Morning Update Central Oregon Fire Information

Fire crews continued to work on several fires burning around Central Oregon and firefighters remain vigilant for any holdover fires from the lightning storms that moved through the area last weekend and early this week. . Ten new fires were reported yesterday, with two growing larger.

The largest of the new fires is incident the Corner Creek Fire (Incident #297), burning 11 miles south of Dayville, Oregon near the Black Canyon Wilderness. The fire, burning in light grass and brush, grew to 850 acres overnight. In addition to firefighters on the ground, suppression efforts will be helped by heavy airtankers, single engine air tankers (SEATs) and helicopters today. Firefighters will be challenged today by high daytime temperatures and steep slopes with limited access. The cause is lighting.

The second fire, Incident #296, burning about 1 mile south of Dayville grew to about 65 acres yesterday. The Type 2 team currently managing the Sugar Loaf Fire has assumed command of this incident (Note: Sugar Loaf is two words).

The largest fire in Central Oregon is the Sugar Loaf (incident #268), which continues to be managed by a Type 2 Incident Management Team. Information on Sugar Loaf will be provided on Inciweb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

As temperatures increase through the week, firefighters expect more lightning holdover fires. These fires occur when lightning strikes a tree and starts a fire that smolders in the needles and debris underneath the tree where it’s protected from any rain that falls. As temperatures increase and nearby ground dries out, the fire flares up and can spread. Holdover fires commonly occur up to two weeks after a storm.

With the potential for fighters to be busy with lightning fires, fire officials want to remind everyone to be extremely cautious with fireworks, and to use care when recreating on public land. Make sure campfires are allowed, and always put them out when you leave or before you go to bed. Avoid traveling on roads with vegetation down the middle – this can accumulate underneath a vehicle and cause it to catch fire.

Oregon Smoke Information: 7 Day Significant Fire Potential

It's shaping up to be a busy fire season.

Oregon Smoke Information: 7 Day Significant Fire Potential

PUBLIC USE RESTRICTIONS (PURs) IN EFFECT TODAY

MEDIA CONTACT: Ed Keith, (541) 322-7117

Public Use Restrictions Enacted TODAY to Help Prevent Summer Wildfires

Today, the Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution to impose public use restrictions and declaring a state of emergency under the current dry and dangerous wild land fire conditions. The restrictions are aimed at preventing human-caused summer wildfires on all unprotected lands, and Deschutes County-owned lands throughout the County. The restrictions are in place immediately and are anticipated to last through mid-October.

Unprotected lands are defined as unincorporated lands outside of Rural Fire Protection Districts, and outside of lands receiving fire protection by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The Oregon Department of Forestry enacted similar regulations that went into effect June 19, 2015.  An interactive map that land owners can look at see the regulations and to determine if regulations apply to their own property is available at https://maps.deschutes.org/custom/basic/PublicUseRestrictions.html.

The resolution includes the following public use restrictions:

1.    Smoking is prohibited while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads.

2.    Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires, except in designated areas.  Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed.

3.    Chainsaw use is prohibited, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.  Chainsaw use is permitted at all other hours, if the following firefighting equipment is present with each operating saw: one axe, one shovel, and one 8 ounce or larger fire extinguisher.  In addition, a fire watch is required at least one hour following the use of each saw.

4.    Cutting, grinding and welding of metal is prohibited between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.  At all other times the area is to be cleared of flammable vegetation and the following fire equipment is required: one axe, one shovel, and one 2 ½ pound or larger fire extinguisher in good working order.

5.    Use of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, is prohibited, except on improved roads and except for vehicle use by a landowner and employees of the landowner upon their own land while conducting activities associated with their livelihood.

6.    Possession of the following firefighting equipment is required while traveling in a motorized vehicle, except on federal and state highways, county roads and driveways: one shovel and one gallon of water or one 2½ pound or larger fire extinguisher, except all-terrain vehicles and

motorcycles which must be equipped with an approved spark arrestor in good working condition.

