10/17/2024 NWCC Morning Brief

10/16/2024 Tiger Creek Fire Update

 

Tiger Creek Fire Update for Oct. 16, 2024

Current Situation: **This is the last update unless significant fire activity occurs. ** For all future information on the Tiger Creek Fire, please visit the Umatilla National Forest Service Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/UmatillaNF or the Blue Mountain Fire Information Blog at https://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/ The Tiger Creek fire remains at 534 acres, containment has increased to 89%, and personnel assigned to the fire now stands at 250. Crews continue to patrol and repair areas within the fire footprint. Due to the containment and weather predicted, many resources will be released this afternoon. California Interagency Incident Management Team 15 will be transferring command of the Tiger Creek Fire at 6pm on October 16, 2024, back to the Umatilla National Forest. California Interagency Complex Incident Management Team 15 wishes to thank the Umatilla National Forest, Oregon Department of Forestry and Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days for their friendliness, professionalism, and courtesy during our time on the incident. The team would also like to extend many thanks to the residents affected by the Tiger Creek Fire for their patience, understanding and hospitality over the last two weeks. Closures and Restrictions: Access through Forest Service Road (FSR) 65 up through FSR 64 to the junction with Indian Camp is closed. Government Mountain Road/FSR 6511 is closed from North Fork Walla Walla trailhead to the junction with FSR 65 at Tiger Saddle. Government Mountain Rd/FSR 6511 is open from the west to North Fork Walla Walla trailhead. The current fire danger rating is MODERATE and public use restrictions phase A for Umatilla National Forest are in effect. For more information regarding restrictions, please contact Umatilla National Forest Toll-free Information Hotline: 1.877.958.9663. Weather: The weather shifted last night into this morning with 100 percent chance of precipitation continuing into this afternoon. The relative humidity yesterday reached 71 percent and higher winds were recorded. The rain coming in will make for excellent recovery overnight into Thursday. Snow is possible about 3500 feet Wednesday into Thursday. Smoke: Walla Walla’s air quality for today is good, some residents along Mill Creek may experience smoke as the fire continues to burn. Check out https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/?m=1 for more information

10/16/2024 Rail Ridge Update

Rail Ridge Fire Update

October 16, 2024

Central Oregon Wildfire Information: centraloregonfire.org

Email: 2024.railridge@firenet.gov  –  Phone: 541-208-7111

Social Media, Evacuation and Closure Information: https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire

Acres: 175,961 – Containment: 89% – Detection: 09/02/24 – Cause: Lightning – Personnel: 576

Northwest Team 2 assumed command of the fire last night at 8pm. Team 2 is looking forward to working with the local landowners, community, and agency administrators during their two-week assignment on the Rail Ridge Fire.

Operational Update: Yesterday, most of the fire area was shaded by the smoke inversion until it lifted around 1:30pm. This prevented fire activity from increasing throughout the morning and early afternoon. Winds flowed into the area from the southwest throughout the morning and shifted to flow from the northwest around 4pm. This caused fire activity to increase slightly. However, the northwesterly winds allowed for the fire to push back toward the main fire footprint. On the northwest section of the fire, crews are continuing to build containment lines above Cougar Ridge. Fire managers are continuing to explore contingency lines farther north of FS Road 3850, which is tied in with dozer lines. There was a small spot in the northwest that the Salmon River Hotshots quickly addressed and prevented from spreading. Around contained areas of the fire, crews continued suppression repair including extensive hazard tree removal, fence repair, and other clean up. Air resources included two Type 1 helicopters and one Type 3 helicopter.

Moderate rains began after midnight. The most active areas of the fire in the Black Canyon Wilderness and Cougar Ridge received up to 0.29” of precipitation. The increased humidity and significant wetting rainfall is expected to curb most of the fire activity that we have been seeing over the last few days. Expect to see on and off mist showers and cloudy skies throughout the day. Winds will pick up from the northwest this afternoon with gusts up to 25mph expected on some higher elevation ridges.

Today, crews in the northwest will continue to use heavy machinery to build containment lines, utilizing Forest Service Road 3850. Firefighters are diligently to seeking out hotspots and responding accordingly to changing or unexpected weather conditions.  Crews on the northeast area of the fire are wrapping up suppression repair and will be ready to relocate if additional fire resources are needed on more active fire perimeters. Firefighters will continue to work extensively on FS Road 2150 and 24 to remove hazard trees and increase the safety of these roadways. Fire crews will continue to patrol the contained perimeter of the fire. Air resources will continue to be available and utilized. With the rain comes slick roads, so fire personnel will be assessing the fire conditions and engaging where it is safe to do so.  

Weather: Much cooler and wetter conditions are expected over the next few days. Temperatures will likely dip below freezing later tonight and snow showers will be possible above 4,500 feet. Winds will be gusty out of the northwest, but with all the moisture this weather system brings, there should be little impacts to the fire. Rainfall amounts through Thursday will likely exceed 0.1", and higher elevations may see a dusting to an inch of snow through Thursday.

 

10/16/2024 NWCC Morning Brief

10/15/2024 NWCC Morning Brief

10/15/2024 Rail Ridge Fire Update

 

Rail Ridge Fire Update 

October 15, 2024 

Central Oregon Wildfire Information: centraloregonfire.org  

Email: 2024.railridge@firenet.gov  –  Phone: 541-208-7111 

Social Media, Evacuation and Closure Information: https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire 

Acres: 175,060 – Containment: 89% – Detection: 09/02/24 – Cause: Lightning – Personnel: 609 

Forest visitors near the Rail Ridge Fire should be aware that Forest and BLM closures as well as fire restrictions around the Rail Ridge Fire remain in place. 

NWCIMT8 will be transitioning with NWCIMT2 today at 8pm. Team 8 has appreciated the support of the local landowners, community and agency administrators during their two week assignment on the Rail Ridge Fire. Team 2 personnel arrived yesterday to begin the transition process.  

Operational Update: Yesterday, winds and dry conditions caused the fire near Cougar Ridge to increase in activity, causing significant increase of smoke throughout the day. Strong winds with gusts up to 20mph were flowing from the southwest, before shifting from the northwest in the late afternoon. Cloud coverage over the area shaded the fire until about noon, causing temperatures to increase, humidity to drop, and overall fire activity to increase in the northwest. An IR flight over night shows the fire increased by 900 acres. Air resources included four Type 1 helicopters, three air tankers, and an air attack. These resources were utilized to protect the values at risk north of Cougar Ridge where an increase of fire activity was observed by dropping water buckets and retardant. Heavy machinery and crews continued to establish containment line on the northwest section of the fire. Crews continued to patrol the contained perimeter of the fire to locate hot spots, remove debris, and take down hazard trees. While some crews have been moved to the northwest of the fire to assist in containment, fire personnel continued to diligently work on repairing roads throughout the burn area, including FS Road 2150 and 24.  

Today, expect to see similar fire activity as yesterday. Fire behavior is expected to increase once the smoke inversion lifts early in the day. Winds will flow in from the southwest in the morning and shift to come from the northwest by this evening. Firefighters are expecting to see an increase of torching and spotting in the heat of the day in the northwest. A change of weather, meteorologists are expecting a 70% chance of wetting rain tonight after midnight. In the highest elevations, this precipitation may appear as snow! Heavy machinery is still being used on the northwest perimeter to establish containment line along FS Road 3850. Fire managers are evaluating the terrain and infrastructure north of the containment lines on the active piece of the fire to install contingency lines. Crews will continue mop and suppression repair along contained edges of the fire. Air resources will continue to be used as needed.  

Weather: High pressure will push east later today as low pressure pushed in from the west. Expect increasing clouds by later this afternoon through this evening and a chance of rain after midnight. There will be a few hours of dry conditions this afternoon with min RH down to 25%, and then quickly rise this evening. Winds will be out of the southwest this afternoon and turn west-northwest this evening and tonight with gusts of 12-15 mph. Temperatures will likely dip below freezing Wednesday night into Thursday and light snow will be possible above 4,500 ft elevation. 

 

 

10/15/2024 Tiger Creek Fire Update

10/15/2024 NWCC Morning Brief

10/14/2024 Tiger Creek Fire Update

10/14/2024 Rail Ridge Fire Update