; Galice Store; Bear Camp Road at Peavine (top intersection); Lower Grave Creek Road at Angora Creek (Grays Ranch); Quartz Creek Road about 3 miles up (end of County maintenance); Dutch Henry Road near Kelsey Creek (42 44'56.2/123 40'35.4); and Hog Creek at Galice Road. The National Guard is staffing the roadblocks. Only residents (must show proof of residency) and permitted users will be allowed through.
River status: The Wild section of the Rogue River below Grave Creek will remain open unless fire conditions warrant closure. River status is determined on a day-to-day basis. Please call 541-471-6535 for more information regarding Rogue River permits. No new boating permits will be issued at this time.
