Area/Road/Trail Closure – Sheep Creek Fire

PROHIBITIONS
Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a), (b), the following are prohibited on the National Forest System (NFS) area, roads, and trails in the Butte Ranger District, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, described below and shown on the attached map incorporated into this Order as Exhibit A (the “Described Area/Roads/Trails”):
1. To go into or be upon any area which is closed for the protection of public health and safety 36 C.F.R. § 261.53 (e).
2. Being on the trail. 36 C.F.R. § 261.55(a).
3. Being on the road. 36 C.F.R. § 261.54(e).
 

EXEMPTIONS
Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:
1. Owners or lessees of land in the area.
2. Residents in the area.
3. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order or a written determination by a Forest Service authorized officer that a permit is not required under 36 C.F.R. § 251.50(e)(1) or (2).
4. Any Federal, State, or Local Officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting resource in the performance of an official duty.
 

DESCRIBED AREA/ROADS/TRAILS
This closure applies to the following NFS lands, roads, and trails approximately 15 miles north
of Butte, MT, south/west of the community of Bernice. In general, the closure is from Interstate 15 in T6NR6W Section 22 Forest Service land, south along Interstate 15 to T5N R6W Section 10, west to and include Forest Service Road 5011, to where it intersects with Road 442 and Forest Service lands east of Road 442 to Road 82 and Forest Service lands south of Road 82 to intersection of Interstate 15.
1. Road Closures. Forest Service System roads:
• 5011, 9389
2. Area Closure. All of the National Forest System lands within:
• West of Interstate 15, T6N,R6W, SECTIONS 22, 27, 34; West of Interstate 15 T5N,R6W, SECTIONS 3, 10; South of Road 82 T6N,R6N Sections 21, 20, 19; East of Road 442 T6N,R6W, SECTIONS 30, T6NR7W SECTIONS 36, 35; Northeast of FS Road 5011 T5N,R7W SECTIONS 1, 12 North of FS Road 5011 T5N R6W Section 7; T5N,R6W SECTIONS 8, 9 4, 5, 6; T6N,R6W, SECTIONS 33, 32, 31, 28, 29.
 

PURPOSE
The purpose of this Order is for public safety due to wildfire and active fire suppression activities.
 

IMPLEMENTATION
1. This Order shall be in effect from 12:01 a.m. on Oct 4, 2024 through December 31, 2024, unless rescinded.
2. A map identifying the Described Area/Roads/Trails is attached and made part of this Order as Exhibit A. For a digital version of this Order Exhibit A, go to Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest - Alerts & Closures (usda.gov)
3. Unless otherwise expressly defined in this Order, the terms used in this Order are defined by the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture, 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299. If there are terms in this Order that are not expressly defined in the Order or 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299, their meaning shall be determined by their plain language definitions.
4. A violation of the above prohibitions is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551; 18 U.S.C. §§ 3559, 3571, and 3581.
5. Contact the Butte Ranger District in Butte, MT, (406) 494-2147, and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Supervisor's Office in Dillon, MT, (406) 683-3900, for more information about this Order.
6. This Order supersedes any previous Orders prohibiting the same or similar acts in the
same Described Area/Roads/Trails.

Western Wyo. – Teton Interagency Fire managers have elevated the fire danger rating to “Very High” for Grand Teton National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest ,and the National Elk Refuge. When the fire danger is "Very High," fires can start easily from most causes and may spread rapidly with quick increase in intensity right after ignition. Small fires can quickly become large fires and exhibit extreme fire intensity, such as long-distance spotting. These fires can be difficult to control and can often become much larger and longer lasting.

Last week, six human-caused fires were reported on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. These fires, all from abandoned warming fires, have ranged in size from ½ acre to 4.5 acres. Luckily, all these fires have been extinguished thanks to the vigilance of public reporting and firefighters patrolling the Forest. Fire managers are urging recreationists to use extreme caution with fire.

