Fire Terms

7/31/2017 Blanket Fire to Host Community Meeting Tomorrow in Prospect, OR

The public is invited to a community meeting about the Blanket Creek Fire on Tuesday evening, August 1st, at the Prospect Community Center. The meeting will start at 6:30pm.

Forest Service staff and the Incident Management team will share information about the status of the Blanket Creek Fire, what has been accomplished, and what actions are planned.

7/31/2017 Blanket Fire Update

Focus on Improving Firelines as Weather Heats Up
Forecast weather: A Red Flag Warning has been issued for the area of the Blanket Creek Fire from noon to 9 pm today due to a highly unstable air mass that could lead to more active and erratic fire behavior.  Temperatures today are expected to reach 88 degrees and will continue to rise through mid-week with record setting potential. 

Sunday’s activities: Firefighters continued to build and secure fire line around the perimeter of the Blanket Creek Fire, now estimated to be 931 acres.  Firefighters worked late into the evening to complete firing operations on the north flank of the fire to establish a “black line” adjacent to the prepared road system and increase the depth and effectiveness of that containment line. Crews continued to establish fire line on the east and west flanks of the fire. Work also progressed along Forest Road 6205, including removing brush and falling snags, so it can serve as the southern containment line as the fire backs down the slope.
Resources from this area provided suppression activity on the Spruce Lake Fire, a new start located in Crater Lake National Park, which has grown to approximately 94 acres.  

Planned actions for today:  Continue to hold and secure line established from burn out operations on the north flank of the fire.  Hose lines are being installed along the northeastern fire containment lines, to prepare for extending the burn out efforts.  Line construction will resume on the east and west flanks of the fire, and crews will continue preparing Forest Road 6205 to serve as fire line as the fire backs down the slope to the road.  Helicopters will drop water to slow the fire’s spread as needed.  Local area firefighters will again assist suppression efforts on the Spruce Lake Fire. 

There are no homes or structures in the immediate area of this fire.  Local highways and Crater Lake National Park are fully open.  Fire personnel are using the day use portion of Joseph Stewart State Park for the Incident Command Post and camp.  The rest of the park, including Lost Creek Lake Marina and Store, is open to visitors and campers.

Fire danger is now classified as “Extreme” in Jackson County.  Responding to new fires reduces the ability of firefighters to address the existing fires.  Everyone is responsible to prevent new fire starts.

Fire at a Glance
Size: 931 acres
Containment: 3%

Location: 9 miles northeast of Prospect, Oregon; 5 miles southwest of Crater Lake National Park; north of Bessie Rock; on the north side of the Red Blanket Creek Drainage.

Cause: Lightning, Natural

Personnel: 540 (some are assisting other fires today)

Resources:
  6 Type 1 Hotshot Crews
14 Type 2 Crews
  4 Engines
  2 Water tenders
  2 Dozers
  3 Falling units

Aircraft:
1 Type 1 heavy helicopter
1 Type 2 medium helicopter
2 Type 3 light helicopters

Closures: An area around the fire is closed. The closure order and map are on the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest website and Inciweb.

7/31/2017 NWCC Morning Brief

Date/Time Stamp: Monday, Jul 31, 2017, 06:47

Northwest Activity Summary
Warm and dry yesterday with generally light winds and breezy conditions in Northeast Washington. No lightning and no precipitation. Light initial attack with the Glade 3 fire reported at 9,000 acres in Eastern Washington. Moderate growth on existing large fires. PNW Team 3, Livingston ordered for the Northern Rockies.

Preparedness Levels
Current:
Northwest
(7/13)
National
(7/9)
Northwest PL Forecast
3
4
3
3-day
10-day
30-day

Northwest Fire Activity 
New Fires and Acres 29 fires for 9,098 acres
782 acres growth on existing large fires
OR: 15 fires for 11 acres
WA:  14 fires for 2,087 acres
Large Fire Summary
New large fires: 1
Large fires contained: 4
Uncontained large fires: 3 (OR: 2 WA: 1)
Northwest IMT Activity
NIMOs committed: 2
Type 1 IMTs committed: 1
Type 2 IMTs committed: 2

National Fire Activity 
Initial attack activity: Moderate (242) new fires
New large incidents: 11
Large fires contained: 4
Uncontained large fires: 35
National IMT Activity
Area Command Teams committed: 0
NIMOs committed: 2
Type 1 IMTs committed: 7
Type 2 IMTs committed: 8


Northwest Current Incident Details
Incidents not Previously Reported: 1
Glade 3 WA-WFS-000306. IMT4. 3 miles S of Mabton, WA. Start 7/30. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 9,000 acres. 0% containment. Brush/grass. Active fire behavior. Residences threatened. Road closures in place.
Incidents Previously Reported: 8
Blanket Creek OR-RSF-000371. IMT2 (Gales). 9 miles NE of Prospect, OR. Start 7/25. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 625 acres (+299). 3% containment. Timber. Moderate fire behavior with short crown runs, flanking and group torching. Road, trail and area closures in place.
Indian Creek OR- MHF-000176. NIMO (Quesinberry). 6 miles S of Cascade Locks, OR. Start 7/4. Confine. Cause: Unknown. 74 acres (+0). 0% containment. Timber. Moderate fire behavior with smoldering and creeping. Trail closures in place. This incident not included in the large fire count above.
Chetco Bar OR-RSF-000326. NIMO (Houseman). 16 miles W of Selma, OR. Start 7/12. Monitor/Confine/Point Zone Protection. Cause: Lightning. 2,410 acres (+205). 0% containment. Timber/brush. Moderate fire behavior with uphill runs and flanking. Road and trail closures in place. This incident not included in the large fire count above.
Whitewater OR-WIF-170123. IMT2 (Knerr). 15 miles E of Detroit, OR. Start 7/23. Confine. Cause: Lightning. 167 acres (+68). 40% containment. Timber. Active fire behavior with torching, backing and short range spotting. Road, area and trail closures in place. This incident not included in the large fire count above.
Diamond Creek WA-OWF-000267. IMT1 (Schulte). 27 miles NNW of Winthrop, WA. Start 7/23. Monitor/Confine. Cause: Unknown. 4,495 acres (+210). 0% containment. Timber. Active fire behavior. Trail closures in place. This incident not included in the large fire count above.
Upper Mine OR-BUD-007058. IMT3. 8 mi S of Fields, OR. Start 7/24. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 4,135 acres (+0). 95% containment. Grass/brush. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Structures threatened. Last report on morning briefing unless significant activity occurs.
Dry Creek Buttes OR-VAD-000148. IMT3. 23 miles SW of Adrian, OR. Start 7/28. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 3,000 acres (+0). 100% containment. Minimal fire behavior. Sage grouse habitat threatened. Last report on morning briefing unless significant activity occurs.
Oxbow OR-VAD-000152. IMT3. 12 miles SW of Adrian, OR. Start 7/28. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 1,454 acres (+0). 100% containment. Brush/grass. Minimal fire behavior. Sage grouse habitat threatened. Last report on morning briefing unless significant activity occurs.
Haystack Rock OR-VAD-000151. IMT4. 11 miles W of Adrian, OR. Start 7/28. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 511 acres (-1). 100% containment. Brush/grass. Minimal fire behavior. Sage grouse habitat threatened. Last report on morning briefing unless significant activity occurs.

Lists fires (of any size) that singly utilize Monitor, Confine or Point Zone Protection suppression strategies, or use Multiple Suppression Strategies (which may also include a Full Suppression component).

Northwest Fire Potential Summary
The region is poised to undergo a significant heat wave this week. Temperatures will rise well above average on both sides of the Cascades and fire danger indices will respond accordingly. The number of new fire ignitions will also slowly elevate as the fuels become more receptive to starts in the next 7 days. The burning environment for ongoing incidents will become more elevated due to the heat and drying.
General winds under this heating pattern tend to decrease for the majority of the geographic but there will be local exceptions such as a thermal trough developing west of the Cascades. Instability in the atmosphere will gradually worsen with possible Haines Index 5 or 6 values. There is limited potential for lightning in Southern Oregon throughout this period that will increases slightly later this week.
Pay close attention to NWS fire weather forecasts.