7.    Mowing of dried grass with power driven equipment is prohibited, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., except for the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops.

8.    Use of fireworks is prohibited.

9.    The release of sky lanterns is prohibited.

10. The discharging of exploding targets or tracer ammunition is prohibited.

11. Blasting is prohibited.

12. Any electric fence controller in use shall be: a) Listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or be certified by the Department of Consumer and Business Services; and b) Operated in compliance with manufacturer's instructions.

Information and maps of regulated closures for the Oregon Department of Forestry can be found at the following website: http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/centraloregon/pages/index.aspx

Information and maps of public use restrictions on Deschutes National Forest can be found at the following website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/centraloregon.

Wildfire in the West: Forthcoming Legislation to Keep an Eye On

Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Source: US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Wildfire in the West: Forthcoming Legislation to Keep an Eye On: Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Sourc: US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senator Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA) bill will target various parts of the wildfire process, from reducing the risks to reducing emergency funding fraud and better managing firefighting personnel and equipment. Review the White Paper - Click Here

Oregon & National Fire News

Ever wonder where to get up to date fire information for your area, check out Inciweb! You can select your state to see all active incidents in your area. Click on the link below for fire info.


http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

Close Call in Shevlin Park Reminds Residents to Prepare Now

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Alison Green, Program Director

                     Project Wildfire, FireFree

                     541-419-1116

Yesterday’s Shevlin Fire provided a timely reminder that residents should be prepared for wildfire at a moments notice. You can prepare for wildfire by creating and maintaining your home’s defensible space and having an evacuation kit ready for your family. With especially dry and hot conditions across Central Oregon, the potential for large wildfires is increasing daily. Central Oregon is now in fire season and YOU are our greatest resource when it comes to protecting homes and neighborhoods. With some simple steps you are able to protect your home and community from a wildfire.

Remember to keep your defensible space defined (30 feet), keep grass and weeds cut low and always be prepared to respond to wildfire. With this in mind, Project Wildfire urges you to take a look around your property in the “home ignition zone” where glowing embers can ignite spot fires and vulnerable areas like decks, patios and fences that can spread flames to your home. The greatest risk of homes catching fire during a wildland fire event is from the advancing ember shower that can reach your property long before an actual flame front. 

 “The strong winds that are produced by a large fire can push embers up to 3 miles away. These embers are “firebrands” that can ignite items such as patio furniture cushions, pine needles on your roof and weeds that have grown too tall,” says Alison Green, Program Coordinator for Project Wildfire.  “Firefighting resources are limited locally so it’s up to individual residents to take responsibility for the defensible space around their homes and outbuildings,” she adds.

To address this threat fire professionals recommend the following steps that homeowners can take right now to help protect themselves against this very real threat in central Oregon:

·       Cut all grasses and weeds to 4” or less.

·       Clear all pine needles, weeds, leaves and flammable debris from around your home including on roofs; in gutters; near fences; and on, around and under decks – anywhere where glowing embers can ignite and spread fire to your home.

·       Reduce shrubs and other “ladder fuels” around your home that can spread fire to nearby trees or structures.

·       Trim up trees to prevent the spread of fire to the upper branches, or “crowns”.

·       Remove all dead, dying and diseased vegetation around your home – maintain healthy trees and shrubs.

·       Move wood piles at least 30 feet from your home and away from combustible materials or vegetation.

·       Keep driveways clear by trimming trees and cutting weeds for easy access of emergency equipment.

With the start of fire season in Central Oregon, having an evacuation kit ready for your family is a key piece of being prepared. Have your 5 P’s: People, Pets, Pills, Photos, important Papers, and your 72-hour kit ready to go. Make sure your 72-hour kit has: a flashlight with extra batteries, first aid kit, phone chargers, prescription pills, eyeglasses, any essential equipment for infants/elderly, water, sleeping bags, clothing for each family member, important documents and your 5P’s. Keep these things in a spot in your home that is easily accessed so you can leave in a hurry.

