9-20-17 High Cascades Complex West Fire Daily Update
Weather continues to be front and center in the planning process for firefighters on the Broken Lookout and Pup Fires. With winds gusting from the west-northwest from 39 to 50 mph early this morning, crews were prepared to cut wind-thrown trees out of the roadways if necessary to get to their assigned locations this morning. Rainfall in the fire area ranged from .39 inches to 1.56 inches. Snow levels are expected to drop to 5500 feet today, with an accumulation of 3 inches on portions of the fire area. Crater Lake has accumulated eight inches of snow as of this morning, and may collect up to 18 inches before this series of storms has passed.
A warming and drying trend is forecast for Friday through next week, and the fires may again exhibit active fire behavior, so preparation of containment lines continues. Incident Commander Shawn Sheldon said today, “I worked at Tiller for seven years, and locals know that rain in mid-September does not necessarily mean that fire season is over. We are being diligent to prepare containment lines to hold the fire if it becomes active again.”
If bridge load limits can be mitigated, heavy equipment will move into the northern portion of the Pup Fire in order to clear the 2840 road for use as a fire break in the event the fire moves to the northwest. Road preparation for use as containment line on the southeastern portion of Broken Lookout Fire will continue. Hand-lines are being constructed where needed, snags are being dropped for safety, and slash along the roads is being chipped or moved. Mop-up is underway in the southwestern part of Broken Lookout Fire in order to strengthen containment lines. Dozer line is also being rehabbed in this area. Because of limited visibility and high winds, aircraft have been unable to assist firefighters during the last three days.
Total size of the High Cascades Complex is now 79,342 acres. The total acreage jumped by 15,826 acres because of the addition of the Spruce Lake Fire.
The West Zone is planning a reduction in the number of resources beginning today. The number of personnel is scheduled to drop to 300 by September 26th.
Closures: Many road, trail, and area closures are in place for the Rogue Umpqua Divide Wilderness and surrounding lands on both the Umpqua and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests. Also, with changing weather, various restrictions have been removed or relaxed. Forest visitors should familiarize themselves with these changes before venturing into the area. For information about closures and restrictions visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/5503/ or your local Forest office.
9-20-17 High Cascades Complex East Fire Daily Update
Summary: The High Cascades Complex East Zone received significant rain and snow over the Spruce Lake, Blanket Creek and North Pelican Fires. Moisture reduced fire activity and the threat to Rim Village, Park Headquarters, Munson Valley, West Rim Drive, Mazama Village and the south entrance. However, weather posed challenges to resources working on the line. Poor visibility and wet roads prevented some crews from engaging in operations. “We are able to use this time to develop solid repair plans and set priorities for future operations.” said Tim Roide, Incident Commander for the East Zone.
Inclement weather prevented aerial observations but mangers do not anticipate any change in fire perimeter over the next several days. New acreage and containment percentages will be available when weather clears. Drier conditions are expected this weekend, which will provide fire managers a precursory view into potential fire activity for the rest of the season.
The Rogue River-Siskiyou reduced campfire restrictions and the Fremont-Winema National Forest lowered its industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) to IFPL-2. Public Use Restrictions have been rescinded on BLM, Forest Service and National Fish & Wildlife protected lands.
Weather: Heavy rainfall is expected today with gusts of 40-50 mph along ridgelines. There is potential for snow levels to drop below 5500 feet.
Closures: Area closures remain in effect but will be evaluated and reconsidered as weather continues to effect fire potential. A number of area road and trail closures are in place. For specific closure information, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5503. The North Entrance Road to Crater Lake National Park is open. The West Rim Drive is closed until Friday at 4:00 p.m. due to construction. All concession facilities and services remain open for visitors to the Park. Motorists and visitors to the area also need to be aware of delays on Highway 230 between Union Creek and the junction with Highway 138 due to road construction.
A Level 1 Evacuation Notification remains in effect for Mazama Village in Crater Lake National Park. Level 1 is the first step in the “Be Ready, Be Set, Go!” system. For more information about evacuation levels and procedures, go to http://tinyurl.com/BeReady-BeSet-Go.
Quick Facts
Incident Summary
Fire Locations
High Cascades Ranger District, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Fremont-Winema National Forest-Klamath Ranger District, Crater Lake National Park
Approximate Acreage: 52,737 acres (East Zone Only)
Containment: 39% (East Zone Only)
Start Dates: North Pelican – 08.10.2017; Spruce Lake – 07.29.2017; Blanket Creek – 07.26.2017
Cause: Lightning
Incident Commander: Tim Roide, Great Basin Type 2 Incident Management Team #4
Resources on the Fires: 4 hand crews, 5 dozers, 15 engines, 2 helicopters
Total Personnel: 346
Online Links
Twitter:
@SCOFMPFIREINFO
@SCOFMPFIREINFO
Fire Closures: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5503
Smoke Information: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/
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