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Crews prepare for wintery weather; incident command shifts to local forest

Daily Update: October 14, 2024

Fire Information Phone: 503-854-3366 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 

Email: 2024.Bingham@firenet.gov 

Acres: 199      Containment: 94%

Location: Areas of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, east of Marion Forks.

Start Date: September 30,2024             Personnel:   131                 

Resources: 2 crews | 1 water tender | 1 falling module| 1 excavator

Highlights: Firefighters continue to seek out isolated hot spots that could pose a threat to the fire perimeter, repair damage to the landscape caused by suppression activities, and haul equipment out of the forest ahead of wintery weather forecast for Tuesday night. 

The Bingham Fire remained at 199 acres today, with containment bumping up to 94 percent.

Crews will have mild weather on the fire line today and Tuesday, with temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s. However, by Tuesday evening an 80 percent chance of rain is forecast, and temperatures are expected to plummet. Temperatures will hover in the mid-30s to lower 40s Wednesday through Friday, with waves of precipitation passing through all three days, including a chance of 3 to 6 inches of snow.

Management of the fire will transition back to the Detroit Ranger District’s type 4 incident management team at 6 p.m. today from California Incident Management Team 1. This will be the last update issued from the Bingham Fire unless significant changes warrant otherwise. Additional fire information can be obtained by contacting the Willamette National Forest at 503-854-3366.

Evacuations: The Linn County Sheriff’s Office has reduced the size of LEVEL 3: GO NOW! evacuation areas Oct. 10, converting them to LEVEL 2: GET SET evacuation alerts. The Level 2 evacuation area extends along Highway 22 to a ½-mile west of Highway 22, from Pamelia Road (NFS Road 2246) south to Parrish Lake Road (NFS Road 2266). Please refer to the Linn County Wildfire Map for more information: https://tinyurl.com/LinnCoFireMap. Highway 22 remains open. 

The Willamette National Forest also reduced its closure area Oct. 10 within the same footprint as the county’s Level 3 evacuation zone. Details of the closure order can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/2y4sacl8. The Pacific Crest Trail through the Mount Jefferson Wilderness remains open. Impacted trails include Bingham Ridge Trail, Independence Rock Trail, Marion Lake Trail and Lake of the Woods Trail. With hunting season started, Forest Service staff will work with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office to reduce closure areas as soon as it is safe to do so.

Weather: Mild temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s are expected today and Tuesday, with wetter and cooler weather ushering in Tuesday evening. Highs in the mid-30s to lower 40s are forecast Wednesday through Friday, with bouts of rain and snow falling sporadically during that time.