National Incident Management Situation Report (IMSR): https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf
Other GACC Morning Reports:
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7/30/2017 Whitewater Fire Update

Fire managers close Jefferson Park and a portion
 of the PCT Monday at 6:00 a.m. 

(Detroit, OR) Fire in the wilderness is a natural process but it can sure change your plans. The 167-acre Whitewater Fire has been actively burning a few miles from Jefferson Park in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, since Sunday July 23, 2017. 

Fire managers will be closing all trails into Jefferson Park, beginning Monday July 31st at 6:00 a.m.

“We understand it is inconvenient but our priority is to protect public safety,” said Detroit District Ranger Grady McMahan.

An 11-mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail (Trail #2000) will be closed. The PCT will be closed north of its junction with the Woodpecker Trail and south of Breitenbush Lake.

The weather forecast calls for unusually hot, dry and unstable weather conditions in the area this coming week. The hotter weather is expected to increase fire behavior, which would pose a safety risk to hikers in the Jefferson Park area.

 “The purpose of this closure is to protect the welfare of firefighters and the public,” said Detroit District Ranger Grady McMahan. “It was a difficult decision, but one we felt compelled to make given the weather forecast for the coming week.”

Since yesterday, heavy equipment has started removing brush and small trees along the Forest Service Road 2243-400 system (Whitewater Creek Road). Brush, limbs and trees are being cut, chipped, and stacked in order to create control lines by reducing fuels along the road system outside the wilderness. Fire managers aim to ensure protection of Forest Service land and private land holdings. The Type 3 team will hand off management of the fire to a Type 2 Incident Management Team on July 31st.

A new fire camp has been established at the Hoodoo Ski Area. Motorists are advised to reduce speeds and use caution when traveling on Highway 22 due to the high volume of fire traffic.

The previous trail closures remain in place. The closed trails are:
• Whitewater Trail #3429 is closed from its origin to the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail #2000.
 • Cheat Creek Trail #3441 is closed from its origin to the junction with the Triangulation Tr. #3373.
• Triangulation Trail #3373 is closed from its junction with trail #3374 (near Triangulation Peak) to the terminus at Whitewater Trail #3429.
• Crag Trail #3364 from its origin to the terminus at the Triangulation Trail #3373. The following trail closures will be in place starting Monday, July 31st at 6:00 a.m.
• Pacific Crest Trail (#2000) north of Woodpecker Trail (#3442) to Breitenbush Lake
 • South Breitenbush Trail (#3375) east of Bear Point Trail (#3342) up to the PCT (#2000)

 In addition Forest Service Road 2243 (off of Highway 22) is closed at the Cheat Creek Trailhead to avoid potential conflicts with fire traffic. The trails and road will remain closed to protect public and fire fighter safety until further notice. Contact: Stefanie Gatchell, 541-401-2384 or Marcus Kauffman, 541-580-7480, whitewaterfire17@gmail.com

7/30/2017 Blanket Fire Update

BLANKET FIRE UPDATE: 
Sunday, July 30, 2017  10:00am

Making progress, and helping the neighbors

Saturday’s activities: Hand crews continued creating fire breaks along the Forest Service 100 Road and the Red Blanket Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail. Firefighters’ tasks included clearing away vegetation, digging to bare soil, and, in some locations, carefully using fire as a tool to “burn out” inside the firelines. Burning out consumes the ground fuels, creating a broader barrier that is more likely to resist a fire’s natural movement. Water drops by helicopters were used to cool the south edge of the fire to slow the downslope fire movement.  Forest Road 6205 is being prepared as a fireline along the south edge of the fire area. One firefighter became ill from apparent dehydration and was evaluated at a local hospital; he was released later in the day. In the evening, the largest helicopter left the Blanket Creek Fire to help other local fire responders on a new fire that started near Burnt Peak. New fire starts are a priority to contain, and they take resources away from ongoing large fires. All fire personnel depend on the public to prevent new wildfires.  

