Single Publication

Fire Update – Oakridge Lightning Fires

Chalk, Coffeepot, McKinley, Moss Mountain, Tire Mountain, 208, and 217 Fires

Saturday, July 27, 2024 – 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: (541) 208-1742

Email: 2024.mossmountain@firenet.gov

Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Special Note: Fire camp is operational and has begun serving meals to firefighters working on the Oakridge Lightning Fires. Thank you to all the local businesses who experienced a surge while camp was being established.

Current Situation: Some growth was seen on the Chalk Fire on Friday, with little to no changes on the other Oakridge Lightning Fires. Weather will remain the same today as it has been for the last several days; an increase in afternoon smoke can be expected. Firefighters continue to build and strengthen line in high priority areas, including the Chalk, Coffeepot, and Moss Mountain Fires. The limited resources available to these fires are being mobilized to where they can be most impactful in meeting the objective of keeping the communities and infrastructure of Oakridge, High Prairie, and Westfir safe. The total acreage of the seven fires is 5,184 acres with 602 personnel assigned.

Information for each of the seven Oakridge Lightning Fires is provided below. Firefighting activities and suppression actions are described in detail for each double-lettered division on each fire.

Chalk Fire (3,072 acres, 0% contained) – The Chalk Fire increased by 156 acres yesterday. Small firing operations, with low to moderate intensity, were used by firefighters yesterday to strengthen containment lines. These low intensity firing operations will continue to be part of the suppression strategy for the Chalk Fire and may result in an increase in visible smoke.

Division AA: Friday’s successful firing operation will assist firefighters in holding the Chalk Fire in this   division. Firefighters will continue to strengthen line in this division in      preparation for future low intensity firing operations.

Division KK: Firefighting resources shifted to the Chalk Fire from lower priority fires have aided operations in this division. Firefighters are steadily using low intensity firing to increase containment. While smoke may increase in this part of the fire for the next few days, these slow burning firing operations are valuable in keeping the communities of Oakridge, High Prairie, and Westfir safe.

Division TT: Firefighters continue to build and strengthen line on the north side of the Chalk Fire in preparation for future low intensity firing operations to secure this division and tie it into divisions AA and KK.

Coffeepot Fire (1,687acres, 0% contained) – Fire management is directing crews to continue to build and strengthen line on the Coffeepot Fire with the objective of protecting highly valued resources near the fire. They are partnering with private landholders in developing a strategy to use available resources in protecting these prioritized assets.

Division PP: Fire has come down to the containment line in the southern area of the Coffeepot fire, where crews are in position to hold the fire. Firefighters have been successful in holding the fire within containment lines in this division.

Division RR: Crews are working east toward Division WW to connect containment line in this area of the fire. Existing line is being strengthened with the strategy of connecting RR to WW to keep the fire south of identified assets.

Division WW: As mentioned above, a strategy is in place to connect Division WW to Division RR. Crews are working to build and strengthen line to the east to connect this area with Division RR.

Moss Mountain Fire (201 acres, 0% contained) –

Division SS: This newly created division is scouting the area south of the Moss Mountain Fire to find areas with a high probability of success to hold the fire to the north. Resources are being mobilized to implement this plan in the coming days.

Division WW: Crews in this division are working in this northern division toward the Coffeepot fire to build containment line and connect it to Division RR.

208 Fire (138 acres, 0% contained) – Division YY: Fire is holding. There has been no growth over the past several days.

217 Fire (38 acres, 0% contained) – Division YY: Smokejumpers assigned to the 217 Fire are patrolling and mopping up the 217 Fire. Some resources from this fire have been mobilized to higher priority areas.

Tire Mountain Fire (20 acres) – Division TT: The Tire Mountain Fire is being patrolled but has not seen any growth in the past several days. Resources from this fire have been mobilized to higher priority fires in the Oakridge Lightning Fires area.

McKinley Fire (28 acres) – Division AA: The McKinley Fire is being patrolled but has not seen any growth in the past several days. Resources from this fire have been mobilized to higher priority fires in the Oakridge Lightning Fires area.

Weather and Fire Behavior: The trend of warm, sunny days will continue through the weekend with clear skies and temperatures in the 70s and 80s and relative humidity in the 30-40% range. There is some slight moisture in the forecast possible for late Monday night or Sunday. The forecasted moisture will not be significant though and clear skies are expected for next week.

Evacuations: For evacuation information please visit: https://www.LaneCountyOR.gov/2024wildfires To sign up for evacuation alerts please visit: https://www.LaneAlerts.org

Closures and Fire Restrictions: Area, road, trail, and recreation site closures are in place on the Willamette National Forest in the vicinity of many active fires. Temporary road barricades are in use to restrict traffic in the areas near High Prairie and Chalk Mountain.

For specific closure information follow this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd552029

Fire restrictions on the Willamette National Forest may be found at this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alertsnotices/?aid=81487

Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Fire Statistics

Total Personnel: 602

Location: N & S of Oakridge, OR

Cause: Lightning

For More Information

Information Phone: (541) 208-1742

Email: 2024.mossmountain@firenet.gov

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orwif-oakridgelightning-fires-2024

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakridgeLightningFires2024/