Media Contact:
Jennifer O’Leary, Public Information Officer
541-222-9241
Multiple fires exhibiting rapid growth across the Forest
Springfield, OR, Sept. 8, 2020 – Extreme fire activity, fueled by a rare fire weather event with low humidities and strong east winds, occurred on several fires located within the Willamette National Forest last night. As it becomes safe to do so, firefighters will begin to assess the fires and their impacts in alignment with sound risk management practices. Public and firefighter safety are the highest priority.
Multiple new fires started on Forest, BLM and private lands along and in the vicinity of Highway 22 yesterday evening prompting a lengthy closure of the highway and Level 3 - Go evacuations extending from Lyons to Idanha. The cause of these fires is under investigation.
Fire spread was observed along all sides of the Beachie Creek Fire perimeter last night, with the greatest advance to the southwest. Firefighters will assess the fire’s movement today and engage it where they safely can. The Incident Command Post for Northwest Incident Management Team 13 is being re-established in Stayton.
Strong east winds pushed Lionshead Fire onto Forest lands, prompting additional Level 3 - Go evacuations for the Breitenbush area and other locations in and around the Mount Jefferson Wilderness.
At approximately 8:30pm last night a new fire was reported on Forest lands at milepost 47 on Oregon Route 126, also known as McKenzie River Highway. The fire caused a closure of Oregon Route 126 and Level 3 - Go evacuations in the McKenzie River Corridor extending from Leaburg to the McKenzie River Ranger Station. Multiple resources including engines and rural fire departments continue response today under a full suppression strategy. The cause of this fire is also under investigation. Additional fires have been reported in the area.
Moderate to heavy smoke impacts from the fires are expected to continue along the western slopes of the Cascades and into the Willamette Valley. Stay informed on air quality ratings and more by visiting the Oregon Smoke Blog at http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.
A Red Flag Warning for the persistence of critical fire weather on the heels of this historic September event with low humidity and east winds of 15 to 30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph remains in effect until 8pm Wednesday. Conditions during this time will remain favorable for continued rapid fire spread.
All recreation offerings across the Willamette National Forest are currently closed including campgrounds, day use areas, trails, boat ramps and more.
Forest visitors and nearby residents are encouraged to check with local emergency officials for the latest information on evacuations.
- Marion County https://www.facebook.com/
- Lane County https://www.facebook.com/
For the latest road and weather condition updates visit https://www.tripcheck.com/.
Additional fire information is available on Inciweb:
- Beachie Creek Fire https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
- Lionshead Fire https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Please call 911 to report any signs of new fires.
Please observe public use restrictions and help us limit potential new starts during this time. A list of personal use restrictions, as well as closure orders area available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.