Cedar Creek Fire update for October 26, 2022

Community Meeting at the Oakridge Highschool Auditorium planned for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will also be shared through the Cedar Creek Fire Facebook page.  

 Weather:  A Pacific storm system moved into the area Tuesday evening, bringing with heavy amounts of precipitation at times to the fire area. Heavy snow accumulations are expected at higher elevations. On Wednesday, rain and snow will linger into the afternoon, with up to two additional inches of snow forecast in the mountains. Temperatures on Wednesday will be in the 30’s to 40’s for a high, with westerly wind gusts of 10 – 25 mph on the ridges. Thursday and Friday should be drier and a bit warmer, with more wet weather likely moving in during the upcoming weekend.

Operations:  With substantial amounts of precipitation, firefighter safety in and near the fire line continues to be the top priority. Travel routes are being closely monitored to ensure the health and safety of fire personnel. As access routes improve, fire crews are returning to the fire line to complete repair and rehab of handlines and dozer lines. Fire crews are also monitoring and patrolling active fire in the northwest near Forest Road 19 and along the southeast side of the fire near Waldo Lake. 

Over the next few days, a transition to a smaller fire organization and footprint at the Oakridge fire camp will begin. Increased traffic involving larger equipment and trailers will be more noticeable along Highway 58.  

Precipitation will continue to reduce the amount of active fire while some pockets of heat remain within the fire’s interior, causing isolated smoldering across the burn area. Cool, wet weather throughout the rest of the week will continue to reduce smoke impacts on the surrounding communities.

Closures: There are updated, reduced closures in effect on both the Deschutes National Forest and Willamette National Forest. These closures will remain in place until areas impacted by the fire are surveyed for safety risks and fire crews are able to mitigate these hazards. Please respect Forest closures for firefighter and public safety. Please visit Willamette National Forest and Deschutes National Forest for the most recent closure orders and maps. Pacific Crest Trail hikers should visit pcta.orgfor current information. The Temporary Flight Restriction over the Cedar Creek Fire area has been lifted due to a reduction of aircraft needs for fire operations.

Smoke: Air quality conditions due to smoke are expected to range from good to moderate within the forecast area. For current conditions, see Fire.airnow.gov, oakridgeair.org, and LRAPA- Today’s CurrentAir Quality. Smoke Forecast Outlooks are available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook.

Evacuations: The remaining evacuations for Lane County have been lifted. Please check with Lane County Sheriff’s Office at 541-682-4150 and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office at 541-693-6911 for updates and changes.

| Online: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8307/ | www.facebook.com/CedarCreekFire2022/ www.tinyurl.com/cedarcreekfireyoutube 

| Fire Information Line: 541-201-2335, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM | 

For Media Inquiries: 541-327-9925 | Email: [email protected]