Planned actions today: More crews have arrived to join the fireline construction and strengthening. Their specialized experience in steep terrain is particularly valuable on this fire, where there are very few natural breaks in the forest canopy. All fireline leaders will continue to monitor people’s heat exposure and hydration, with the goal of preventing heat-related illnesses. Some crews are assigned to other small fires in the High Cascades Ranger District, and 2 crews are loaned to Crater Lake National Park for a new fire there. 

Forecast weather: Today is expected to be about 5 degrees hotter than Saturday, with temperatures on the fire area reaching the mid-80s. The humidity won’t recover as well overnight, which means the vegetation gets even drier, and can continue to burn throughout the night. Looking ahead, the National Weather Service has issued an “Excessive Heat Warning” for Monday through Thursday. Temperatures could reach 10-20 degrees above normal. Fortunately, at this time there are no predicted strong wind or lightning events to coincide with the extreme heat and drying of vegetation.

More smoke is visible in the area today due to this and other local fires. There are no homes or structures in the immediate area of this fire. Crater Lake National Park is fully open. Fire personnel are using the day use portion of Joseph Stewart State Park for the Incident Command Post (ICP) and camp. The rest of the park, including Lost Creek Lake Marina and Store, is open to visitors.

Fire at a Glance
Size: 625 acres
Containment: 3%

Location: 9 miles northeast of Prospect, Oregon; 5 miles southwest of Crater Lake National Park; north of Bessie Rock; on the north side of the Red Blanket Creek Drainage.

Cause: Lightning, Natural

Personnel: 540 (some are assisting other fires today)

Resources:
 6 Type 1 Hotshot Crews
12 Type 2 Crews
 4 Engines
 2 Water tenders
 2 Dozers
 3 Falling units

Aircraft:
1 Type 1 heavy helicopter
1 Type 3 light helicopter

7/30/2014 Indian Creek Fire Update

Indian Creek Fire Update

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Location:  13 miles east of Multnomah Falls, west side of Eagle Creek, 5.5 miles upstream from I-84; Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness within the Hood River Ranger District of the Mt. Hood National Forest
The western edge of the Indian Creek Fire was showing smoke on Saturday morning and it was cooled by multiple buckets of water as the helicopter went through two cycles of fuel.  No new hot spots were detected by overnight infrared (IR) imagery.

Firefighters received approval to use Wahtum Lake as a water source for their operation on Saturday, which resulted in 40% less flight time over the forest. Wahtum Lake is much closer to the fire, its depth allows quicker filling of the bucket, and the flight from the lake to the fire is all downhill. Wahtum Lake is significantly larger than the previous water source and water removal will have less of an impact.

Though the fire has remained at 74 acres, crews report seeing more smoke than usual coming up the drainage. The fire is mostly smoldering and creeping but sometimes breaks out into open flame. Branches on the ground larger than an inch in diameter are not burning completely because of dampness in the deep canyon and the water drops which have soaked the soil and the woody material near the fire’s edge. In drier conditions these smaller branches – along with much larger logs -- would be fully consumed.

On the slope above the fire there is a high density of limbs, logs, and broken wood fragments on the ground because of last winter’s ice storm. This “high fuel load” on steep ground makes it more dangerous for firefighters and increases the complexity of managing the fire. With drier conditions forecast for the coming week, firefighters are concerned that fire behavior will increase.
Fire managers are requesting the public’s assistance in preventing additional fires. “The public is our first line of defense,” stated Incident Commander Mike Quesinberry. “With even drier, hotter weather coming later this week, we ask everyone to be as careful as possible with any activity that might ignite a fire.”

