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Containment lines withstand another wind shift; suppression repair includes trail

Daily Update: October 13, 2024

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

Email: 2024.Bingham@firenet.gov 

Acres: 199      Containment: 93%

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

Start Date: September 30,2024             Personnel:   162                 

Resources: 5 crews | 1 engine | 2 bulldozers | 1 water tender | 1 excavator

Highlights: For three consecutive days, winds above the Bingham Fire have shifted from out of the east to out of the west, and acreage continues to hold at 199 acres. Containment nudged up a percentage point from Saturday to 93 percent today. 

Firefighters remained encouraged that regardless of wind direction, the fire stayed within its existing footprint and no major heat sources were found near the containment perimeter. Crews will continue patrolling containment lines and seeking out hot spots within the fire’s interior.

Firefighters and heavy equipment operators will repair roads and terrain damaged by containment line construction and other wildfire suppression tactics. Part of that work will include repairing portions of the Bingham Ridge Trail inside the fire’s perimeter.

Motorists enjoying the holiday weekend are advised to be mindful of firefighting vehicles on and around Highway 22 as firefighters begin removing equipment and supplies from the area. 

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: No rain or lightning materialized over the fire Saturday. Morning easterly winds today will bring warmer and drier air before switching back out of the west in the afternoon. A 40 percent chance of precipitation is forecast for Tuesday.