9/12/2014 790 Fire Update

790 Fire Update

Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 3, Incident Commander: Tim Keith

September 12, 2014 - 9:00 a.m.

Fire Information Center:  (206) 947-9729

Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4095/

Facebook: South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership

Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 3 (OR-IIMT-3), Incident Commander Tim Keith, assumed command of the 790 Fire this morning.  OR-IIMT-3 would like to thank the Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 2 and firefighters for all the hard work completed on the 790 Fire.

Location: 10 miles southeast of Prospect, Oregon and 10 miles northwest of Rocky Point, Oregon burning primarily in the Sky Lakes Wilderness.

Current situation:  3,036 acres, 70% contained.

Yesterday's Operations – All fire lines held around the entire perimeter with warm, dry east winds gusting to 24 mph potentially pushing the fire. Crews worked to mop- up the western flank of the fire, extinguishing all smokes that could threaten the integrity of the fire line.  On the southwestern flank, mop-up has progressed approximately 70-100 feet in to the interior of the fire, while on the northwest flank hoses and sprinkler systems were utilized to create a wet containment line where it crosses Big Bend Creek drainage.  The north, east and southeast flanks were monitored by air for visible smokes. The contingency line west and outside of the Sky Lakes Wilderness has been completed. Equipment and supplies located on the eastern portion of the fire began to be gathered and prepared for removal.

Today's Operations – Crews will continue to hold and mop-up the western side of the fire.  Rapellers will be flown by helicopter to the east flank to suppress a 1-acre heat source and fall burning snags.  The helitack crews will continue preparing loads of equipment and supplies for removal from the spike camps and helispots on the eastern side on the fire in the Sky Lakes Wilderness by mule pack string and by air.  The south and north flank will be patrolled by air. A contingency group consisting of engines, a dozer, and water tender remain prepositioned to assist should the fire cross the current containment lines.

Weather and Fire Behavior – A red flag warning has been issued for critical weather conditions of strong east winds and low relative humidity this morning. The warning will continue into the evening with unstable atmosphere and dry conditions forecasted. Gusty winds up to 15 mph this morning will turn southwest, then west, and eventually northwest this afternoon and evening.  This triple combination of low humidity, gusty winds, and unstable atmosphere is a heads up to firefighters to be aware of the potential for increased fire behavior and embers blowing across the fire line and starting spot fires.

Closures:

Area and trail closures remain in effect for the 790 Fire.  Details of the closures can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/rogue-siskiyou or http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4095.  The Pacific Crest Trail remains closed from the south boundary of Crater Lake National Park south to Highway 140. Pacific Crest Trail information is available at http://www.pcta.org/ .

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place over the fire. Please check the NOTAM for current information.

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