09/08/2017 Whitewater Fire Update

Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 8 (NWIIMT8) Doug Johnson, incident commander, assumed management of the Whitewater, Little Devil, Scorpion, French and Potato Hill Fires at 6:00 am this morning. NWIIMT8 would like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to the Southwest Area Team 1, Bea Day, incident commander, for their hard work and smooth transition of management.

Evacuation Levels: For additional information of the evacuation levels, please contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (503) 588-5108.

Current evacuation levels:
Level 2 – Breitenbush Hot Springs area
General Information: Thunderstorms storms moved over the fire area yesterday producing lightning and dropping varied amounts of rain from .1 to .2 inches. This amount of rain is not considered a season ending event. New starts from the lighting could smolder and remain undetected for several days and until the warm, dry weather returns. As the weather and fuels dry they may begin to actively burn. Helicopters were able to fly for a limited amount of time but flights were cut short due to the approaching thunderstorms and predicted hail. Firefighters are taking advantage of the wet, cooler weather conditions and looking for opportunities of constructing direct (closer to the fire’s edge) containment lines.

Detroit Ranger District – see Whitewater Fire on Inciweb for updates on the following fires.
The overall strategy is directed at protecting Values at Risk which includes High voltage powerlines critical to Portland, private timberlands to the west, and preventing fire from impacting the Breitenbush Hot Springs area. Actions will be continually evaluated based on resource availability, weather, and fuel conditions on the ground.

Whitewater Fire: 10,934 acres. There was no movement of the fire perimeter yesterday. Fire fighters will complete containment lines to keep the fire south of Forest Road (FR) 4220 in protection of Olallie Lake recreation area; patrol and mop-up; and clear vegetation along roads for firing operations.

Little Devil: 1,598 acres. Firefighters will monitor this fire for any growth.
Scorpion Fire: 606 acres. This fire continues to imminently threaten two transmission lines as it burns on both sides of the powerline corridor north of Hwy 46 and the Breitenbush area. There was no movement of the fire perimeter yesterday. Firefighters will scout for opportunities of direct and indirect line construction.

French Fire: 2 acres. This fire is in patrol status.
McKenzie River Ranger District – see Potato Hill on Inciweb.
Potato Hill: 199 acres. Firefighters will use hand held infra-red devices to scan, detect, and mop-up remaining hotspots around the perimeter.

Air Quality: Air quality reported from Air Now http://www.airnow.gov/ is in the “Unhealthy For Sensitive Groups” (UHSG) (orange) range in Sisters. The “UHSG” range is defined as the air quality is unhealthy for people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged activity or heavy exertion. Information is also available at: oregonsmoke.blogspot.com

Weather: Showers will decrease today as low pressure moves away. Today’s forecast is mostly cloudy with a chance of scattered showers with rain less than.05 inches. Temperatures range from 67 – 71 degrees, relative humidity 56-64%, and mid slope winds variable 0 - 4 mph becoming northwest 5 – 7 mph after 2:00 pm winds.

Resources: Total personnel assigned to the 5 fires: 605 personnel, comprised of 1-type 2 initial attack crew, 9-type 2 crews, 5-camp crews, 16-engines, 2- light helicopter, 4-dozers, 3-masticators, 1-skidgen, and 17-water tenders.

Available resources remain limited and are being prioritized within the region and nationally. Resources continue to be shared amongst nearby fires. Additional critical resources have been reordered.

Highway Closures: OR Hwy 46 is closed between Humbug and FR 6350. For more information visit www.tripcheck.com

Forest Closures- For further information go to: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices

Campfires are prohibited on all public and private lands. One less spark is one less potential fire.