Cougar Peak Fire NW of Lakeview burns nearly 92,000 acres, reaches 85% containment
LAKEVIEW, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The nearly month-old, nearly 92,000-acre Cougar Peak Fire 15 miles northwest of Lakeview has reached 85% containment, and the fire management will be transitioning back to a local unit on Monday, officials said in Sunday's update.
COUGAR PEAK FIRE UPDATE
NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12
Incident Commanders: Jeff Dimke and Bobby Shindelar
October 3, 2021
The Cougar Peak Fire is currently burning approximately 15 miles northwest of Lakeview. The Incident Command Post at the Lakeview Fairgrounds is closed to all but essential personnel to help ensure the health and safety of community members and firefighters.
Tomorrow is NW Team 12’s last day on the Cougar Peak Fire. On October 5, the fire will transition back to the local unit.
Weather
Temperatures today will be in the 70s and 80s. Monday will slightly cooler, but temperatures will remain above normal. Relative humidity will continue to be very dry. A major pattern change will move into the region next week, with high temperatures in the 40s and 50s.
Operations
Warm temperatures and low humidity led to visible smoke from the interiors of the Cougar Peak and Patton Meadow Fires yesterday, but containment lines on both fires continue to remain secure. On the southern end of the Cougar Peak Fire, crews cleaned up slash piles and completed log processing operations. Crews also worked on dozer line repair south of Cougar Peak. On the northern end of the fire, suppression repair continued, as heavy equipment installed water bars and repaired dozer lines. Crews completed falling hazard trees on the eastern side of the fire, and heavy equipment continued to process logs.
Firefighters will continue to focus on suppression repair today. Patrolling and monitoring is ongoing around the fire perimeter. Crews are also prepared to assist with new fire starts in the area.
Closures and Fire Restrictions
The Cougar Peak Fire Closure Order on the Fremont-Winema National Forest remains in place. The closure order can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/fremont-winema/home.
Please respect closure orders and use extra caution while driving and hunting for your safety as well as the safety of our firefighters. There are still many firefighters doing repair work, patrolling, falling hazard trees, and moving heavy equipment on roads in and around the fire area.
Beginning October 1, fire danger level is “High,” IFPL is a Level II, and Public Use Restrictions are lifted on the Fremont-Winema National Forest and most of the BLM Lakeview District. For the latest restrictions and regulations, visit https://scofmp.org/restrictions.shtml.
Fire Safety
While days are getting shorter and temperatures are decreasing, fuels remain dry and current conditions can still carry wildfire quickly. Caution should be used to prevent wildfires.
SIZE: 91,795 acres
CONTAINMENT: 85%
PERSONNEL: 201
CAUSE: Undetermined
RESOURCES:
Hand Crews: 2
Engines: 5
Dozers: 3
Water Tenders: 3
Helicopters: 1
FIRELINE REPAIRED: 100.8 mi
ROAD REPAIRED: 36.3 mi
FIRE INFORMATION:
541-900-5788
Facebook: @CougarPeakFire2021
INCIWEB:
