Single Publication

September 2, 2023
Morning Update

Great Basin Team 2 has transitioned with Pacific Northwest Team 2 today as of 6:00 a.m.

Lookout, Horse Creek, Pothole Fires Total Personnel:  990
Resources: 66 engines l 17 crews l 14 bulldozers l 41water tenders l 11 masticators l 11 helicopters available

Horse Creek: Size: 763 acres l Start Date: August 24, 2023 l Cause: Lightning l Containment: 12%
Fire behavior was limited again yesterday. Crews have completed control lines around most of the fire, but are still working to connect the northwest side of the fire where the ridgeline drops down to Horse Creek. Today firefighters are strengthening and improving completed firelines by mopping up hotspots.

Lookout: Size: 25,575 acres l Start Date: August 5, 2023 l Cause: Lightning l Containment: 20%
There was minimal fire activity on the Lookout Fire on Friday. Eastern and western edges of the fire that were intentionally burned in the past week retain hotspots even with the recent rains. Crews will continue mopping up hot spots near all control lines. Along the northern flank of the fire, tree fallers, fire crews, and heavy equipment are preparing fuel breaks along forest system roads to be used as primary and alternate control lines.

Pothole: Size: 109 acres l Start Date: August 25, 2023 l Cause: Lightning l Containment: 15%
Firefighters and equipment have completed containment lines around the perimeter of the Pothole Fire. Crews will continue to secure the fireline by mopping up hotspots.

Bedrock: Total Personnel: 545
Size: 31,590 acres l Start Date: July 22, 2023 l Cause: under investigation l Containment: 85%
Resources: 22 engines l 11 crews l 6 bulldozers l 23 water tenders l 7 masticators l 11 helicopters available
Pockets of unburned fuels within the established containment lines will continue to burn and produce smoke. Fire crews are focused on repairing damage to the land and forest roads (grading, installing water bars, and re-contouring dozer lines).  Many Bedrock personnel are assisting the Willamette National Forest with nearby fires. The Bedrock Fire camp at Pleasant Hill is being dismantled.  Firefighter services from that camp are being dispersed to the Lookout Incident Command Post near Walterville, or the new spike camp at the Hoodoo Ski Area.

All Fires 
Fire damaged trees and saturated soils along control lines combine to create an extreme hazard to firefighters and equipment. Prior to entering work areas, expert tree fallers identify and mitigate (fall) these weakened trees to reduce the risk of them coming down and causing serious injuries or fatalities. Firefighters and law enforcement officers maintain a presence in evacuated areas. Trained firefighters are flying Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) through the smoke to provide infrared heat imaging to locate hotspots near control lines and provide accurate mapping. Firefighters are ready to respond to any new fire starts that may occur due to lightning. Mopping up describes the process of extinguishing or removing burning material near control lines down to the mineral soil, felling fire damaged trees, and cooling ash pits to make a fireline less likely to escape or to reduce residual smoke.

Weather
Warmer temperatures and relatively high humidity are predicted for today. These conditions are expected to result in wet thunderstorms in the late afternoon. Wetting rains from storms cells could result in ½” to 1” rain in places. There is a lower chance for precipitation on Sunday.

Evacuation Centers: An evacuation center is in place at Westridge Middle School in Oakridge for evacuees and small pets from the Horse Creek and Lookout Fires. For assistance with large animal evacuations, please call 541-285-8227. 

Evacuation Update: The Lane Co Sheriff downgraded the following areas from Level 3 (go now) to Level 2 (be ready) status yesterday: North of Highway 126 from Drury Lane in the east to Scott Creek Road, including Paradise campground and North Belknap Springs Road. 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 reduced the closure area for the Bedrock fire due to successful firefighting efforts. Many popular sites and trails have re-opened including the Alpine Trail. There are no changes to closure areas for the Lookout, Horse Creek, and Pothole fire areas at this time. 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 (8 a.m. - 8 p.m.)
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 (8 a.m. - 8 p.m.)
Email: 2023.bedrock@firenet.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BedrockFire2023/
InciWeb Bedrock: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orwif-bedrock-fire