9/10/2015 Eagle Complex Update

The Eagle Complex Fire Area Closure is being reduced in size today. Specified roads will remain closed. Please visit www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman/ to view the roads that will remain closed.
On Thursday, the local Type 3 incident management team, led by Willy Crippen, Incident Commander, will turn command of the Eagle Complex over to a smaller organization managed by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, under the command of Tyson Baxter, Type 4 Incident Commander.

Good progress continues to be made on the Eagle Complex, located 20 miles northwest of Richland, Oregon. The 12,763 acre lightning caused wildfire is 75% contained, and has burned 463 acres of privately owned land protected by Oregon Department of Forestry and 12,300 acres of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. There are 91 personnel assigned to the fire, including 2 crews, 4 engines, 3 water tenders, 1 dozer, and 2 helicopters. The incident command post will remain at the Lily White Forest Service work center until Sunday.

A helicopter and an infrared camera will be used to find heat remaining along the perimeter of the fire and near structures today. And firefighters on the ground are using hand held infrared cameras again today, to detect heat around the cabins and structures along East Eagle Creek.



The weather is predicted to be warm and dry for the next several days, with no precipitation in the forecast. Crews are continuing to mop up hot spots along the perimeter of the fire, putting out smokes near the edge of the fire. Hose has been pulled off the fire line in places where it is no longer needed, but hose will be left in place awhile longer around the cabins and structures along East Eagle Creek. Engines are continuing to mop up and patrol around the cabins along East Eagle Creek, by FS Road 7745. A chipper is starting to chip vegetation along FS Road 77 in the fire area today. Two fallers are falling hazardous trees near the perimeter of the fire. Existing roads in the vicinity of the fire that have been impacted by fire suppression traffic are being graded. The excavator and dozer are repairing the effects of fire.

The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessment of the Eagle Complex is beginning, to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property and critical natural or cultural resources and, when possible, take immediate actions to manage unacceptable risks. Additional information about Public Use Restrictions and emergency closure areas on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman/. Oregon smoke condition information is available at http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/.