Single Publication

August 30, 2023 
Morning Update  

Community Public Meeting: There will be an in-person community meeting this evening Wednesday, at 5:00 p.m. at the McKenzie High School in Vida, Oregon. There will be a question-and-answer session following the presentations. For those who cannot attend, the meeting will be recorded and posted on both the Bedrock Fire and Lookout Fire pages. Information officers will monitor and answer incoming questions.   

Horse Creek, Lookout, Pothole Fires Total Personnel:  914 
Resources: 51 engines l 16 crews l 12 bulldozers l 30 water tenders l 11 masticators l 11 helicopters  

Horse Creek: Size: 703 acres l Start Date: August 24, 2023 l Cause: Lightning l Containment: 0%  

Fire behavior was limited yesterday morning but picked up in the late afternoon when the marine layer lifted over the fire. Containment lines continue to hold on the west, north and south edges of the fire. Air resources assisted firefighters on the ground to limit fire spread to the east. Fire crews and equipment are building a fireline from the ridgeline down into Horse Creek on the eastern edge of the fire. 

Lookout: Size: 22,317 acres l Start Date: August 5, 2023 l Cause: Lightning l Containment: 17%  

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity helped moderate fire behavior allowing firefighters to make good progress. In order to provide a safe working environment for firefighters, fallers will be working in advance of crews as both live and dead trees pose a threat in some work areas. Along the northern, western, and eastern flanks of the fire, fuel breaks are being prepared by tree fallers, fire crews, and heavy equipment along forest system roads. When completed, these roads will be used as primary and alternate control lines to contain fire spread. On the southeast flank, near Belknap Springs, the fire has been slowly backing downhill toward completed containment lines near Highway 126. Where containment lines are confidently secured along the south edge, crews are removing unneeded fire equipment like fire hose and pumps, while continuing to hold and secure the fireline.  

Pothole: Size: 99 acres l Start Date: August 25, 2023 l Cause: Lightning l Containment: 0%  

No measurable growth on this fire during the past couple of days has provided firefighters opportunities to build direct fireline around most of this fire. Today they will work to connect firelines around the perimeter. 

Bedrock: Total Personnel: 641 
Size: 31,590 acres l Start Date: July 22, 2023 l Cause: under investigation l Containment: 80%  
Resources: 27 engines l 11 crews l 7 bulldozers l 27 water tenders l 8 masticators l 11 helicopters 

There has been no measurable growth on the Bedrock Fire for several days. Pockets of unburned fuels within the established control lines will produce visible smoke. Firefighters continue to secure and patrol portions of the containment line along the northwest flank. Across most of the fire, the focus has shifted to hauling out equipment, firehose, and pumps and repairing damage to the land and forest roads (grading, installing water bars, and re-contouring dozer lines). Sprinklers and other fire suppression equipment are being removed from the community of Big Fall Creek as the danger of active fire is substantially diminished.  

All Fires  

Continued cooler temperatures and higher humidity for the past few days resulted in minimal or no fire growth on all fires. Firefighters and law enforcement officers maintain a presence in evacuated areas. Trained firefighters are flying Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) or drones through the smoke to provide infrared heat imaging to locate hotspots near control lines. Drones also support firing operations in areas that are hard to access, which reduces risk to firefighters.  

Weather 

Light precipitation is predicted over the fires this morning before giving way to slightly warmer and drier conditions this afternoon. Winds are predicted to be lighter from the west with possible gusts along ridgetops and where river and creek drainages align with winds. This condition often results in increased fire behavior where winds and drainages align. Cool, moist onshore flow is expected to increase, with about 1/3 of an inch of rain predicted beginning Thursday night through Friday.  

Evacuation Centers: An evacuation center is in place at Westridge Middle School in Oakridge for evacuees and small pets from the Bedrock and Lookout Fires. A large animal shelter is established at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene.  An up-to-date and searchable evacuation map is available through Lane county’s website. 

Lane County Evacuations: https://www.lanecountyor.gov/cms/one.aspx?pageId=19729054    
Linn County Evacuations:  https://www.linnsheriff.org/  

Road Closures: Highway 242, McKenzie Highway, is closed between milepost 61-76, 14 miles west of Sisters, Oregon to just east of the junction with Highway 126. Highway 126 is currently open. Please monitor Trip Check for any updates at: https://tripcheck.com/    

Forest Closures: Willamette National Forest closure orders remain in place around all four fire areas. These closures help provide firefighters with safer driving conditions and decrease the potential for search and rescue operations that could interrupt firefighting activities. Closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd552029  

Restrictions: Fire Restrictions are in place on the Willamette National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/willamette. Temporary Flight Restrictions remain in place over the Bedrock and Lookout fire areas.   

Smoke Outlook: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/4c92bc1a The Fire and Smoke Map (fire.airnow.gov) is another source for air quality information.    

Lookout Information Line: 541-215-6735 (8am-8pm) 
Email: 2023.lookout@firenet.gov                                               
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LookoutFire2023  
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/orwif-lookout-fire   

Bedrock Fire Information: 541-414-6272 (8am-8pm)  
Email: 2023.bedrock@firenet.gov 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BedrockFire2023/ 
InciWeb Bedrock: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orwif-bedrock-fire 

Please note: Due to an internet outage, we were unable to produce new maps for Lookout/Horse Creek/Pothole today. Little has changed from yesterday.