Fire articles

August 10, 2016 Contact: Alison Green, Program Director     Project Wildfire, FireFree     541-419-1116 Deschutes County’s residents in the wildland urban interface (WUI) have been embracing their responsibility of living with wildfire for almost two decades. Now not only is Deschutes County proudly the home to the very first Firewise Community in the state but also to the 100th Firewise Community. Fall River Estates south of Sunriver was the very first Firewise Community in Oregon and Deschutes County twelve years ago. Squaw Creek...

[Central Oregon]  So far this year fires caused by lightning are significantly less than the ten year average in central Oregon.  After the last three challenging fire seasons which started early in the summer firefighters should feel relief, except human caused fires are on the rise both on ODF protected lands and on lands protected by our partners such as USFS, BLM and Rural Fire Districts.  August is typically the busiest part of fire season in Oregon and heading into the first weekend the forecast includes lightning.  Along with that forecast...

Click Map for Statewide Current Fire Restrictions STATE OF OREGONDEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY INDUSTRIAL FIRE PRECAUTION LEVEL 3CLOSEDOWN ORDER Number 03 Effective 12:01 a.m., PDT, July 29, 2016 By virtue of the authority vested in me by ORS 477.625, ORS 477.670, and OAR 629-043-0070, I hereby issue notice the following subject area is susceptible to damage by fire and proclaim Industrial Fire Precaution Level 3 to be in effect:All lands protected by the Central Oregon Forest Protection District, in regulated use area MH-1 and all forestland within one-eighth mile...

Click map for statewide map of current fire restrictions. STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY INDUSTRIAL FIRE PRECAUTION LEVEL 2 CLOSEDOWN ORDER  Number 02   Effective 10:00 a.m., PDT, July 25, 2016 By virtue of the authority vested in me by ORS 477.625, ORS 477.670, and OAR 629-043-0070, I hereby issue notice the following subject area is susceptible to damage by fire and proclaim Industrial Fire Precaution Level 2 to be in effect: All lands protected by the Central Oregon Forest Protection District, in regulated use areas MH-1 and MH-4 and all...

While central Oregon is in a pattern of cooler than normal weather, and has received precipitation over the last twenty-four hours, fire danger remains high.  The US Drought Monitor for Oregon issued on July 7, 2016, indicates that most lands within the Central Oregon District (COD) fall into the “abnormally dry” category.  This reflects what fire managers are seeing in the forest and current fuel moisture conditions.  Now into Oregon’s fifth year of drought conditions, we continue to see the long term affects to the down material and live vegetation...

[The Dalles Unit, Central Oregon District] - The Wassen Pond Fire was reported at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, burning four miles west of The Dalles on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue. The fire remains at 300 acres this morning (about 30 acres on ODF jurisdiction) and is 75 percent contained. Line construction will continue today to fully contain the fire. The fire is under Unified Command between ODF and MCFR. Cause remains under investigation.

 [The Dalles Unit, Central Oregon District] - The Wassen Pond Fire was reported at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, burning four miles west of The Dalles on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue.  The fire, under Unified Command between ODF and MCFR, is currently approximately 180 acres (with most of that acreage on MCFR), and hand- and dozer-lined.  Additional resources from ODF, rural fire departments in the area, and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area are assisting with this...

Prineville, Ore—Lands protected by ODF’s Central Oregon District (COD) will be placed under a Regulated Use Closure beginning Friday July 1, 2016 at 12:01 am.  The Regulated Use Closure applies to private, county, and state owned lands protected by COD in Deschutes, Grant, Hood River, Wasco, Wheeler, Crook, Jefferson, Morrow, Harney, Umatilla, Lake, and Gilliam counties.  The intent of the Closure is to limit human caused wildfires.  Recent high temperatures have dried wildland fuels and increased the danger of large fire growth.  Human caused...

Sisters, Ore…Mop-up operations for the 2,094 acre Akawana Fire are near complete.  The fire is now 95% contained, with a 500 foot cold black line around most of the perimeter.  Smoke may continue to be visible from material burning in the interior of the fire for several weeks.  Cool, moist weather throughout central Oregon has aided firefighters during the mop-up activities, and reduced interior fire activity.  Firefighters experienced scattered showers over some parts of the fire today and the weather forecast calls for additional precipitation...

Akawana Fire update…Today firefighters continued mop up activities within the fire perimeter, working to extinguish flames and smoke within 500’ of the fireline.  Most of the work is complete, however smoke may be visible from smoldering stumps or burning material well in the interior of the fire perimeter.  Crews also worked hard today to remove the remaining fire hose from the fire line.  Mop-up will continue tomorrow.  The fire is now 90% contained with 2,094 acres burned.

Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 3 Link Smith, Incident Commander Information: www.facebook.com/odfcentraloregon                      http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4772 Type of Incident:                     Wildfire...

Fire Information:                      Email Address:                        Akawanafireinfo@gmail.com Facebook:                                facebook.com/odfcentraloregon...

Contact: Tom Fields Oregon Dept. of Forestry 503-983-8897 Sisters, OR –  Fire crews were very successful yesterday and overnight thanks to hard work, cool temperatures and higher humidity. All Level 2 evacuation notifications have now been lowered to Level 1 (be ready). This includes homes in the Three Rivers subdivision (as of June 9), Forest Park, Air Park, Rim Park and their outlying areas (as of yesterday). Gusty afternoon winds spurred one spot fire across containment lines in the southeast corner of the fire that crews, equipment and helicopters quickly...

Fire Season 2016 will begin Friday June 3rd at 12:01 am for ODF’s Central Oregon District (COD).  Warm spring temperatures have quickly melted the winter snowpack and dried wildland fuels.  District fire managers have monitored fuel indices over the last few weeks to determine fire danger and the risk of fire spread.  Long term weather forecasts indicate a pattern of above normal temperatures with minimal possibility of precipitation, further drying fuels. June 28, 2015—Sugarloaf Fire in Grant County With implementation of fire season, burn permits...

As warmer spring weather inspires us to get out and enjoy all that central Oregon has to offer, ODF reminds us to practice fire safety to prevent uncontrolled fires.  Warm dry weather, alternating with cooler moist periods can give a false sense of reduced fire danger. Burning yard debris from landscaping projects or fuel reduction activities and campfires/warming fires can pose a significant wildfire risk if allowed to burn uncontrolled. Escaped debris burns are the leading human-caused fire issue in Oregon, accounting for thirty fires burning 88 acres in the...

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Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District is terminating fire season at 12:01 am Saturday, October 24, 2015.  Widespread rain across the district last weekend, combined with forecasted cool, moist weather patterns has brought an end to another long difficult fire season.  Oregon and the Pacific Northwest experienced the third historic fire season in a row with drought conditions across much of the landscape.  Burn permits are required for all open burning.  Permits can be obtained from your local fire department or from the...