“We never want to think an evacuation could happen to us. But in our fire adapted ecosystem, it’s not if but when we should be prepared to respond to wildfire”, Green, explains.

Visit www.firefree.org for more information about how you can prepare your property for wildfire season and Plan, Prep, Go guide.  Or call the Project Wildfire office at 541-322-7129. 

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Update on the Shevlin Fire

Crews are expected remain on scene through Friday to ensure that there are no flare ups.  Drivers are urged to use caution in the area, as there will still be some large firefighting equipment moving around the scene.

The fire, which started near the Tumalo Irrigation intake on Tumalo Creek, within the confines of Shevlin Park, burned 8-10 acres before being controlled by crews from Bend Fire, Oregon Department of Forestry, BLM and the Deschutes National Forest.  A BLM helicopter provided several water drops and a large air tanker circled the scene for about an hour before finally being released from the area.

A mutual aid task force from departments around the county were requested and dispatched.  These units patrolled through the subdivisions to the south of the fire.

During the incident, Shevlin Park Road was closed near McClain Road and three subdivisions south of the park were placed on a Level 1 Evacuation advisory.  At the height if the incident, it is estimated that 90 people were on scene, although the number was reduced to 40 overnight, after the fire was contained.

Evening update from Central Oregon Dispatch

Firefighters picked up six new wildfires today across Central Oregon, making a total of 17 wildfire incidents reported since Tuesday morning.

 

Most of those fires are small, lightning-caused wildfires with fire suppression responses underway.

 

A fire reported around 1:30 p.m. today at Shevlin Park in Bend was estimated at 8 to 10 acres with no new growth expected at the time of this update. Multiple agencies responded to the brush fire on state-administered land and a Level 1 pre-evacuation notice was issued to adjacent neighborhoods by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. 

 

Visit Deschutes County’s Facebook pages for the latest Shevlin Fire news tonight:

Deschutes County main page: www.facebook.com/Deschutes.County

9-1-1: www.facebook.com/Deschutes911<http://www.facebook.com/Deschutes911>

 

 

Crews today made significant progress on two lightning-caused wildfires located on private and BLM-administered lands near Twickenham, approximately 14 miles southeast of Fossil, Ore. Incident 169 is about 150 acres and completely surrounded by retardant line. Interior burning continues to produce smoke but firefighters anticipate no new growth on the fire.

 

Incident 177, located nearby, remains estimated at 50 acres. Fire crews and a helicopter dropping retardant continue to build a line around the fire.

 

Both fires are burning in juniper, grass, and brush fuel types across steep terrain and drainages.

 

On the Deschutes National Forest, firefighters have completed a line around a 25-acre wildfire burning in steep timber and brush approximately 9 miles west of Sunriver and 10 miles south of Mt. Bachelor. 

 

The fire is determined to be human-caused, but there is no more information available at this time.

Evening update from Central Oregon Dispatch

Firefighters in Central Oregon are currently responding to multiple incidents, many the result of recent lightning activity that accompanied yesterday’s thunderstorms across the region.

 

The largest incident is a 100-acre lightning-caused wildfire near Twickenham, approximately 14 miles southeast of Fossil, Ore. Incident 177 is burning in juniper, grass and brush fuels on both private and BLM-administered land. The fire suppression response includes multiple engines and smokejumpers.

 

On the Deschutes National Forest, firefighters are responding to Incident 172, approximately 9 miles west of Sunriver and 10 miles south of Mt. Bachelor. The 7-acre fire is burning in timber and brush. Multiple firefighters are hiking into the fire and a Type 2 helicopter is in response. Cause of the fire is undetermined.

 

Firefighters are currently responding to multiple other, small, lightning-caused single-tree fires across the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Prineville BLM. 

 

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag warning for much of Central Oregon, to remain in effect through 8pm Friday. A Red Flag warning indicates a high likelihood for critical fire weather behavior, which includes strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures.