8/9 Fire Update – Willamette Complex (South)

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: (541) 208-1742

Email: [email protected]

Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

California CIMT13 assumed management of the Pyramid, Slate, and Ore Fires (Willamette Complex North) yesterday. Alaska CIMT3 will assume management of the remainder of Willamette Complex (South) on Saturday morning as the Rocky Mountain CIMT1 reaches the end of our extended tour of duty.

Slow but steady progress continues on meeting the objective of containing the seven Willamette Complex (South) Fires. Work on the Complex’s two largest fires, Chalk and Coffeepot, has shifted from building containment lines to improving, securing, and patrolling those lines as we work towards the containment goal. Today, the Alaska CIMT3 will be shadowing our suppression operations on the ground to develop a full understanding of the terrain, access, fuels, values at risk, fire behavior, and suppression strategies and tactics. This will prepare them to assume management of the fires without interruption on Saturday morning as the Rocky Mountain CIMT1 reaches the end of our tour and heads home. We are grateful to the local communities and agencies who have encouraged and supported us during our time here.

Divisions AA and TT: Yesterday’s work included using the UAS (drone) to fire unburned fuels in a large green interior island on the north side of the fire. The drone has completed its mission and will move to the Coffeepot Fire today. In addition, crews patrolled and secured firelines along the perimeter of the divisions.

Division KK: Crews patrolled and secured firelines around the division.

Coffeepot Fire and Moss Mountain Fire

Divisions PP and RR: Crews focused on improving and patrolling firelines yesterday. Today, the UAS (drone) will be used to clear out unburned fuels inside firelines on the southeastern portion of the fire.

Division SS: Moss Mountain Fire progressed 300 ft. southward to the 2120 Road. Crews located and lined three small spots across the road. Future efforts will be directed at holding the fire north of this road. Tentative plans to build dozer line to connect the 2120 Road to the 490 Road proved to be infeasible yesterday. Crews will still work to hold the fire east of the 490 Road, but supervisors are assessing the 2309 Road as a secondary option if needed.

Division WW: Chipping of fuels along indirect containment lines continued in the western part of the division. Mechanized equipment and hand crews continued prepping the 2300 Road as an indirect line, working to the northwest. This multi-day project, which is being closely coordinated with Resource Advisors, will continue today.

Contingency Group: This group continues working with local resources to identify and construct secondary containment lines to protect high value assets existing south of the Coffeepot and Moss Mountain fires.

The 208 Fire in Diamond Peak Wilderness has shown little growth over the past several days. Fire managers plan to aerially assess the fire when priorities for aircraft allow.

The 217, Tire Mountain, and McKinley fires are 100% contained and in patrol status.

Yesterday’s weather remained dry, providing favorable conditions for removing fuels with low intensity firing operations. Today will begin with clear skies and an inversion layer holding smoke near ground level. The source of the smoke is a combination of local fires and the Homestead Complex to the south on the Umpqua National Forest. The inversion will break in early afternoon when direct sunshine will raise temperatures into the 70s and 80s and lower relative humidity to 30-40%. Winds will remain light, shifting from downslope winds to northwest winds in the afternoon. A cooling trend beginning early next week will raise humidities and increase fine fuel moisture levels, resulting in less active fire behavior.

For evacuation information please visit: https://www.LaneCountyOR.gov/2024wildfires

To sign up for evacuation alerts please visit: https://www.LaneAlerts.org

Area, road, trail, and recreation site closures are in place on the Willamette National Forest in the vicinity of many active fires. Temporary road barricades are in place to restrict traffic across the fire areas.

For specific closure information follow this link:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd552029

Fire restrictions on the Willamette National Forest may be found at this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=81487

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) are in place over the Chalk and Moss Fires.