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Sandstone Fire public information map for 8/14/2024
The Sandstone Fire ignited from a lightning strike on Monday, August 5, after a lightning storm event. The fire is located on the south side of Thunder Mountain several miles north of Forest Road 70 on the Clackamas River Ranger District and 9 miles southwest of Ripplebrook OR, on the Mt. Hood National Forest.
At 6:00 a.m. on August 8th, the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team took command of the fire, which also included the addition of nearby smaller fires Blister Creek and Thunder Mountain. The fire is currently burning in the 2006 Blister Fire burn scar, where there is dead and down fuel and remote, steep, rugged terrain.
While much of the fire area is remote, if the fire were to spread significantly, it could affect nearby population centers in Clackamas County. Fire managers are using a full-suppression strategy to protect private property, public infrastructure, and natural and recreation resources while minimizing risks to responders and the public. Firefighters continue to establish firelines and hose lays, working in conjunction with water-dropping aircraft.
The Mt. Hood National Forest has a closure order in place for the area around the Sandstone Fire. Closed trails include Skookum Lake Trail (#542) and Thunder Mountain Trail (#543). Closed Recreation Sites within the Closure Area include Kingfisher Campground, Bagby Hot Springs, and Pegleg Falls. Please see the 'Closures' tab for more information.
| Current as of | Wed, 08/14/2024 - 21:28 |
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| Incident Time Zone | America/Los_Angeles |
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | |
| Location | 9 miles SW of Ripplebrook, OR, on the Mt. Hood National Forest |
| Incident Commander | Scott Schuster, Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 2 |
| Incident Description | Lightning caused wildfire |
| Coordinates |
44° 59' 19'' Latitude
-122° 10' 45
'' Longitude
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| Total Personnel: | 311 |
|---|---|
| Size | 671 Acres |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 0% |
| Fuels Involved | 3/4 of the Sandstone fire is in a fire area from 2006 that has brush, timber and grass component. Regeneration of fuels is thick throughout, about 15ft in height, within the previous burn area. The east and south flanks are burning into old growth and timber cuts with 20-40 year old trees. |
| Significant Events | Single tree torching occurring in areas with drier fuels and terrain alignment. Low flame lengths backing, creeping, smoldering on the West and South Flanks. Main areas with activity were NE and SW corners. Blister was still active. Rollout continues to be difficult. |
| Planned Actions |
Utilize ground resources in combination with aerial assets to build an anchor point and progress along the flanks of the fire. Roads and ridges are being assessed for containment lines on the west and south flanks while providing access to ground resources to the fire. Equipment has begun building line along the BPA powerline corridor and crews will continue to put in indirect handline on the North flank. Handcrews will continue handline around Blister Creek Fire and securing the ridge. These actions protect the values at risk within the fire area and provide for firefighter safety. |
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| Projected Incident Activity |
Stronger West winds at the ridgetops increase the potential for long range spotting. The active burn period may extend beyond 2000 due to ridge winds. Temperatures will drop and the relative humidity will increase mid-slope and valley bottoms. Improved nighttime recovery expected with relative humidity near 85%. West and terrain driven winds with some gusting overnight. Primarily creeping and smoldering fire activity, with some active fire when winds are active. Slightly cooler with higher minimum relative humidity today. West winds expected throughout the day on the ridgetops. Active fire activity expected during the burn period, picking up in the afternoon. |
| Remarks |
Sandstone fire includes Blister Creek Fire OR-MHF-000808 at 16 acres. Northern Rockies Team 2 will transfer command to Northwest Team 10 on Saturday 8/17 at 0600 hours. |
| Weather Concerns | A weak ridge of high pressure over the incident Wednesday resulted in partly cloudy skies with some of the warmest temperatures we have seen of late. Highs managed to climb to into the mid to upper 60s with the relative humidity dropping into the 45 to 50% range. Winds were west to northwest around 4 to 8 mph with some higher gusts. Upper-level low pressure will move into the eastern Pacific with a persistent onshore flow resulting in cooler temperatures and increased relative humidity. Highs on Thursday. Highs are only expected to climb into the upper 50s to lower 60s with minimum relative humidity only falling into the 60th percentile. Winds will be primarily terrain driven with a slight westerly component around 5 mph. Light showers will be possible. |
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