9/28/2017 High Cascades Complex - East Zone Fire Update

Summary: Operations monitored hot spots near the fire perimeter today as temperatures increased. Varying amounts of small smokes could make an appearance as stumps carrying heat warm. Expectations today were clearly expressed by the Incident Commander and Forest Service to remain committed to the task at hand no matter how tedious. Repair work will continue to focus on chipping, handline and dozer repair and grading.

Current Fire Information: Observations from the infrared flight shows a few scattered heat pockets on the northeast and southwest perimeter of the Blanket Creek Fire. Monitoring of these areas will occur over the next few days. Environmental factors will limit the amount of fire spread that may occur.  Milestones reached today include: 76% of repair completion on Blanket Creek, 59% repair completion on North Pelican and 92% completion of repairs on the Spruce Lake Fire. Overall, crews made substantial progress repairing line on Spruce Lake and will be complete once resource advisors sign off on the progress. Monitoring and patrols will continue as needed to ensure the fire doesn’t spread.

Traffic: Expect possible delays on Highway 230 between Union Creek and the junction with Highway 138 due to road construction. National Park construction on West Rim Drive may create delays near North Junction. Time your trip accordingly.

Special Announcements: Opening season for the General Westside deer occurs this weekend. Forest visitors, including hunters are urged to “know before you go”. Some hunting units may be impacted by current fire activity and/or repair operations. Understanding what closures are in place is important to ensure a successful hunt for you and our firefighters.

Closures: Keep informed about fire closures by checking InciWeb and National Forest Websites. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed at several points on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, Sky Lakes Wilderness and Crater Lake National Park due to safety concerns. West Rim Drive in Crater Lake National Park remains closed for scheduled maintenance and repaving through Friday at 4 p.m.

Weather:  One more warm and dry day is expected Thursday but critical fire weather conditions are not expected. Fair to poor overnight relative humidity recoveries will occur in the higher terrain as a thermal belt strengthens tonight. A cold front will move into the region Friday night. This will result in cooler temperatures and a good chance for rain Friday.