Terwilliger Fire Update
Southern Cascades Team
Incident Commander, Neil Miller
Incident Commander Trainee, Dirk Rogers
September 22, 2018 - 9:00 A.M.
Special Announcements: Terwilliger Hot Springs remains closed for public safety. Mitigations to reduce hazards around the Spring’s area include falling fire weakened trees as well as trail reconstruction. Active fire is still in the area so please respect the closure area and keep out of the springs until the area is deemed safe by Willamette National Forest officials.
Forest Service Road (FR) 19 remains closed to the public and firefighters due to unsafe conditions from gravity fall hazards including rocks, debris and fire weakened trees. The closure begins at the junction of FR 408 south to Box Canyon. The public is asked to respect the road and area closures for the protection to themselves and firefighters.
Acreage: 11,187
Cause: The fire is currently under investigation.
Completion: 80%
Public Information Phone: (541) 822-6143 NEW PHONE NUMBER Available 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Information Websites: Inciweb – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Resources: Total personnel assigned – 186: 3-type 2 IA hand crew, 1-heavy lift helicopter, 1-light lift helicopter, 3-engines, 1-dozer, 2-water tenders, 2-ambulances, 4-masticators, and 9–tracked heavy equipment.
Current Fire Information: An infra-red, heat detecting flight occurred over the fire area yesterday. This was the first flight in approximately 6 days. The mapped perimeter grew by 105 acres. Firefighters are using hand held infra-red cameras along the western perimeter to detect hot spots. Firefighters will work on mopping up located heat. The fire became active in the Basalt and Annie Creek areas yesterday, well interior of the containment lines. A heavy lift helicopter provided air support with multiple water drops to cool the areas and keep the fire in check. All perimeters are closely patrolled and monitored with emphasis on the west flank near the private lands. The contract scaling operation along Forest Service Road (FR 19) to reduce gravity hazards such as loose boulders and fire weakened trees is ongoing. All material is being moved off-site to Strube Flat for utilization, as determined by local forest district management. A hazard tree falling contract along FR 500 has begun to reduce fire weakened trees along this road system. Logs will be decked for future processing. The northeast corner of the fire continues to creep slowly east into the Three Sisters Wilderness parallel to the East Fork of the South Fork of the McKenzie River. A roadside brusher and firefighters are reducing ladder fuels working along FR 1993. Chippers are being utilized to reduce the generated fuels.
Weather: A cold front came through the area last night bringing cooler temperatures. Light rain or drizzle, up to .1 inches of rain, is forecasted for this morning with temperatures of 57-62 degrees, minimum relative humidity of 60-70 %. Ridgetop winds will be light 3-6 mph from the southwest becoming west 5-8 mph in the afternoon.
Restrictions: The Willamette National Forest has implemented a Forest-wide campfire ban, which includes all campgrounds and Wilderness areas. For specific information on Forest Order 06-18-01-18-18, see the Willamette National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/
Closures: An Area Closure has been issued by the Willamette National Forest for the protection and safety of the public and firefighters. Closure order # 06-18-01-18-19 may be viewed in its entirety at http://go.usa.gov/xRnz7 or on Inciweb. Please respect the closure areas for your and firefighter safety.
Evacuations: There are currently NO evacuation notices in place for this fire.
Air Quality: For smoke monitoring information, see Oregon Department of Environmental Quality https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/
Safety Consideration: People intending to hike into or near an old fire scars should remain alert and aware of their surroundings at all times. Know the forecasted weather before entering the area, assess the weather conditions while in the area and stay clear of burned trees. Don’t linger or camp in an old fire area. As always, let someone know of your planned route, destination, and expected time of return.
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