During the fall, frost kills summer grasses and vegetation, creating more light, cured fuels to carry fire. Larger fuels remain dry throughout the season, and winds become a major driver for fires. Additionally, with fall, comes the arrival of hunting season. People hunting and recreating on public lands will want to have warming fires and campfires with the cooler overnight temperatures. Public land users can help prevent wildfires by choosing to not have a fire at all and instead dress for success with multiple layers and warm clothing.

Unseasonably warm daytime temperatures and very dry conditions are predicted to continue over the weekend and into next week with periods of increased wind and no forecasted rain.

Fire managers advise recreationists to use extreme caution if choosing to build and maintain a campfire. In areas where campfires are allowed, fires should never be left unattended and must be completely extinguished before leaving. If choosing to have a campfire, keep it small and have a plan for putting it out before lighting it. All recreationists should have a shovel on hand and a water bucket ready for use. Soak, stir, feel, repeat. Make sure your campfire is “dead out” and cold to the touch before leaving. If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave!

To date, 68 campfires have been abandoned or left unattended in the Teton Interagency Dispatch area. Unattended or abandoned campfires and warming fires can quickly escape and become wildfires, and recreationists can be held liable for suppression costs.

Visit the Teton Interagency Fire website at TetonFires.com to learn more about fire safety. To report a fire or smoke in the area, call Teton Interagency Fire Dispatch Center at 307-739-3630.

Middle Fork Complex: 61,4490 acres, 90% completion, 286 Personnel   

Snag Fire: 33,436 acres, 90% completion, 59 Personnel   

Goat Fire: 27,533 acres, 46% completion, 89 personnel 

Unseasonably warm and dry weather caused fire activity to increase yesterday.  Fire managers focused on the Goat Fire activity while crews on the Middle Fork and Snag fires are nearing completion of their suppression repair and rehab efforts.  Critical Fire Weather conditions are forecasted for Friday as a dry cold front moves into the area, bringing strong winds, higher temperatures, and lower relative humidities. 

The Goat Fire grew 504 acres on Wednesday. The most active section is on the southernmost perimeter, where the fire moved east past the Silver Creek Lookout. Helicopters and fixed-wing scoopers worked late into the evening to slow the fire’s progress while smokejumpers moved in and spent the night scouting for fire containment opportunities.  Two additional crews (40 firefighters) are being reassigned into that area today to assist with containment efforts. Both helicopters and the scoopers have been assigned to support the efforts of firefighters on the ground to keep the fire out of the Boiling Springs and Spring Creek areas. On the northeast perimeter along the 474 roads, the fire is burning in the Monument Fire Scar from 2007. The dead and down timber from that fire is being consumed as part of the natural fire cycle. Fire rates of spread on the northeast perimeter are low but will produce visible smoke due to the heavy fuel loading. 

The Middle Fork Fire has been limited mainly to smoldering and creeping fire activity, but as the temperatures rise and the winds increase, crews are on the watch for more active surface fire and isolated torching of trees. Currently, they are not expecting this will pose any threat to existing containment lines. Suppression repair and restoration efforts are nearing completion. 

The Snag Fire has also been limited to mainly smoldering and creeping. Crews are on the watch for any increase in activity in the area and fire managers are shifting resources to other more active parts of the Middle Fork Complex. 

Weather Outlook: High pressure and very dry conditions are forecast, with warmer temperatures into the 70s climbing toward the 80s across most of the area. Incident meteorologists are forecasting that these warm temperatures will combine with low humidities and strong gusting west winds as a dry cold front moves into the area on Friday creating critical fire weather conditions.   

The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team assigned to the Wolf Creek Fire has completed the first step of the BAER process, the Soil Burn Severity Map. Soil Burn Severity is the measure of the fire's effects on the ground surface and soil conditions. The BAER Team uses this map to identify where mitigating treatments may be most effective. 

Hood River, Ore. (2 de octubre de 2024) – El Sendero Estatal Histórico de la Autopista del Río Columbia (HCRH) desde el Río Hood hasta Mosier reabrirá el jueves 3 de octubre de 2024. Esta sección del sendero estatal ha estado cerrada desde finales de julio debido al incendio Microwave Tower. En los últimos días, las actividades de extinción de incendios cuidadosamente planificadas lograron apagar un antiguo punto caliente del sitio de eliminación que se quemó cerca del sendero y emitió humo nocivo en el área. 

Esta sección del sendero estatal de HCRH entre East y West Hatfield Trailheads se abrirá al público. Sin embargo, otros cierres de áreas asociados con el incendio Microwave Tower siguen vigentes en todas las tierras del Sistema Forestal Nacional (NFS) dentro del perímetro del incendio. La entrada pública a áreas fuera del sendero (área de cierre del Servicio Forestal de EE. UU.) aún está prohibida, incluido el ingreso al sitio de eliminación. 

"Estamos emocionados de reabrir el histórico Sendero Estatal de la Autopista del Río Columbia entre Hood River y Mosier. Nuestro personal se está preparando para la reapertura, pero aún queremos advertir a las personas que esta fue un área quemada muy recientemente y aún deben tener precaución", dijo el gerente de parques del Departamento de Parques y Recreación de Oregon, David Spangler. "Estamos muy agradecidos con nuestros socios por toda su diligencia y atención para ayudarnos a reabrir este corredor recreativo y comunitario crítico de manera segura". 

Para garantizar la seguridad de las comunidades locales y los recreacionistas, los bomberos del Área Escénica y el Distrito de Bomberos de Mosier trabajaron juntos para excavar y extinguir los puntos críticos dentro del sitio de eliminación en llamas. El vertedero ya no emite humo ni calor. El Área Escénica Nacional de la Garganta del Río Columbia también implementó contratos de monitoreo del aire y consultó con expertos federales y estatales en calidad del aire durante y después del trabajo de mitigación. Los resultados del monitoreo del aire realizado recientemente mostraron que los metales con riesgos conocidos para la salud por inhalación estaban por debajo del límite de detección, y los niveles de partículas, que es típico del humo de los incendios forestales, se mantuvieron bajos.  Los bajos niveles de compuestos orgánicos volátiles asociados con el sitio, junto con la contaminación localizada del agua y el suelo, seguirán siendo una preocupación constante, por lo que los socios locales, estatales y federales continúan colaborando en una mayor mitigación de peligros. 

"Queremos agradecer a nuestros socios y recursos locales por su compromiso de ayudar a extinguir los combustibles que quedan en el sitio de eliminación", dijo Nicolas Granum, Supervisor Forestal Adjunto del Área Escénica Nacional de la Garganta del Río Columbia. "Pedimos a los visitantes que no ingresen al sitio de eliminación y respeten las barreras colocadas para mantener a las personas seguras mientras se recrean en el sendero cercano". 

Las personas que tengan la intención de caminar cerca del área del incendio, o cualquier área quemada recientemente, siempre deben permanecer alerta y estar al tanto de los mayores peligros, particularmente los obstáculos (que son árboles quemados recientemente o muertos). Los árboles muertos o moribundos que permanecen en pie después de un incendio son inestables, especialmente con vientos fuertes. Las rocas y troncos sueltos pueden estar presentes en un área quemada y son impredecibles, lo que crea un peligro de caída. Además, la vegetación quemada también puede contribuir a deslizamientos de tierra, deslizamientos de tierra y erosión cuando llueve. El suelo en un área quemada también puede ser inestable, debido a las raíces quemadas debajo de la superficie. Después de que los suelos y la vegetación se han carbonizado, la lluvia que normalmente se absorbería podría escurrirse extremadamente rápido. 

Un mapa detallado y una descripción del área de cierre del incendio Microwave Tower están disponibles al final de este comunicado de prensa, en el sitio web del Área Escénica y en la oficina del Servicio Forestal de los Estados Unidos. Se han colocado barreras de cierre y letreros en el lugar. El Sendero Estatal HCRH, administrado por el Departamento de Parques y Recreación de Oregón y el Departamento de Transporte de Oregón, puede tener otros avisos. Para obtener más detalles, visite https://stateparks.oregon.gov/. 

Información adicional sobre el Área Escénica Nacional de la Garganta del Río Columbia está disponible en https://www.fs.usda.gov/crgnsa. 

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Fire crews are continuing with ignitions on the American Creek Prescribed Fire today after treating 450 acres on Wednesday.

The prescribed fire is an understory burn, which mimics fire’s natural role in vegetation communities where it is frequent and low intensity. Crews apply fire broadly throughout an area under the forest canopy where grasses, leaf litter, fallen and dried pine needles, downed branches, brush and occasional single or clusters of trees are burned.

Today, crews will continue with more hand and aerial ignitions.

• Hand ignitions are used on the prescribed fire unit’s perimeter, where crew members use drip torches to burn fuels along a predetermined control line, which is made up of existing roads and lines dug by hand crews and dozers. This method is called blacklining.
• Aerial ignitions are used for burning interior areas of the unit’s perimeter, in which an operator aboard a helicopter releases plastic balls filled with glycol that ignite after hitting the ground. This method employs a device called a plastic sphere dispenser.

Yesterday, crew members on the ground blacklined much of the eastern half of the prescribed fire unit before aerial ignitions commenced.

Smoke will continue to be visible and may be noticeable to nearby communities during the day and farther out ones in the evening.

For more information about smoke readiness, go to the Carson National Forest’s new website section about prescribed fire, where readers can also learn more about fire ecology, types of prescribed fire and sign up to get notifications.

An InciWeb page is also available for updates.

The 1,009-acre American Creek Prescribed Unit is part of the Rio Tusas-Lower San Antonio Landscape Project, which aims to restore the forest health throughout nearly half of the Tres Piedras Ranger District. The project is part of the larger Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project to address forest and watershed health in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado.

Marcel Potvin, Incident Commander 

Start date: Sept. 30, 2024

Location: Detroit Ranger District, 
Willamette National Forest

Cause: Undetermined

Fire size: 195 acres

Full Suppression

Personnel: 126, including 4 Crews, 10 Engines, 1 Dozer

The Bingham Fire, located east of the Bingham Ridge Trailhead near Marion Forks, was reported on the evening of Sept. 30, 2024. The fire is burning partially within an older fire scar along the Bingham Ridge Trail that extends into the Mount Jefferson Wilderness area. 

LEVEL 3: GO NOW! Evacuation Alerts have been issued by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office for a large area of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. Additionally, LEVEL 2: GET SET Evacuation Alerts have been issued for the area around Marion Forks Campground, and Marion Forks Fish Hatchery. The Level 2 evacuation area also extends along Highway 22, to 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 at this time. 

A large evacuation area like this is necessary to give wildfire response teams enough space to safely travel to and fight the fire, as crews will be on road systems, trails, and air assets may be utilizing nearby water sources. The fire itself is much smaller than the evacuation area. The Willamette National Forest will be issuing an updated formal closure later today in the same footprint of the Level 3 Evacuation. The Pacific Crest Trail will remain open. 

Firefighters are working as direct as possible to the fire’s edge. In the last two days, 18 smokejumpers, 11 rappelers, 3 hand crews, 1 hot shot crew, 10 engines, 4 professional falling teams and 1 dozer have responded to the fire and are preparing primary fire line and opening access routes to the fire area. Possible secondary and contingency fire lines are being discussed and scouted in the next few days. Shared air resources including helicopters and airtankers were able to complete multiple retardant and water drops on the fire to successfully slow the rate of spread. Additional resources have been ordered to support the full suppression actions.

WEATHER:  Yesterday, cooler weather and higher humidity levels moderated fire behavior. Light easterly winds are forecasted for the fire area through mid-day Friday, with possible temperatures reaching the lower to mid-70s with lower relative humidity on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, rain is forecasted in the area, with the potential for up to 0.25 inches of precipitation. Smoke may be visible from Detroit, Idanha, and along Highway 22 today. 

SAFETY: Members of the public are encouraged to heed local evacuation orders issued by the county sheriff’s office and emergency notification systems. Know the Ready, Set, Go levels and make appropriate preparations. READY your belongings; SET your things at the door or prepack them in your car; GO and leave immediately.

Oct 3,2024—  Firefighters are working diligently on the Yellow Fork Fire, and it is now 6% contained. The current acreage is 2,560. Despite containment only slowly increasing, firefighters are making progress on the fire. 

Crews continue to enhance the fuel break around the fire, using handline, bulldozer line, natural barriers, and thinning fuels. This indirect line is near completion along the gas pipeline corridor, as well as near the Mill Hollow area. Structure protection is near completion at the YMCA camp and the ranger station. Firefighters have been installing hoselay in these areas, both for suppression efforts now and mop up later. No structures or recreation property have been damaged. 

Crews are strategically firing along the indirect line to decrease unburned fuel along firebreaks between the current fire perimeter. This methodical approach has been successful, reducing the timeframe to reach containment and open Highway 35. There is a predicted wind shift this weekend, where winds will be coming from the south instead of the north. These firing operations may continue to occur to enhance the fuelbreaks prior to the predicted wind shift and create a strong northern perimeter.
 

This fire remains a full suppression fire. Fire managers are working to reach containment safely. It’s important to understand that containment does not mean the fire has not grown. Containment indicates that fire managers are confident that it will not grow along that portion of the perimeter. In heavy fuels like timber that can retain heat for long periods of time, it is imperative that crews are methodical about assuring there are no heat sources that could reignite later and spot across the existing lines. Containment is expected to increase slowly as crews stop progression and reduce all heat sources that could threaten the lines. 

Highway 35 remains closed for at least 24-48 hours, until fire activity decreases and the road can be cleared of debris. 

The fire has been determined to be human caused, but it is still under investigation. More information will be released once the final investigation report is completed. 

The Yellow Lake Fire is located east of Mill Hollow Reservoir on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, with 384 personnel assigned to the incident. 

Rail Ridge Fire Update

October 03, 2024

Central Oregon Wildfire Information: centraloregonfire.org 

Email: 2024.railridge@firenet.gov  –  Phone: 541-208-7111

Social Media, Evacuation and Closure Information: https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire

Acres: 167,718 – Containment: 89% – Detection: 09/02/24 – Cause: Lightning – Personnel: 795

Northwest Complex Incident Management Team 8, lead by Incident Commander Brian Ebert took command of the Rail Ridge Fire this morning at 6:00am. Thank You to Alaska Complex Incident Management Team #3 for your time, dedication and hard work on the Rail Ridge Fire.

Operational Update

Yesterday, calmer winds across the fire area led to subdued fire growth. The additional acreage burned was on the west/northwest area of the fire in the Black Canyon Wilderness in Honeymoon Creek. The tactical burning accomplished previously on the southern edge of the wilderness is still holding as a strong containment feature. Around the other contained areas of the fire, firefighters continued mop-up, patrol and suppression repair. The northern edge of the fire still has areas of fire perimeter which remain uncontained due to inaccessible terrain. Firefighters will continue to monitor these areas and work toward containment as they can safely engage.

Today, the fire team will continue to assess the fire activity in the wilderness and have management action points in place and are prepared to act on as the fire progresses. Firefighters continue construct contingency control lines and strengthen containment in the Black Canyon Wilderness, adding depth to lines that are already in place. Fire activity today is expected to be similar to yesterday. Even with the cooler night temperatures, the critically dry fuels will continue to burn and smoke will be visible across the fire footprint. The contained areas of the fire will continue to be patrolled, mopped up and suppression repairs are ongoing with resource advisors. 

Weather

A cold start in the morning hours today will lead to similar temperatures as yesterday in the low 70’s. Winds will be light today and mostly terrain-driven across the fire area. Dry conditions will persist with stronger winds from the southwest on Friday. 

Evacuations 

Level 1 evacuations in Grant County were dropped yesterday and the level 2 evacuations remain. Wheeler County evacuation remain the same.  

For Current Evacuation Levels all affected counties, please visit: https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire  

Closures: The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have implemented closures for the Rail Ridge Fire. For more details and closure maps, visit https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire