Thursday, September 9, 2021

9/9/2021 Cougar Creek Update

Northwest Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander Kevin Stock, joined Oregon State Fire Marshal Incident Management Blue Team, Scott Magers Incident Commander, in unified command, in management of the Cougar Peak Fire this morning. The incident command post is located at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeview.  The Conflagration Act has been invoked by Governor Brown which allows multi-agency structure protection resources to be mobilized from throughout the state to protect homes, businesses and critical infrastructure threatened by the Cougar Peak Fire. Taskforces (four to six engines and a water tender) have arrived from Clatsop, Lane, Linn, Yamhill, Clackamas and Marion Counties. Both incoming incident management teams appreciate the work completed to date by the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP) Type 3 Incident Management Team and the smooth transition in managing of the Cougar Peak Fire.  

General Updates: The Cougar Peak Fire is burning approximately 15 miles northwest of Lakeview with columns of smoke and flames visible from Lakeview.  The fire made a major push to the north and east burning into the Little and Big Baldy area. Resources worked into the night on the south flank constructing dozer line from the valley floor near Cox Creek to Forest Road 28 and from Lower Cottonwood to Forest Road 28.  Dozer line on the west flank held. Today, firefighters will scout opportunities on the north and northwest flank for road prepping locations to be used as containment line and strengthening and securing established line. The structural protection group will be working on the west, southwest, and near the Open A Ranch area to identify and assess structure protection opportunities. Firefighters are utilizing a placard system to provide real time information to firefighting resources regarding prevention preparations, protection needs of the home or property, and other critical information including water sources.  This information is posted at the beginning of driveways and is vital for first responders and their safety during firefighting operations. Residents may use the QR code on the placard to access a Frequently Asked Questions website.  

Behavior:Gusty winds, lack of overnight humidity recovery, and very low fuel moistures are creating the opportunity for a critical fire spread today with flames lengths up to 14 feet. Potential thunderstorms could also create erratic winds fanning the flames.  Rapid runs in shorter fuels of grasses and sagebrush are anticipated. 

Acreage:  25,000 (estimated) Containment: 0% Cause: Under Investigation

Fire Information: (541) 900-5788 (8:00 am to 8:00 pm) E-mail:  2021.cougarpeak@firenet.gov 

Information Websites: Facebook: “Cougar Peak Fire 2021” 

Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7835/  

Air Quality: oregonsmoke.blogspot.com  

Weather:  A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 1 p.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday for strong, gusty wind and abundant lightning on dry fuels.  A Fire Weather Watch is in effect from Friday morning through Friday afternoon for abundant lightning on dry fuels.  Today will be partly cloudy in the morning then becoming cloudy in the afternoon.  A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon.  Maximum temperatures of 81 degrees with a minimum relative humidity of 22%.  South winds will be 2 to 5 mph becoming southwest 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 to 40 mph in the afternoon.  Gusty erratic winds are possible near any thunderstorms. 

Resources-253:  1-type 1 hand crew, 6-type 2 hand crews, 2 helicopter, 20-engines, 4-dozers, and 4-water tenders 

Evacuations: Multiple Evacuation Levels have been issued by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.  See the website for a full description of the evacuation levels. Link is below. Lake County Website/Facebook Page: https://www.lakecountyor.org/index.php and https://www.facebook.com/Lake-County-Oregon-104435824529906  

Temporary Flight Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Cougar Peak Fire. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Know before you go! Before going hunting, hiking or camping, be sure to check the forest, grassland or ranger district for fire restrictions or area closures.  For a checklist of fire-safe actions when enjoying the outdoors, visit the Forest Service at Know Before You Go.

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