8/4/2014 8:22 am Logging Unit Fires Update

Update for Logging Unit Fires and Bear Butte 2 Fire

August 4, 2014

Extended Initial Attack continued on the Nena Fire north of Shaniko Butte on the Warm Springs Reservation on Sunday. Four crews, one tender, and two heavy-lift helicopters from the Logging Unit Fires spent the day working with Warm Springs Fire Management to check the fire’s expansion.

The mop-up work on the Logging Unit Fires continued to progress on Sunday, moving closer to the goal of eliminating all heat within 300 feet of the line in timber, and within 100 feet of the line in grass. The planned strategy to set up sprinklers on Bear Butte 2 came a  little closer to reality on Sunday as most of the heavy equipment finished its work. The sprinklers should be installed today, and will be supported by water tenders.

A firefighter collapsed on the Bear Butte 2 Fire on Sunday and was flown to St. Charles Hospital in Bend. “This was no drill,” said Medical Unit Leader Glenn Fischer. “This incident occurred in an extremely remote area, and in short order a helicopter was requested, a landing zone was constructed, and our line medics were able to successfully hand the patient over to the Life Flight professionals.” The patient was evaluated at the hospital and is recovering locally.

Crews from Maryland, Ohio, and other far-away states were seen heading home Sunday as their 14-day assignments came to an end. The number of personnel has dropped from Sunday morning’s 940 to today’s 654 people.

Although fire officials reduced the size of the area closures on Sunday, the Pacific Crest Trail remains closed within the Warm Springs Reservation boundaries, from mile 2057.3 to mile 2082.2. Re-route information is available at www.pcta.org.

Smoky conditions prevailed in the Warm Springs area on Sunday, and are expected to continue today

Fire at a Glance

Total Incident Size: 10,447 acres
-Bear Butte 2 (north half): 3803 ac.
- Logging Unit Fires: 6644 ac.

Containment:
-Bear Butte 2 (north half) – 70%
-Logging Unit Fires – 85%

Assigned Personnel: 654
Aircraft: 2 Type 1 Heavy Lift helicopters
-1 Type 3 Light Lift helicopter
-1 Fixed Wing Air Mgt Aircraft

Location:
-Logging Unit Fires: 15 miles WSW of Simnasho on the Warm Springs Reservation.
-Bear Butte 2 Fire: 25 miles WSW of Warm Springs on the Warm Springs Reservation.
Cause: Started by lightning on  July 16, 2014

Fire Information Number: (541) 553-2996

Fire Information E-Mail: LoggingUnitFiresInfo@gmail.com

Fire Information Website: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3973/#