The Pacific Crest Trail remains open. Hikers who need water can find it at Indian Springs. Otherwise, an Area Closure is in effect. Eagle Creek trail is closed within the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. Wahtum Lake Campground and Indian Springs Campground are closed. A map and a full listing of closures can be found athttps://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5403/

Websites:  Indian Creek Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5403/
Mt. Hood National Forest Facebook: http://facebook.com/mthoodnf

07/29/2017 Upper Mine Wildfire - Final Update

Upper Mine Wildfire Update
Fact Sheet July 29, 2017 – PM

Announcements: This will be the last fire update from Johnson’s NWIMT8.  Management of the Upper Mine Fire will transition to Kevin Thissell, incident commander (IC), of a local, type 4 organization at 6:00 am tomorrow.  The incident command post will be established in Fields, Oregon.
IC Johnson would like to thank all the local community members for their patience and cooperation during our suppression efforts.

Fire Information Center: (541) 670-0812 (cellphone) Available 7:30 am to 9:00 pm tonight.
The new number beginning at 8:00 am tomorrow, July 30th, (541) 573-4519 or e-mail tthissell@blm.gov

Information Websites: Inciwebhttps://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5425/ and Facebook Upper Mine Wildfire; this Facebook page will be closed tomorrow morning but will remain viewable.

Incident Management: Northwest Incident Management Team 8 (NWIMT8), Doug Johnson, IC, will transition management of this fire at 6:00 am tomorrow morning. 

Fire Size: 4,135 acres

Percent Contained: 95%
Threatened:  Structures-18 total (3 residences); fire spread has been checked by containment efforts but is unlikely to escape containment lines.

Closures: None 

Cause: Fires started July 24, 2017.  The cause was lightning.

Resources:  Total personnel assigned - 74; 1-type 1 crew, 1-helicopter, 11-engines, 1-dozer, and 1-water tender.

Air Operations:  The temporary flight restriction (TFR) in place over Mahogany and Upper Mine Fires will be removed by 8:00 pm.  Please check the NOTAMs prior to flying. Flying within the TFR is prohibited and against the law.

WeatherHot and dry conditions will continue through-out the week with temperatures near 90 degrees and relative humidity in the lower teens.  Tonight will be partly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms through 12:00 am.  Temperatures will be in the mid-50’s to upper 60’s with a relative humidity of 30-50%. General winds will be from the west at 6-8 mph.

Today’s Operations: Firefighters hiked to the fire’s flank north of Pueblo Mountain to mop-up any remaining heat.  Helicopters assisted the crew with water drops.  Other firefighters patrolled for smoke around structures.

Firefighters remain diligent and at the ready to respond to any new wildfire starts.

An Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) of III, partial shutdown, is in effect on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Burns District and the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Public use restrictions are also in effect.  For more information on the IFPL, fire danger or public use restrictions, call the Burns Interagency Communication Center at (541) 573-4545. To report a wildfire, call (541) 573-1000.       
                                                          ~~~

07/30/2017 NWCC Morning Brief

Date/Time Stamp: Sunday, Jul 30, 2017, 06:47


Northwest Activity Summary
Warm and very dry yesterday with windy conditions in Southeast Oregon. Poor overnight humidity recoveries at higher elevations. Lightning in Southeast Oregon with very little precipitation. Just below moderate levels of initial attack with the largest new fire reported at 100 acres on the Vale District. Moderate growth on existing large fires.


Preparedness Levels
Current:
Northwest
3 (7/13)
National
4 (7/9)

Northwest PL Forecast
3
4
3
3-day
10-day
30-day



Northwest Fire Activity
New Fires and Acres 32 fires for 127 acres
3,619 acres growth on existing large fires
OR: 24 fires for 122 acres
WA:  8 fires for 5 acres
Large Fire Summary
New large fires: 1
Large fires contained: 3
Uncontained large fires: 6 (OR: 6 WA: 0)
Northwest IMT Activity
NIMOs committed: 2
Type 1 IMTs committed: 1
Type 2 IMTs committed: 1
National Fire Activity
Initial attack activity: Light (152) new fires
New large incidents: 4
Large fires contained: 7
Uncontained large fires: 32
National IMT Activity
Area Command Teams committed: 0
NIMOs committed: 2
Type 1 IMTs committed: 6
Type 2 IMTs committed: 11


