8/2/2017 Indian Creek Fire Update

Indian Creek Fire Update

Wednesday, August 2, 2017 10:00 a.m.

Location: Approximately 20 miles west-southwest of Hood River, Oregon in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness on the Hood River Ranger District of the Mt. Hood National Forest

The 74-acre Indian Creek Fire is a suppression fire using a confine strategy.

Yesterday was the first test of how active the Indian Creek Fire would be in the current heat wave and without the support of the water drops from a Chinook helicopter. The helicopter was unavailable Tuesday due to scheduled maintenance but is operational today. In the heat of the day, the north edge of the fire became active with the fire backing downhill. This contributed to a slight growth in the fire.

Firefighters have a clear view of the fire from a ridge southeast of the fire. A remote weather station with a camera is installed there to provide continuous observation. Early this morning, smoke was present in Eagle Creek drainage. This is not from fire spread but from typical down canyon flow at night and an inversion holding it in. Most of the smoke blocking the view in the Columbia River Gorge is drift smoke from other fires in the Pacific Northwest.

A Red Flag Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service. Red Flag Warnings indicate that there are critical conditions in place for new fire to starts and for existing fires to grow. Forest visitors are asked to be vigilant in preventing fires by doing the following:

• Do not leave your campfire unattended – even for a moment.
• Ensure your campfire’s ashes are 100% cold prior to calling it a night or leaving the site.
• Do not drive your vehicle over dry grasses or other burnable material.
• Smokers are asked to either smoke in a vehicle or in an area cleared to mineral soil.
• Hood River County has a burn ban in place.

With trail closures in place, hikers need to plan their water resupply and campsites strategically. The Pacific Crest Trail is still open. The northern portion of Eagle Creek Trail #440 off of Interstate 84 is open for 4.8 miles Water is available for PCT hikers at Indian Springs but not Wathum Lake. No camping is allowed within the closure area. A map and full listing of closures can be found in the websites below.

Websites:

Indian Creek Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5403/

Mt. Hood National Forest Facebook: http://facebook.com/mthoodnf