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The Oakridge Lightning Fires consist of the Chalk, McKinley, Tire Mountain, Moss Mountain, Coffee Pot, 217 and 208 Fires. The Chalk and McKinley Fires are approximately 5 miles north of High Prairie, OR. The Tire Mountain Fire is approximately 5 miles northwest of Westfir, OR. The Coffeepot Fire is approximately 9 miles southeast of Oakridge, OR and 1 mile east of Hills Creek Lake. The Moss Mountain Fire is approximately 15 miles southeast of Oakridge. The 217 and 208 Fires are burning on the west and south slopes of Diamond Peak, approximately 10 miles west of Crescent Lake Junction, OR.
The fires were discovered after an intense lightning storm on July 17. All of the fires are burning in heavy timber in the Willamette National Forest. The Forest has issued a Chalk Fire Area Closure, Moss Mountain Fire Area Closure and Tire Mountain Fire Area Closure. The Willamette National Forest has also implemented fire restrictions.
Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 took command of the fires on July 23 at 7:30 am.
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| Current as of | Thu, 07/25/2024 - 22:53 |
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| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Date of Origin | |
| Incident Commander | Dan Dallas, IC Mark Giacoletto, Deputy IC Justin Conrad, ICCI (t) |
| Coordinates |
43° 53' 14'' Latitude
-122° 25' 52
'' Longitude
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| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 0% |
|---|---|
| Fuels Involved | Timber (Litter and Understory) |
| Significant Events | Current acreage for the following fires: Chalk Fire - 2,701 acres Coffeepot Fire - 1,312 acres Moss Mountain Fire - 190 acres 208 Fire - 138 acres 217 Fires - 37 acres McKinley Fire - 27 acres Tire Mountain Fire - 20 acres
Chalk, Moss Mountain and Coffeepot Fires - Active Uphill Runs Fire spread is in old growth timber stands with continuous fine and heavy dead fuels. Live and dead fuels are dry with above average fuel loading increasing the potential for fire growth and active fire behavior. Fire is in complicated steep topography. Increase in fire intensity when slope and light wind are in alignment.
208 Fire - Moderate Creeping Smoldering
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| Planned Actions |
Chalk Fire: Continue direct tactics where they have potential for success. Challenges include lack of middle management, Moss Mountain and Coffeepot Fire: Scout and assess potential control options. Continue direct and indirect tactics to limit fire growth utilizing natural control features. Keep fire from impacting values at risk. 208 Fire: The 208 Fire ranks lowest on our priority list of the 7 fires in our delegation. At this time and in the near future, monitoring fire spread using infrared flights and potential helicopter accessibility are the preferred strategies. |
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| Projected Incident Activity |
Chalk, Moss Mountain and Coffeepot Fires 12 hours: Seasonal temperatures and humidity is allowing fuels to cure and dry out. Warm and dry weather, fire growth from active fire behavior is expected. Potential for large fire growth from runs and short range spotting. No precipitation in the forecast. 24 hours: Thermal belts will allow fire to remain active at night in dead fuels. A thermal belt is an area on a mountain slope (usually the middle third) that typically experiences the least variation in diurnal temperatures and has the highest average temperatures and, thus, the lowest relative humidity. Daytime fire behavior will be on the increase from warm and dry weather drying out live and dead fuels. Potential for moderate fire growth. No precipitation in the forecast. 208 Fire 12 hours: Seasonal temperatures and humidity is allowing fuels to cure and dry out. Warm and dry weather, no precipitation in the forecast. Natural barriers limiting fire spread to the north and east. Moderate fire activity. Growth expected however low spread potential with current conditions and weather. 24 hours: Seasonal temperatures and humidity is allowing fuels to cure and dry out. Warm and dry weather, no precipitation in the forecast. Natural barriers limiting fire spread to the north and east. Moderate fire activity. Growth expected however low spread potential with current conditions and weather. |
| Remarks |
Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1is also managing Chalk, McKinley, Tire Mountain, Coffee Pot, Moss Mountain, and 217 fires |
| Weather Concerns | Current through 72 hours: Cloudy and smoky skies were observed Thursday morning, but skies cleared during the afternoon. The high temperature was 76 F, the minimum relative humidity was 35%, and northwest winds were observed from 5-10 mph. Friday and Saturday will see high temperatures in the upper 70s, minimum humidity from 30-40%, and light northwest winds. Clear skies are expected through the period. 72+ hours: Sunday will bring similar conditions as Saturday. There is an increasing chance for rain on Monday as an upper level trough moves into the Pacific Northwest. High temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s while minimum relative humidity increases to 35-50%. Light northwest winds are expected. Tuesday will bring a return to seasonal conditions but temperature will increase through the end of the week. |
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