9/25/2020 Beachie Creek Fire Update

 

BEACHIE CREEK FIRE UPDATE – September 25, 2020 

Acres: 192,838 acres                                                                           Percent Containment: 52% 

Start Date: August 16, 2020                                                              Cause: Under Investigation 

Origin Location: Opal Creek Wilderness:                                        Fuels: Timber and logging slash 

two miles south of Jawbone Flats,                                                   Resources: 755                            

 six miles north of Detroit, Oregon.                                          Flights: Temporary Flight Restriction    

Friday Brings Soaking Rains – Helpful in Fire Suppression  

Some Evacuation Levels Lowered 

                                                                                                                                             

Salem, Ore. – The Beachie Creek fire received an inch of rain Thursday over the north and west perimeters. Rainfall amounts varied elsewhere. Friday brings soaking rains – the slower penetrating precipitation that’s helpful in fire suppression. With this moisture, there was no new fire growth and minimal activity from within the fire boundary. No growth is anticipated today.  

 

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office lowers some evacuation levels today. Home and business owners will be escorted by the Oregon Department of Transportation on a pre-arranged schedule in to and out of their properties Friday. The escorted repopulation is for those along the Highway 22 corridor from Lyons to Detroit and on to Idanha. Fire Information Officers will be on site in Detroit Friday to answer questions for residents. The North Fork and Elkhorn evacuation levels are lowered to 2.  

 

All communities from the north to the west and along Highway 22 are secure. As residents return after evacuation, they will see a mosaic of blackened ground and unburned green trees; there is not a solid line of black ash or burned trees; the fire did not burn evenly across the landscape. It will take many days for firefighters and heavy equipment to connect every mile of montaged landscape and natural features for final control lines. The Detroit community will see smoke from smoldering tree stumps deep underground and well within the fire boundary. Please do not call 911; firefighters are already aware of these locations and methodically working them.  

 

First responders continue to caution drivers and residents about post-fire hazards. Trees compromised by fire could topple. Firefighters are mitigating those hazards around private property. Crews continue to secure, mop up, and monitor the fire. Most clearing activity Friday is east of the Silver Falls State Park. The fire still contains heat deep in the Table Top Wilderness.  

  

The Marion and Linn County Sherriff Offices continue to evaluate and lower evacuation levels; check updates on their websites:   

Marion County Sherriff’s website / evacuation maps: https://marioncounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5202b602f99647b9a16d488c545113b5 
Linn County Sheriff’s website here:https://linngis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=56668b1f57cf4bec9be88420a37e1183 

The Willamette National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and State lands around the fire remain closed to the public. Go to InciWeb.gov for more information about closures in the area.   

        

Public Contact Information:  Facebook.com/BeachieCreekFire2020  Email: 2020.beachiecreek@firenet.gov  Phone: 541-583-0526, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Inciweb  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7001/  Smoke and Air Quality http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/p/air-quality-now.html    https://wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks