University of Oregon photo An image transmitted by the Dead Mountain fire camera at about 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3. The screen shot shows a view of the Middle Fork complex fires looking north from Dead Mountain.
By DOUG BATES/Editor/The Herald — Wildland firefighters made headway Tuesday, Aug. 3, on several of the smaller forest fires in the Middle Fork Complex, but two of the larger fires grew during hot, gusty weather overnight in the Central Cascades.
Steve Hawkins, deputy incident commander, reported Tuesday that the Gales Fire, east of Lowell in the Fall Creek drainage, has grown overnight from 400 acres to 1,263 acres. North of Oakridge, the Ninemile Fire grew overnight from 27 to 143 acres, Hawkins said during his daily briefing at the command post at Oakridge Elementary School.
Of the 12 lightning-caused Middle Fork blazes, seven are now listed as 100 percent contained. The closest to Oakridge is the 204-acree Kwis Fire, about six miles southeast of town near Salmon Creek. Hawkins said crews had completed a fire line on the south edge of the steep terrain the fire is burning on, and today the crews are likely to complete a fire line on the north edge.
In a separate report Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service said the Middle Fork Complex now involved 1,707 acres with containment estimated at 5 percent. A spokeswoman said 463 people are assigned to fighting the fire under the direction of the multi-agency Northwest Incident Management Team 9.
Recreation sites on the Middle Fork Ranger District temporarily closed because of fires
Meanwhile Tuesday, officials issued an emergency area closure for the Middle Fork Complex fires north of Oakridge on the Willamette National Forest. The Middle Fork Complex is made up of multiple, individual fires, with six fires at 100 percent containment, in the Fall Creek, Hills Creek Reservoir and north of Huckleberry areas. All roads, trails, developed recreation sites, dispersed camping, and entering of National Forest System Lands within the closure area are prohibited for the protection of public health and safety.
The following roads and recreations sites are closed to the public:
— ROADS: Forest Road 1802, Forest Road 1816, Forest Road 1817, Forest Road 1818, Forest Road 1821, Forest Road 1824, Forest Road 1825, Forest Road 1828, Forest Road 1830, Forest Road 1831, Forest Road 1832, Forest Road 1833, Forest Road 1834, Forest Road 1835, Forest Road 1839, Forest Road 1912.
— CAMPGROUNDS: Dolly Varden Campground, Big Pool Campground, Broken Bowl Campground, Clark Creek Organizational Camp, Bedrock Campground, Puma Campground.
— TRAILS AND TRAILHEADS: Fall Creek Trail (closed by a separate Forest Closure Order), Clark Creek Nature Trail, Johnny Creek Nature Trail, Hehe Mountain Trailhead, Gold Point Trailhead, Saddle Blanket, Cowhorn Mountain, Tall Trees Trail, Jones Upper and Jones Lower trailheads, Jones Trail, Alpine Trail and Trailheads, Elk Camp Trailhead.
— OTHER RECREATION SITES: Little Cowhorn Lookout, Timber Butte Lookout, Saddle Blanket Mountain.
Campfires are still prohibited on the entire Willamette National Forest due to very high fire danger and ongoing active fires. Portable cooking stoves and lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuel (like propane) are still allowed as they can be instantly switched off. Find more information on fire restrictions on the Willamette National Forest, a detailed map, and the official closure order at https://go.usa.gov/xFXpZ.
