9/10/2015 Grizzly Bear Complex Fire Update

Work has started on repairing damage caused by suppression effort on the Grizzly Bear Complex

  Elgin, Ore. – As the effort starts to wind down on mopping up the active perimeter on private land near Troy, and completion of containment lines comes to a close, the effort to repair any damage to the landscape from firefighting efforts is ramping up.  Activities include; fixing culverts that were crushed when heavy equipment ran across them, grading roads that were rutted by firefighting, repairing dozer and hand lines,  repairing damage caused by spike camps, repairing created ‘safety zones’, and repairing helicopter landing sites that were built for the fire suppression efforts.   Crews and equipment are also chipping and decking larger diameter trees that were damaged by the fire.

“Spike Camps” are areas that firefighters sleep in instead of the main camp.  The spike camp is located much closer to the fire to add speed and efficiency to the firefighters getting to their area of work.

“Safety Zones” are areas that are mostly devoid of vegetation and burnable material.  These are areas that firefighters escape to in case the main fires blows up or changes course towards them.  A safety zone is an area they can survive in.

Helicopter landing sites are valuable for delivering firefighters, equipment and information and in case of emergency, can be used for flying injured persons out of the fire area.

Resource Advisers from the local Forest oversee much of this reparation work and give specifics to supervisors to ensure that the work is done correctly.

A discussion is being held as to re-opening roads and areas around the fire perimeter. For further information regarding road and area closures, please check the following web site:

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4511

or you may check at Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grizzly-Bear-Complex-Fire/1152633018086248

and:

A closure description and map of closed roads is available at all Umatilla National Forest offices as well as on the Umatilla National Forest website: www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla/ in addition to the “closures” tab located at the http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4511/#