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Our Camp Creek Fire Public Information team has compiled and answered some of the commonly asked questions that were brought up at our community meetings on Monday, August 27 in Welches and Tuesday, August 28 in Corbett.

We will continue to do our best to address concerns and share information that may be useful to the public. In the meantime, we invite you to visit our Inciweb page on a daily basis, where we post an update each day under the News tab and also feature it on the home page as a Highlighted Activity for your convenience.

Do you think Eagle Creek, OR will be affected by this fire? 
Eagle Creek is approximately 13.5 miles from the Camp Creek Fire. It's highly unlikely the Camp Creek Fire will affect the Eagle Creek community. 
 

How far is this fire from Brightwood?  
Currently, the Camp Creek Fire is approximately 5 miles from the community of Brightwood.  

In 2020, the schools were delayed in opening due to fire an air quality. Will the Camp Creek Fire impact school openings? 
At the August 27, 2023, public meeting in Sandy, Oregon, School Superintendent Aaron Bayer stated there is currently no plan to postpone the opening of schools due to air quality concerns. However, if the fire becomes more active and air quality is significantly affected, these discussions would be reevaluated. 
 

Is the Sandy Ridge Bike Park still open?  
For information on the Sandy Ridge Bike Park, visit their web site at https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/mountainbike/sandyridge 

Are you using the 14 Road to the south of the Camp Creek Fire as a fire break?  
Firefighters are clearing brush along the Road 14. This road will be used as a control feature.   
 

Is the overnight humidity helping this fire?
Yes. Higher humidity levels help to reduce fire intensity. 
 

Is the rain forecast for Tuesday (August 29) through Thursday (August 31) going to help us at all?  
Yes. While the limited precipitation forecasted for the area will not extinguish the fire, it may help to temporarily moderate fire activity.  
 

Why hasn’t any thinning or other mitigation been done in the Bull Run area if there have been concerns about the fuel load in the watershed?  
The area within and around the Bull Run Watershed is off-limits to logging, mining, and public recreation. 


What types and how many aircraft are working this fire? 
Currently, there are three Type 1 and one Type 3 helicopters assigned to the Camp Creek Fire as well as two Canadair CL-415 (Super Scooper) fixed wing aircraft. 

• Type 1 Helicopter: Type 1 helicopters are the largest, fastest flying, and the most expensive helicopters used on wildland fires. They can typically carry 700 gallons of water or retardant via a bucket or a snorkel that fills an internal tank. These helicopters can strategically drop thousands of gallons of water or retardant with pinpoint accuracy while working closely with ground personnel and other firefighting aircraft.  
   
• Type 3 Helicopter: Type 3 helicopters are smaller. They have a higher cruise speed than a typical Type 2 helicopter and can arrive faster on the scene of an initial attack wildfire. They are capable of carrying four to five firefighters at a time and use a 180 gallon water bucket.  
   
• Canadair CL-415 (Super Scooper): Water Scoopers are amphibious aircraft that skim the surface of a body of water, scoop water into an onboard tank, and then drop it on a wildland fire. Canadair CL-415 can hold up to 1,600 gallons of water and can take as little as 12 seconds to fill the tank to capacity. The aircraft can scoop from water sources that are roughly 6.5 feet deep and 300 feet wide. Scoopers usually pull water from lakes but can also scoop from rivers. 

Are there any plans to shut off electrical power to the communities near the fire?
Under certain circumstances, Portland General Electric (PGE) may choose to deenergize their power lines. These might include periods of high winds or elevated fire weather conditions. Also, power might be cut off if a wildland fire is encroaching upon overhead power lines or structures. For more information on PGE policies and procedures, visit the PGE website at https://portlandgeneral.com/ 

Many locations only get cell service through Wi-Fi . If the power is cut off, cellular data won’t work. How will we be notified of evacuations?
Residents who live in areas without reliable cell phone or WiFi coverage might consider working with a friend or family member who does have reliable connectivity. They can monitor the situation and agree to alert you in the event a warning or evacuation notice is issued.  

We have been waiting for evacuation information and have heard nothing even though the fire is only a few miles from our homes. Who can we talk to?  
Current evacuation planning information is available on the Clackamas County website at https://www.clackamas.us/wildfires 

How will I know when it's time to evacuate?
Clackamas County's Emergency Operations Center continues to monitor the Camp Creek Fire and is working in coordination with the incident management team. They have created a fire evacuation planning map, found on this site: https://www.clackamas.us/wildfires  Here you can also sign up for emergency alerts, learn evacuation levels, and find other useful information on how to prepare for wildfires. 

Where can I take my animals?  
There are currently no evacuation orders in place in Clackamas County. In the event evacuations were ordered, plans for housing animals and livestock would be addressed by the county. For more information, contact the Clackamas County Disaster Manager at 503-655-8378 or by email at ccdm@clackamas.us. 
 

Has the city posted water restrictions?
At this time, there are no water restrictions in place for Sandy, Oregon. 
 

Are chemical fire retardants being used?
Fire retardants were used in limited areas during the initial attack on Friday, August 25 to support fire suppression efforts and protect the Bull Run Watershed. Fire retardants may be used again to support firefighting efforts. However, retardant will not be used in defined exclusion zones that drain into the Bull Run Reservoirs to protect water quality. Portland Water Bureau will continue to rigorously monitor for potential impacts to water quality. Follow this link to read the Interagency Wildland Fire Chemicals Policy and Guidance: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/chemicals    

Do fire suppression activities affect water quality?
Drinking water quality is best assured if the watershed remains forested. If the Forest Service decides that fire retardant must be used to prevent a catastrophic fire in the watershed, the Multnomah County Health Department has determined the risk to human health would be negligible not only because of the retardant’s components (85 percent water, 10 percent fertilizer, and five percent minor ingredients) but because of the dilution by the billions of gallons of water in the reservoirs. At all times, water quality from the Bull Run is rigorously monitored.