Single Publication

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM TRANSITION:

On Saturday at 6:00 a.m., command of the Pyramid and Slate Fires transitions to Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 1 (Rocky Mountain 1). Due to the limited availability of additional incident management teams, all fires on the Willamette National Forest will be combined under a central command structure. A dedicated group of fire managers will remain focused on directing operations on the Pyramid and Slate Fires. Incident Commander Dustan Mueller and the entire California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 extend their gratitude to our cooperators and partners for their collaboration and assistance. The team also thanks the local residents, business owners, and visitors for their appreciation and support.

PYRAMID FIRE:

East of Middle Santiam Wilderness, 1,193 Acres, 21 Percent Contained, Total Personnel, 448, Lightning Caused

Yesterday, firefighters continued to hold the fire within control lines with help from water-dropping aircraft. Today, hand crews will continue to widen and improve control lines, construct control lines closer to the fire’s edge where it is safe to do so, install pumps and hoses, and extinguish hot spots. 

SLATE FIRE:

5 miles SW of Detroit, OR, 91 Acres, 81 Percent Contained, Total Personnel, 55, Under Investigation

Despite hotter and drier weather, fire crews increased containment on the Slate Fire yesterday and will continue to widen and improve control lines around the fire’s perimeter. Firefighters will be focusing on the southern flank of the fire perimeter, transitioning from indirect to direct control lines. The primary objective is to keep the fire within the existing footprint.

WEATHER: Conditions will continue to be hot, dry, and unstable today with a high temperature of 88 to 95 °F and a minimum relative humidity of 22 to 24 percent. A slight chance of dry thunderstorms is predicted this evening and early tomorrow morning. Increased fire behavior will continue to be a concern over the next several days.

SMOKE IMPACTS: Smoke and air quality conditions are available on: AirNow.gov

EVACUATIONS: On July 17th, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Forest, issued a Level 3: Go Now Evacuation Alert for the closure area affected. Please refer to the Linn County Fire Map https://tinyurl.com/LinnCoFireMap for full details of the issued evacuation area (which will appear in red). 

NEW AREA CLOSURES: For increased public and firefighter safety, area, road, and trail (including the PCT) closures were expanded in the Willamette National Forest. Specific information is posted at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=61574. 

FIRE RESTRICTIONS: Fire restrictions are in effect for Willamette National Forest, including the Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Waldo Lake, and Diamond Peak Wilderness areas. Read the complete restrictions at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=81487.