• Pacific Crest Trail from OR Highway 138 (south end; PCT mile 1848) to OR Highway 58 (north end; PCT mile 1908)
• The east half of Diamond Peak Wilderness (only the Deschutes portion of Diamond Peak; the Willamette portion remains open)
• Timpanogas Lake Campground
• Forest Service Road (FSR) 2610 from Lemolo Dam to Calapooya Mt
• Forest Service Road (FSR) 60 from the junction with FSR 6020 in Deschutes National Forest to FSR 2612 in the Umpqua National Forest
• White Fish Horse Camp on the Deschutes
• Kelsey Horse Camp on the Umpqua 
• Toketee Air Strip 
• Temporary Flight Restriction over the two fires

 Windigo and Potter Fires Update – August 03, 2022

Fire Information Phone Line: 425-324-1267 (8am - 7pm)

Email: 2022.Windigo@firenet.gov

Potter Fire InciWeb (Incident Website): https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8291/

Windigo Fire InciWeb (Incident Website): https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8292/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Windigo-Fire-and-Potter-Fire-Information-109233838550715

Yesterday, crews and dozers continued to build line around the Windigo and Potter Fires. Road systems are being cleared to be utilized as defensible containment lines. Air and ground resources also worked on initial attack addressing new fire starts in response to Monday night’s lightning storm. One start was located near Little Dome Rock northwest of the Potter Fire.

Today, with the arrival of more equipment and staff, crews will continue to prepare primary and alternative fire lines. On the Windigo Fire, dozer line creation will continue at the base of the butte. Handline will be cut on the steeper slopes. On the Potter Fire, crews will continue to prepare Road 2154 and scout for closer, more direct access. Initial attack will continue in both areas with the support of one Type 1 helicopter and one Type 3 helicopter arriving in the afternoon.

Fire behavior is expected to be moderate with high temperatures in the mid-80s for both fires. Southwest wind will reach 20-25 mph on ridge tops creating spotting distances of up to ¼ - ½ mile. Smoke will be visible from both fires.

Windigo Fire
Acreage: Approx. 978 acres         
Containment: 0%
Location: 20 miles southwest of La Pine, OR
Cause: Under Investigation

Potter Fire
Acreage: Approx. 97 acres           
Containment: 0%
Location: 8 miles northeast of Toketee area 
Cause: Lightning

Area closures and restrictions include:

●      Pacific Crest Trail from OR Highway 58 (north end) to OR Highway 138 (south end);

●      Kelsey Horse Camp in the Umpqua National Forest;

●      Forest Service Road 60 from the junction with Forest Service Road 6020 in Deschutes National Forest to Forest Service Road 2612 in the Umpqua National Forest;

 Windigo and Potter Fires Update – August 02, 2022

Fire Information Phone Line: 425-324-1267 (8am - 7pm)

Email: 2022.Windigo@firenet.gov

Potter Fire InciWeb (Incident Website): https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8291/

Windigo Fire InciWeb (Incident Website): https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8292/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Windigo-Fire-and-Potter-Fire-Information-109233838550715

The Windigo and Potter fires began between July 30 and July 31. The fires are burning on lands managed by the USDA Forest Service, on the Umpqua National Forest and the Willamette National Forest, and adjacent to the Deschutes National Forest.

These three forests have delegated responsibility for fighting these fires to Northwest Incident Management Team 6, a Type 2 team led by Incident Commander Shawn Sheldon. The Team assumed responsibility Tuesday morning, August 2, 2022, at 6:00am.

The fires are burning primarily in a mix of timber with heavy dead and down trees. There was significant lightning activity in the area over the weekend, and combined with the triple digit heat, the occurrence of fire was not unexpected. The fires are being fought under the strategy of full suppression. Shawn Sheldon shared with firefighters that the team’s goal “is to keep the fires as small as possible” and to continue the work of the initial attack crews.