Northwest Current Incident Details
Incidents not Previously Reported: 2
Oxbow OR-VAD-000152. IMT3. 12 miles SW of Adrian, OR. Start 7/28. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 1,454 acres. 80% containment. Brush/grass. Minimal fire behavior. Sage grouse habitat threatened.
Indian Creek OR- MHF-000176. NIMO (Quesinberry). 6 miles S of Cascade Locks, OR. Start 7/4. Confine. Cause: Unknown. 74 acres (-1). 0% containment. Timber. Moderate fire behavior with smoldering and creeping. Trail closures in place. This incident not included in the large fire count above.
Incidents Previously Reported: 8
Blanket Creek OR-RSF-000371. IMT2 (Gales). 9 miles NE of Prospect, OR. Start 7/25. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 326 acres (+76). 3% containment. Timber. Moderate fire behavior with short crown runs, flanking and group torching. Road, trail and area closures in place.
Chetco Bar OR-RSF-000326. NIMO (Houseman). 16 miles W of Selma, OR. Start 7/12. Monitor/Confine/Point Zone Protection. Cause: Lightning. 2,205 acres (-24). 0% containment. Timber/brush. Moderate fire behavior with single tree torching, flanking and backing. Road and trail closures in place. This incident not included in the large fire count above.
Diamond Creek WA-OWF-000267. IMT1 (Schulte). 27 miles NNW of Winthrop, WA. Start 7/23. Monitor/Confine. Cause: Unknown. 4,285 acres (+1,575). 0% containment. Timber. Active fire behavior with wind driven runs, group torching and long range spotting. Trail closures in place. This incident not included in the large fire count above.
Whitewater OR-WIF-170123. IMT3. 15 miles E of Detroit, OR. Start 7/23. Confine. Cause: Lightning. 99 acres (+14). 60% containment. Timber. Moderate fire behavior with backing, creeping and isolated torching.  Road, area and trail closures in place. IMT2 (Knerr) planned to assume command tomorrow (7/31). This incident not included in the large fire count above.
Upper Mine OR-BUD-007058. IMT2 (Johnson). 8 mi S of Fields, OR. Start 7/24. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 4,135 acres (+0). 95% containment. Grass/brush. Minimal fire behavior. Structures threatened. Transfer command back to local unit today at 0600.
Haystack Rock OR-VAD-000151. IMT4. 11 miles W of Adrian, OR. Start 7/28. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 512 acres (-988). 90% containment. Brush/grass. Minimal fire behavior. Sage grouse habitat threatened.
Dry Creek Buttes OR-VAD-000148. IMT3. 23 miles SW of Adrian, OR. Start 7/28. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 3,000 acres (+500). 20% containment. Sage grouse habitat threatened.
Emerson OR-OCF-000638. IMT3. 4 miles NE of Madras, OR. Start 7/25. Full Suppression. Cause: Human. 10,527 acres (+0). 70% containment. Grass/brush. Moderate fire behavior with creeping, smoldering and isolated torching. Residences and structures threatened. Road and area closures in place. Last report on morning briefing unless significant activity occurs.


Lists fires (of any size) that singly utilize Monitor, Confine or Point Zone Protection suppression strategies, or use Multiple Suppression Strategies (which may also include a Full Suppression component).


Northwest Fire Potential Summary
The region is poised to undergo a significant heat wave in the coming week. Temperatures will rise well above average on both sides of the Cascades and fire danger indices will respond accordingly. The number of new fire ignitions will also slowly elevate as the fuels become more receptive to starts in the next 7 days. The burning environment for ongoing incidents will become more elevated due to the heat and drying.

General winds under this heating pattern tend to decrease for the majority of the geographic but there will be local exceptions such as a thermal trough developing west of the Cascades. Instability in the atmosphere will gradually worsen with possible Haines Index 5 or 6 values. Lightning will diminish initially with this pattern but could show up again later this coming week.
Pay close attention to NWS fire weather forecasts.


National Incident Management Situation Report (IMSR): https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf
Other GACC Morning Reports:
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