09/08/2014 Deception Complex Fire Update

Fire	Acres	% Contained	Total Personnel
Deception Complex	3760	64%	953

News & Highlights for the Deception Complex

• Firefighters successfully conducted burnout operations across the northern and northwestern flanks of the fire on Sunday, creating a clean underburn that added additional depth to the containment line. At the southern end of the fire, just south of Little Deception Rock, the firing team has successfully cut across the drainage with burnout along a fire break that will keep more than 600 acres of the Deception Creek drainage from burning.
• Burnout operations continue to go very well. There are no spots outside of the established fire lines, and the intensity of the burnout operation continues to be at a low or moderate level,  while taking care to protect old growth stands.
• Firefighters will continue with hand lighting operations on the W and SW flanks of the fire and interior aerial ignitions as visibility allows.
• As the temperature drops and relative humidity increases today and tomorrow, it will become more difficult to burn out forest fuels. Yet in the near future, another warming and drying trend is forecast for more favorable burning conditions later this week. Firefighters are wanting to safely and carefully accomplish as much as possible today while conditions are favourable.
• Smoke is expected to pool in the Oakridge and Westfir areas in the morning and remain throughout the day.  Even the strong winds predicted to arrive this evening will bring only a temporary, partial dissipation in smoke concentrations. Cooler temperatures forecast for today and tomorrow will likely reduce smoke dispersion, however smoke is expected to lift later this week.
• There is a clean air facility at the Willamette Activity Center in Oakridge that is open Mon-Fri from 9-5 p.m.  The center may also be opened in the evening on an as needed basis. Please call the Red Cross Coordinator Jerry Shorey at 541.915.3880 or the Oakridge Police Department at 541.782.4232.
• Smoke monitors have been placed to keep the public apprised of current smoke conditions. Information from smoke monitors in the Oakridge area is incorporated in the daily Deception Complex smoke forecast which is posted on the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency website at http://www.lrapa.org or http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com.
• Motorists traveling Highway 58 are advised to proceed with caution near the community of Oakridge, particularly with the start of the school week, amidst continuing heavy fire traffic.
• Deception Creek Mobile Home Park, Middle Fork Ranger Station and houses along La Duke Road remain under a Level 1 evacuation notice.

Deception Complex Operations Summary:

Deception Fire:

Taking advantage of the shift to westerly winds, crews on Sunday were able to burn out fuels along the northern-most edge of the fire. Burnout was also accomplished in the NW corner of the fire, continuing along the 5847 Road, to a stand of young trees, or regeneration, west of Krueger Rock. Due partly to high fuel moisture in the regeneration stand, the fire from hand-held drip torches did not carry through the patch of young trees. Later in the evening the helitorch, or flying drip torch, was used to more fully ignite the fuels surrounding the younger patch of trees. 

Further to the south along the western side of the fire, night crews continued hand-ignition on the fire-side, or eastern side, of the 1714 Road.

Aerial PSD (Plastic Spherical Device) ignition was conducted for nearly two miles along a sharp ridge to the northwest from a point near Little Deception Rock. Interior fires are being established on the upper third of the slopes to add depth to the black around the perimeter and to encourage cooler backing fires that help to prevent the forest canopy from burning.

Resources assigned to the Deception Complex are as follows:

Crews	Helicopters	Dozers	Tenders	Engines
21	11	4	19	45

Staley Fire: Firefighters are pulling hose and sprinkler lines from the fire; suppression repair activities such as construction of water-bars are continuing.  

Davey Fire: Suppression repair activities have been completed and fire equipment has been removed.

Air Operations Summary 

Seven heavy helicopters including a 2000-gallon capacity Sky Crane, a medium helicopter, three light helicopters and an air attack platform are assigned to the Deception Complex. Limited visibility due to smoky conditions are expected to significantly limit flight time.

• A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the Deception Fires 272, 274 and 278 and the Staley Fire. A military training Route (R346) has been closed due to the TFR.
• Oakridge Airport is closed to civilian air traffic because it is currently serving as the helibase for the Deception Complex.

Willamette National Forest Area & Trail Closures:

There are two closures on the Willamette NF associated with the Deception Complex.

• The Deception Fire closure is an area, road and trail closure that currently includes the Lawler and Deception Trails and the Patterson Mountain Road. A new closure is in effect that adds the 2102 Road to the closure. Forest Roads 5840, 5847 and 5850 were closed previously and remain closed.  The Larison Rock Trail (Trail 3607) was recently opened. The lower trailhead for Larison Rock Trail is open; the closure of the 2102 Road means the upper elevation trailhead for Larison Rock Trail is closed.
• The Staley Fire closure includes an area and road closure. 

Umpqua National Forest Closure:

●     There is an area, road and trail closure southwest of the Deception Complex. Forest Road 17 remains open to Spirit Falls.

Check Inciweb for full closure information, including maps: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4093/ or visit the Willamette National Forest at http://www.fs.usda.gov/willamette or the Umpqua National Forest http://www.fs.usda.gov/umpqua.

SAFETY CONCERNS: Serious driving hazards exist from smoke on the highway mixed with school traffic. Also, the heavy fire traffic flow on smoky, dusty, narrow forest roads produces serious driving hazards, and potential smoke exposure to firefighters and public can cause health related concerns.

RESOURCE CONCERNS: Threatened and endangered species, including northern spotted owls and bull trout; timber resources, impacts to recreation opportunities, threatened communities of Oakridge and Westfir, municipal watershed of Westfir, Deception Creek watershed above the mobile home park.

WEATHER: A dry cold front is forecast to sweep across the region late Monday. Winds are expected to shift to a more northwest direction and increase through the afternoon with gusts of 20-22 mph on nearby ridges. Increased cloud cover is expected, but no precipitation. Once the cold front moves through, the Tuesday high temperature will be in the 60's and the relative humidity will not drop below 30% in the fire area. Fog is expected Tuesday morning and a mild warming and drying trend is expected Wednesday through Friday.

TODAY'S EXPECTED FIRE BEHAVIOR: Fire activity will begin to moderate slightly. Isolated and group tree torching is expected in the afternoon with short range spotting. Fire activity will continue to moderate with higher relative humidities on Tuesday.

COOPERATING AGENCIES & PARTNERS: Willamette National Forest, Oregon Department of Forestry, Umpqua National Forest, Lane County, Oakridge/Hazeldell Fire Department, Lowell Rural Fire Protection District, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon State Police, Bureau of Reclamation, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency.

The Deception Complex was ignited by lightning on August 12, 2014 and is located two miles west of Oakridge, Oregon.