●      Windigo Fire: approximately 1,200 acres and is located 20 miles southwest of La Pine, OR. The fire is currently at 0% containment with active fire behavior; firefighters are progressing toward the objective of full containment. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

●      Potter Fire: approximately 85 acres (reduction in acreage due to more accurate mapping) and is located eight miles northeast of the Toketee area. The fire is currently at 0% containment with moderate fire behavior; firefighters are progressing toward the objective of full containment; it is a lightning caused fire.

Area closures and restrictions include:

●      Pacific Crest Trail from OR Highway 58 (north end) to OR Highway 138 (south end);

●      Kelsey Horse Camp in the Umpqua National Forest;

●      Forest Service Road 60 from the junction with Forest Service Road 6020 in Deschutes National Forest to Forest Service Road 2612 in the Umpqua National Forest;

●      Temporary Flight Restriction over the two fires.

Please do your part to prevent new fires. Be very careful with off-highway vehicle travel or any other potential source of ignition. 

#####

Windigo-Potter-Big Swamp Fires Update – August 14, 2022
 

Fire Information Phone: 206-473-8645 (8am - 7pm)  |  Email: 2022.Windigo@firenet.gov

Potter Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8291/

Windigo Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8292/

Big Swamp InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8323/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Windigo-Fire-and-Potter-Fire-Information-109233838550715

Firefighters took advantage of the extended period of gentler weather on Saturday to improve lines on all fires. On the Windigo Fire, containment grew to 60% as crews extended 100-foot mop operations on the perimeter. Crews will continue to work direct today, utilizing dry mop up operations to secure fire lines in the Windigo Butte area. Crews use dry mop up methods – mixing dirt into the ashes, when water isn’t available to cool down the burned edge of the fire.

Yesterday, the Lake View Hotshots successfully completed a backburn on the southwest edge of the Potter fire. Today, firefighters will conduct strategic firing operations using the Unmanned Aircraft System (drone), aiming to control fire growth on the west flank of the fire. Crews will continue mop up operations to secure the perimeter of the fire.

The Big Swamp Fire is currently at 121 acres. Crews will continue to reinforce lines along the south east flank and use direct fire operations where possible, aiming to reinforce lines on the east and southern areas.

Resources on the fires include 888 total personnel comprised of 26 handcrews, 22 engines, 11 dozers, 11 water tenders, eight Type 1 Helicopters, one Type 3 Helicopter and two fixed-wing scoopers.

High temperatures will be in the 80-85 degrees range today. Morning winds will be from northwest over the Potter and Big Swamp Fires and from the east on the Windigo Fire, with a shift at mid-day from the northwest on the Windigo fire, with speeds between 4-8 mph and gusts of up to 15 mph. Fire spotting distances may be up to .3 miles with a 40-80% chance of ignition. Visit AirNow.gov for smoke information.

Windigo Fire
Acreage: Approx. 1,007 acres
Containment: 60%
Location: 20 mi SW of La Pine
Cause: Lightning

Potter Fire
Acreage: Approx. 425 acres       
Containment: 0%
Location: 8 mi NE of Toketee Lake 
Cause: Lightning

Big Swamp
Acreage: Approx. 121 acres       
Containment: 0%
Location: 6.5 mi N of Lemolo Lake
Cause: Lightning

Closures: For firefighter and public safety follow the Big Swamp, Windigo, and Potter Fires.

·       Additional Potter Fire Road Closure: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices

·       Pacific Crest Trail – visit https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures/oregon/ for more information.

Smoke Outlook 8/14-8/15/2022
Current Smoke Outlook for Central Oregon (airfire.org) 
 
Fire
The Windigo Fire is 1007 acres with 60% containment. The Potter Fire grew by 64 acres and is now 435 acres with 0% containment. The Big Swamp Fire is at 121 acres with 0% containment. No change in fire behavior is expected today. For additional information, see Windigo Fire, Potter Fire, and Big Swamp Fire.

