9/21/2017 Horse Creek Complex Update
September 21, 2017 - 9:00 a.m.
Rebel Fire:
8,653 acres
Horse Creek Complex:
Olallie Lookout Fire, 1,572 acres; Roney Fire, 3,548 acres; Avenue Fire, 2,962
acres; Separation Fire, 17,747 acres; Nash Fire, 6,738 acres.
Total all fires: 41,220
acres (The last infrared flight was conducted on 9/15. No change in acreage has
been measured since 9/15.)
Resources:
Personnel, 449; Crews, 8; Helicopters, 2; Engines, 21; Dozers, 2; Water
Tenders, 6.
Weather: Widespread
rain and snow continued to fall on Wednesday, bringing the total amount of
precipitation over the fire area to 4-5 inches in the past four days. Scattered
rain and snow showers were expected to continue into Wednesday night, with
skies beginning to clear after midnight. Temperatures were forecast to drop
into the upper 20s overnight. Scattered rain and snow showers will continue
Thursday before skies begin to clear in the afternoon and evening.
The precipitation and cold weather the last few days has severely dampened fire
activity and presented a new set of challenges for firefighters and fire
managers. The biggest concerns now are the increased potential for falling
trees, hazardous driving conditions and rock fall caused by the snow and rain.
The Oregon Department of Transportation has assisted firefighting efforts by
clearing snow and rocks off roads, providing access for firefighters in several
areas. As always, firefighter and public safety remains the primary concern.
Current Situation: Despite
the severe weather, it was a productive day for firefighters on Wednesday.
Crews spent much of the day pulling fire hose and retrieving pumps that had
been strategically placed along firelines in the event they were needed.
Firefighters have pulled approximately 15 miles of fire hose from the Avenue,
Nash, Rebel and Separation fires and that work will continue today. Crews are
also removing other equipment that is no longer needed and hauling it back to
fire camps.
With the change in the weather, the emphasis is now on suppression repair and
rehabilitation. Agency Administrators, Resource Advisors and fire
managers are collaborating on a plan that will guide those efforts over the
next week. The main focus is repairing and rehabilitating hand and dozer lines
that were constructed to contain and confine fires in the Horse Creek Complex.
In other areas, crews are chipping slash that was cut and building water bars
to prevent erosion due to runoff. In many areas the ground is too wet to run
heavy equipment and will have to dry out before it can be worked on. In the
meantime, fire managers are assessing work that needs to be done and placing
orders for the equipment to do it. “The weather and availability of equipment are
the limiting factors right now,” Operations Planning Chief Karen Scholl said.
Evacuations: All
evacuation orders in Lane County (Zones 1-10 and Camp Malakwa) and in Deschutes
County have been lifted. All U.S. Forest Service closures remain in effect.
National Forest Closure Orders:
Fire restrictions have been lifted in Willamette and Deschutes National
Forests, and campfires are now allowed. Current information about closures on
the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests is available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/fire/?cid=fseprd552029
http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/Deschutes/alerts-notices.
Flight Restrictions: A
Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place over the fires to provide a
safe environment for firefighting aircraft operations. It is not legal to
operate any aircraft (including drones) within a TFR. More information on the
TFR is available at http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html
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