Smoke
Smoke concerns will mainly be limited to the valleys closest to the fires of Potter and Cedar Creek. Cedar Creek will be the primary producer of the smoke and the impacts will be felt in Oakridge this morning and again tonight as a weak easterly nighttime flow helps to transport the smoke down stream through the Salmon and Salt Creek drainages. The common afternoon wind shift to northwest will drift the Cedar Creek smoke into Waldo Lake and Odell Lake each afternoon and then down the Highway 58 corridor into Crescent Lake area by evening and will remain entrenched through the night into the morning. The California smoke will overall remain east of the area today but a more southerly flow could bring some minor smoke impacts to visibility and air quality tomorrow. 

 Windigo-Potter-Big Swamp-Shelter Fires Update – August 13, 2022

Fire Information Phone: 206-473-8645 (8am - 7pm)  |  Email: 2022.Windigo@firenet.gov

Potter Fire (& Shelter) InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8291/

Windigo Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8292/

Big Swamp InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8323/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Windigo-Fire-and-Potter-Fire-Information-109233838550715

Weather conditions continued the pattern that has produced cooler temperatures and calmer winds on Friday, which allowed firefighters to improve lines on all fires. On the Windigo Fire, crews worked to achieve 100-foot mop operations on the perimeter of the fire, maintaining containment at 40%. The focus for today’s operations will be to secure fire lines with mop up operations in the Windigo Butte area.

Firefighters will continue to perform strategic firing operations on the Potter Fire today, aiming to control fire growth, allowing firefighters to further strengthen fire lines. Mop up operations will continue around the perimeter, looking to reach 100-foot depths as feasible.

The Big Swamp Fire is currently at 120 acres. Crews will continue to reinforce lines along the south and east flanks of the fire and use direct fire operations where possible, aiming to reinforce lines on the east and southern flanks of the fire.

Resources on the fires include 901 total personnel comprised of 27 handcrews, 23 engines, 11 dozers, 12 water tenders, eight Type 1 Helicopters, two Type 3 Helicopters and two fixed-wing scoopers.

Temperatures will be in the 78-84 degrees range today. Varying winds, from the northwest and west, will flow across the fire area with speeds between 4-8 mph and gusts of up to 15 mph on ridge tops today. Fire spotting distances may be up to .3 miles with a 50-75% chance of ignition on the dry fuels. Visit AirNow.gov for smoke information.

Windigo Fire
Acreage: Approx. 1,007 acres
Containment: 40%
Location: 20 mi SW of La Pine, OR
Cause: Lightning

Potter Fire
Acreage: Approx. 371 acres       
Containment: 0%
Location: 8 mi NE of Toketee Lake 
Cause: Lightning

Big Swamp
Acreage: Approx. 120 acres       
Containment: 0%
Location: 6.5 mi N of Lemolo Lake
Cause: Lightning

Closures: For firefighter and public safety follow the Big Swamp, Windigo, and Potter Fires.

·       Additional Potter Fire Road Closure: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices

·       Pacific Crest Trail – visit https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures/oregon/ for more information.

Smoke Outlook 8/13-8/14/2022
Current Smoke Outlook for Central Oregon (airfire.org) 

Fire
The Windigo Fire is 1007 acres with 40% containment. The Potter Fire grew by 26 acres and is now 371 acres with 0% containment. The Big Swamp Fire remains at 119 acres with 0% containment. No change in fire behavior is expected today. For additional information, see Windigo Fire, Potter Fire, and Big Swamp Fire.
 
Smoke
Smoke production was a little less yesterday and it dispersed more readily. However, the Cedar Creek is generating some smoke already this morning, but for the most part should drift NW this morning and then back east to southeast into the Deschutes River basin late this afternoon and evening. If smoke production is similar to yesterday then air quality (AQ) should only just barely reach Moderate levels for a few hours in the Deschutes River basin. The California smoke has been shunted eastward away from the southern portion of the Outlook area due to a more southwesterly flow aloft. Improved air quality with less hazy condition are expected across Diamond Lake and Crater Lake today and Sunday.

Windigo-Potter-Big Swamp-Shelter Fires Update – August 12, 2022

Fire Information Phone: 206-473-8645 (8am - 7pm)  |  Email: 2022.Windigo@firenet.gov

Potter Fire (& Shelter) InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8291/

Windigo Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8292/

Big Swamp InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8323/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Windigo-Fire-and-Potter-Fire-Information-109233838550715

For firefighter and public safety, a closure order has been established around the Big Swamp Fire perimeter. For Big Swamp, Windigo, and Potter fire closure orders and maps visit http://go.usa.gov/xSGhh.

The trend of calmer winds and cooler temperatures continued through the day on Thursday, allowing firefighters to improve lines on all fires. On the Windigo Fire, firefighters worked to increase mop up depth 100 feet from the containment line.

Strategic firing operations will continue today on the Potter Fire as favorable conditions arise on the eastern and northern flanks of the fire, with the intent of preventing fire growth to either the west or south of the fire. Mop up operations will continue around the perimeter.

The Big Swamp Fire is at 121 acres following yesterday’s operations. Aviation resources supported crews as they worked to secure the fire line. Today’s operations will see firefighters continuing to find opportunities to go direct on portions of the fire, to prevent any eastward spread of the fire, while securing lines and conducting mop up operations.

Resources on the fires include 963 total personnel comprised of 29 handcrews, 26 engines, 16 dozers, 16 water tenders, nine Type 1 Helicopters, two Type 3 Helicopters and two fixed-wing scoopers.

Temperatures will be in the 78-to-84 degrees range today. Westerly winds will flow across the fire area with speeds between 6-8 mph and gusts of up to 15 mph on ridge tops this morning, with a shift in the afternoon to flows from the northwest. Fire spotting distances may be up to .3 miles with a 50-75% chance of ignition on the dry fuels. Visit AirNow.gov for smoke information.

Windigo Fire
Acreage: Approx. 1,007 acres
Containment: 40%
Location: 20 mi SW of La Pine
Cause: Lightning

Potter Fire
Acreage: Approx. 345 acres       
Containment: 0%
Location: 8 mi NE of Toketee Lake 
Cause: Lightning

Big Swamp
Acreage: Approx. 121 acres       
Containment: 0%
Location: 6.5 mi N of Lemolo Lake
Cause: Lightning

Closures: For firefighter and public safety follow the Big Swamp, Windigo, and Potter Fires.

·       Pacific Crest Trail – visit https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures/oregon/ for more information.

 Big Swamp Fire Closure Order http://go.usa.gov/xSGhh

Smoke Outlook 8/12-8/13/2022

Fire The Windigo Fire has been remapped at 1007 acres with 40% containment. The Potter Fire grew by 29 acres and is now at 345 acres with 0% containment. The Big Swamp Fire grew by 2 acres and is now 121 acres with 0% containment. An uptick in fire behavior is expected today. For additional information, see Windigo Fire, Potter Fire, and Big Swamp Fire.
Smoke An increase in smoke production occurred yesterday and another uptick in smoke production is expected today. Smoke from Cedar Creek fire hung close to the ground yesterday so when the diurnal wind shift to west northwest occurred late afternoon, this smoke spread over the Crest and eastward into the Deschutes valley from last evening through the overnight hours. This pattern lead to a couple of sites registering Moderate AQ for the 24 hr period with several more sites already in Moderate AQ this morning. A similar pattern is forecast today with perhaps a slight improvement for Saturday. The California smoke was less of a player this morning, but still made its presence known with a few hours of Moderate AQ observed at Crater Lake and Diamond Lake. These areas should have slightly better AQ today, although Diamond Lake could be impacted by additional smoke from the Potter Fire.