Lionshead Fire Closure Information Map October 8, 2020 

Lionshead Fire update for Thursday, Oct. 8

REDMOND, Ore. – Aviation support is helping cool and slow the progression of hotspots around Mt. Bruno and a spot fire on the finger to the north while firefighters carry on with the many details of repair and rehabilitation.

Before an incident management team embarks on the repair and rehabilitation phase of a fire, the agencies affected provide written standards for the level of work to be performed. While many standards are universal, others set guidelines for specific values.

For the Willamette and Mt. Hood National Forests, there are added standards for visual mitigation along the West Cascades Scenic Byway, including minimizing stump height, following natural contours where feasible, leaving 3 to 5 down trees per acre, leaving clumps of small diameter trees where they do not pose a hazard to the roadway. These same standards apply to the Olallie Lake viewshed on the MHNF.

Today, the structure group will be removing protective aluminized wrapping from Gold Butte Lookout.

Weather: Wednesday’s winds drew smoke from the California wildfires into the area, which could settle into the valleys today. A cold front moving in from Canada will lower temperatures into in the 50s and 60s, with higher humidity levels and 20 percent chance of precipitation. Winds could gust up to 23 mph.

Closures: Deschutes National Forest officials have reduced the Lionshead Fire Closure area, reopening some popular locations on the Sisters Ranger District. The public can now access to Round Lake, Jack Lake Trailhead and Jack Creek, as well as the southern portion of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness.

Due to continued fire activity, the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness remains closed north of Minto Lake, which includes entry from Bear Valley, Cabot Lake and Jefferson Lake Trailheads. Forest Service Road (FSR) 12 remains closed between the junction with FSR 1425 north to the junction with FSR 1290 as firefighters continue active fire suppression and suppression repair activities. FSR 1290 and 1292 also remain closed.

The southern half of Mt. Hood National Forest is closed, however, the forest has reopened a large area on the east side. Complete details can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mthood/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD811247

Hunters and others wanting to recreate should watch for fire traffic on highways and secondary roads, and also be aware the Sept. 7 wind event also left many downed trees and other hazards in areas not affected by the fire. Incoming wind and rain could cause stressed trees and branches to fall in the coming days.

Evacuations: Evacuation levels remain unchanged for the communities on the west side of the fire. More information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7049/

Revised closure allows increased access for hunting and recreation on Sisters Ranger District. See attached map and News Release below.

Lionshead Fire update for Wednesday, Oct. 7

REDMOND, Ore. – As additional portions of line are secured each day, more resources are focusing on removing hazard trees and slash, removing equipment from the fire line and conducting suppression repair work.

“Little things add up to big successes in terms of our tactical and strategic goals for the fire,” said John Spencer, operations chief trainee.

Planning is under way to escort residents of the Stahlman Cabins and Sportsman Club into the area to retrieve belongings. In other work, Resource Advisors (READs) coordinated with engineers to develop a plan that will allow loggers to retrieve equipment from three harvest plots located in the interior of the fire.

Tuesday, crews finished clearing hazard trees and fire debris from around Detroit’s water treatment site and the intake from Breitenbush Creek, making it safe for work to resume.

Two helicopters dropped 72,000 gallons of water on Mt. Bruno and in the fire finger to the north. READs from Mt. Hood National Forest conducted a survey of Bull trout – which are listed as a threatened species along Pinhead Creek.

As resources move around the fire to work in different areas, firefighters take care to prevent the transfer of non-native or potentially invasive species. For example, crews take care to clean their boots and pressure wash the undercarriages of equipment and vehicles to remove plants and seeds. Pumps, hoses and fish screens are also sanitized. Helicopter buckets are cleaned and sanitized before they begin dipping out of a new water source.

Weather: Winds are expected to pick up today and also change from a southeast-west trajectory to a southwest-west path. Temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s, then start tapering off to the low 50s by Saturday. Significant rain is expected west of the Cascade Crest, with typically lighter rainfall on the east side of the fire zone.

Closures: Most fire area closures remain in effect, but the vast majority of public lands managed by the USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management that were closed as a precautionary action during the period of high potential for fire starts and rapid growth have reopened.  

Hunters can visit https://myodfw.com/articles/2020-wildfires-impact-hunting-fishing-wildlife for information about hunt status, unit accessibility and more.

Weather: Winds are expected to pick up today and also change from a southeast-west trajectory to a southwest-west path. Temperatures will be in the 80s, then start tapering off to the low 50s by Saturday.

Evacuations: Evacuation levels remain unchanged for the communities on the west side of the fire. More information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7049/

SUMMER TRAIL ACCESS AND CONDITION UPDATE
SEPTEMBER 30 TO OCTOBER 14, 2020

Summer Trail Highlights

• SEVERAL TRAIL AND AREA CLOSURES are in effect due to wildfires. These include the Pacific Crest, Green

  Ridge and all of the trails within the Mt Jefferson Wilderness. See inside for more details.

• All Deschutes National Forest trails are snow free.

• Recent wind storms have brought down trees on many area trails. Visitors should anticipate them on the trail, as removal efforts will be limited. The reports below represent the best of our knowledge.

• Fire danger is EXTREME and there is a FULL CAMPFIRE BAN in effect. The only open flame that is allowed on the forest is from a gas stove for the purpose of preparing food.

• Day use fees are now required at most developed recreation sites. Follow posted instructions. Until further notice, no Wilderness permits are required.

• Motorized bicycles (E-Bikes) are not allowed on non-motorized trails
  

DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST SUMMER TRAIL CONDITIONS AS OF 9/30/20:

Conditions subject to change without notice and at whim of nature.

Bend/Fort Rock Ranger District

·         Phil’s Area Trails – All trails are dry and clear. Sandy conditions might exist. E-Bikes are NOT allowed on any non-motorized trails.

o   For more information on COTA, go to: http://cotamtb.com/

·         Tumalo Falls Area – Road to trailhead open for summer season. North Fork, Mrazek and Farewell have reported light downfall. Bridge Creek is clear. Swampy Lakes unknown, likely light downfall.

Stock, dogs, bikes and camping are all prohibited inside the Bend Municipal Watershed.

Due to very limited parking and high use, there is a 27’ vehicle length limit at Tumalo Falls TH. Even then, the parking area fills early and can often remain at overflow capacity on busy days. Please pay close attention to “NO PARKING” signs on one side of the entrance road. These sections of roadway must remain open to avoid traffic hazards and permit larger emergency vehicle access.

·         Deschutes River Trail – Snow free and clear from Meadow to Benham. Blowdowns reported upriver from Benham East. See the NEW ACCESSIBLE TRAIL near Dillon Falls, along the Ryan Ranch slough!

·         Sun Lava Paved Path between Sunriver, Benham East and Lava Lands (Trailhead access points at south end of Lava Lands parking lot, Benham East or Circle 7 in Sunriver). Snow free and clear. Heavy use on weekends.

·         Lava Lands Trails - Open for the season.

·         Tumalo Creek 2 Trail – Unknown. Possible blowdown. Hiker only.

·         Wanoga Area – All trails snow free. Possible light blowdown.

·         Swampy Lakes – Most trails snow free and clear, with some light blowdown.

·         Todd Lake – Snow free with light blowdown. To protect fragile meadow, please stay on system trail and walk single file.

·         Tumalo Mountain – Light downfall and snow free. To protect fragile meadow, please stay on system trail and walk single file.

·         Broken Top – Snow free and clear. To protect fragile meadow, please stay on system trail and walk single file.

          ·         Metolius Windigo - Todd Creek Horse Camp – Snow free. Possible light downfall. Moderate downfall heading south toward Lava Lake.

·         Ray Atkeson Trailhead and Sparks Lake – Snow free and clear.

·         Green Lakes/Soda Creek – On Green Lakes Trail, snow free and clear. For Soda Creek, snow free with 1 log down.

·         Devil’s Lake/South Sister – South Sister’s Climber Trail mostly snow free. Elk-Devil’s trail clear. Wickiup Plains trail clear.

·         Quinn Meadow Horse Camp area trails – Quinn Creek trail snow free and clear from campground to Devil’s Lake TH. Sink Creek trail is clear. Elk-Devils trail is clear from the junction with Sisters Mirror junction to the junction with Horse Lake Trail.

·         Moraine Lake – Snow free and clear. To protect fragile meadow, please stay on system trail and walk single file.

·         Mirror Lakes – Snow free with blowdown. Logout planned for 10/1.

·         Horse Lake – Snow free and cleared as far as PCT.

·         Elk Lake – Snow free with unknown blowdown. NEED NEW REPORT.

·         Six Lakes – Snow free with 1 tree down.

·         Lucky Lake/Senoj – Snow free and clear.

·         Corral Swamp – Unknown. Likely light to moderate blowdown.

·         Cultus Lk and Winopee – Snow free with light blowdown. Non-Wilderness section of Winopee Lake trail (going around Cultus Lake) clear. Going into Wilderness, trail clear as far as Muskrat Lake.

·         Unknown downfall beyond that point. Stock not recommended.

·         Many Lakes – Light blowdown on first mile going into Three Sisters Wilderness. Unknown conditions beyond.

·         Charlton/Lemish Lake – All trails in area now OPEN. Possible light downfall.

·         PCT – CLOSED on entire Deschutes National Forest.

·         Osprey Point – Snow free and clear.

·         Fall River Trail – Snow free and clear.

·         South/North Twin Lakes – Unknown.

·         Horse Butte to Swamp Wells area trails – Arnold Ice Cave trail reported as dry/sandy. Swamp Wells trail snow free and clear from SWHC to junction with Crater Rim Trail.

          ·         Newberry Caldera Trails – Trails on Caldera floor snow free and clear. Paulina Lake Loop and Little Crater are clear. Crater Rim snow free with light blowdown.

·         Peter Skene Ogden Trail – Snow free and clear.

·         Lava Cast Forest Trailhead – Snow free and clear.

·         Hoffman Island Trailhead – Snow free and clear.

Sisters Ranger District:

·         Black Butte Trail – Snow free and clear.

·         Green Ridge Trail – CLOSED due to Green Ridge Fire.

·         Metolius River Trails – Open and clear.

·         Suttle Lake Trail – Snow free and clear.

·         Lake Creek Trail – CLOSED due to Lionshead Fire.

·         Whychus Creek – Snow free. Trailhead (6 vehicle capacity) temporarily closed through late October for maintenance. Temporary alternate route is in place. Please, stay on the main designated trail and avoid using posted and closed social trails in restoration sections.

·         Whychus Overlook Trail (barrier free, closed to stock and bikes) –Trailhead and trail are in good condition. Please stay on designated trails.

·         Peterson Ridge Trails – Snow free and clear. Be sure to check out the NEW TRAILHEAD OFF FOREST ROAD 16!

·         Metolius Windigo – CLOSED from Forest Road 380, which is east of Sheep Springs HC, to Bear Valley TH due to Lionshead Fire. Open from FR 380 southward. Sheep Springs HC is closed.

·         Tam Rim/Three Creeks Area – Snow free. Moderate blowdown on East Fork and Park Meadow Tie Trails.

·         PCT – CLOSED throughout the entire Deschutes NF.

·         Scott Pass/Millican Crater – Both trails, plus Trout Creek Tie, are snow free and clear.

·         Black Crater – Snow free and clear.

·         Chush Falls – Snow free and clear.

·         Pole Creek/Green Lakes/Park Meadow/Camp Lake/DeMaris Lake – Pole Creek Trail cleared. Green Lakes cleared from junction with Scott Pass to South Fork of Whychus; heavy blowdown on Green Lakes from Sou

Resource Advisors (READs) worked with firefighters to wrap structures at Olallie Resort, Olallie Guard Station and Hawk Mountain Cabin, which all survived the fire. 

 
 

Lionshead Fire update for Tuesday, Oct. 6

REDMOND, Ore. –Interior burning to the northeast will continue to generate smoke for the next few days, but that burning is far less intense than the extreme fire behavior seen in early September.

“It’s staying on the ground, with the occasional tree torching, more or less like the activity you would see in prescribed burning activity,” Fire Behavior Analyst Dean Warner said, “But it will produce smoke, enough to drift off and obscure the sun in the late evening hours.”

Crews have completed rehabilitation work in the Stahlman Cabins and Sportsman Club area, and also winterization and repairs to the Olallie Lake recreational cabins. Work at the Sisi Butte Lookout is nearly finished.

Work clearing hazard trees from the Hwy. 46 right of way has progressed from Detroit almost to Breitenbush, and chipping the cleared material has begun. Other Forest Service Roads, like 2231, are still being cleared and assessed.

After a fire has moved through an area, roads used during suppression and repair are assessed in a variety of ways. The edges of roadbeds may have been damaged by engines and heavy equipment parking on the side of the road, which can continue to erode if not repaired.

Plastic culverts exposed to fire can melt or be crushed by heavy traffic, further destabilizing the roadbed. Burned slopes above a road are unstable, too, meaning rocks and logs could come tumbling down at any time.

Even after a season-ending event – enough precipitation to wet exposed fuels so thoroughly they are unlikely to burn fire can remain underground for weeks and even months. Much like banking a fire in a fireplace or woodstove, hot coals can continue smoldering deep within the stumps and root systems without emitting smoke for long periods of time.

 “There’s so much heat from [burning] stump holes deep in the ground, smoldering, it’s not unheard of for small fires to appear in late spring or summer from overwintering,” Fire Behavior Analyst Dean Warner said.

In addition to providing water support to the smokes around Mt. Bruno, aviation was able to coordinate infrastructure assessment flights for Consumer Power and Pacific Gas and Electric; a reconnaissance flight for Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response personnel; and aviation response by Beachie Creek Fire resources dropping water on the spot fire in the 2011 Motherlode Fire burn scar. Late in the day, water was also dropped on some actively burning islands in the northeastern corner of the fire.

Closures and evacuations: Forest area closures remain in place and may for some time. They are enacted to protect the public and firefighters, and consider factors such as ingress and egress in the event that the fire does escape its boundaries, and where the nearest contingency lines can be established. Closure orders and maps can be found individual agencies’ websites and at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7049/

Lionshead Fire update for Monday, Oct. 5 

REDMOND, Ore. – Fire officials and representatives of the Stahlman Cabins community are discussing plans for residents’ reentry and crews are working with Mt. Hood National Forest personnel to repair and winterize recreational cabins at Olallie Lake. 

Sunday, monitoring crews hiked out to assess fire activity within islands of unburned vegetation in the northeastern corner of the fire, reporting it is at least 3,000 feet within the black a fire term for previously burned ground. Areas of active burning are also being monitored in the “finger” to the north.  

Helicopters dropped water on several visible smokes to the southeast of Mt. Bruno, but had to stop when afternoon shadows made it too dark to fly safely. Smoke columns large and tall enough to see from a distance signify active burning. In inaccessible areas, water drops are used to cool the fire, slowing its progressing and reducing its intensity. That work will resume this morning. 

Aviation also provided a Burned Area Emergency Response reconnaissance flight and is coordinating with various power companies conducting infrastructure assessments. 

Suppression repair is ongoing across the fire footprint. One example is the installation of water bars on sloping fire lines and roads to help control erosion. Another is opening up the earthen berms created when bulldozers cut fire line and ensuring there are no live coals buried in them. Seeding equipment has been ordered to further stabilize soils on now-exposed ground. 

Other work includes removing thousands of tons of downed trees and slash – branches, brush and other woody debris – along roads and rights-of-way. Once cleared, grading and repairing or replacing damaged culverts is needed in many areas. Hundreds of pumps, tools and other equipment must be gathered and returned to camp and accounted for. Aluminized structure wrapping must be removed and miscellaneous garbage is collected and disposed of. 

Safety: Evacuees returning to their communities should remain alert, as many hazards remain. Soils may be unstable; ash can camouflage trip holes and trip hazards; hot embers may still be smoldering in stumps, roots and holes; and trees and branches weakened by fire can fall at any time.  

Weather: Temperatures will be in 60s and 70s today, climbing higher into the 70s through Wednesday. A front is expected to bring cooler temperatures, higher humidity and potentially significant precipitation next weekend. 

Evacuations and closures: Breitenbush Hot Springs remains at Level 3 – “Go!” Detroit, Idanha, Hwy. 22 east of Detroit Dam to milepost 56, and Opal Creek Wilderness/Jawbone Flats are at Level 2 – “Be Set.” Elkhorn, Gates east of Gates Hill Road, and Hwy. 22 from Gates Hill Road east to Detroit Dam are at Level 1 – “Ready.” Residents of Linn County can find up to date information at www.LinnSheriff.org. Closure orders and maps for the Mt. Hood, Willamette and Deschutes National Forests, and Prineville Bureau of Land Management scan be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7049/  

Lionshead Fire update for Sunday, Oct. 4

REDMOND, Ore. – Fire officials wish to remind the public that all roads within the Deschutes National Forest’s Lionshead Fire Area Emergency Closure remain closed to protect the public and ensure safe, unobstructed travel for firefighters as they work.

In recent days, firefighters have encountered numerous civilians within the closure area and even within the fire footprint. Unauthorized access puts motorists at risk of accidents or injuries from falling trees or fire burning across a roadway, in addition to accidents involving engines, equipment or other fire-related vehicles.

If a civilian is injured or a motorist is stranded, help may not be readily available, or slower in responding. While all firefighters have some level of first aid training, they may not come across the scene in a timely fashion, or be able to bring in an ambulance. This also takes firefighters away from their work fighting the fire and ensuring it does not escape containment lines.

The majority of encounters have been along Hwy. 46 between Detroit and Breitenbush Hot Springs, where numerous trees have fallen across the roadway and others are at risk of falling, and on Forest Roads 2231, 2233 and 4693, where the fire is also still active.

Outside the fire perimeter, but within the closure area, there are also risks, including the potential for vehicular accidents and the potential for fire to cross containment lines. Two good examples of this are a spot fire discovered outside the fire line near the finger to the north and another to the north of the P-515 Fire footprint. Firefighters must be able to respond to these developments without delay, and, in a worst-case scenario, motorists could find themselves trapped within an active fire.

Violators of a closure order may be ticketed and subject to a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment of not more than 6 months, or both. Complete closure orders and maps of closed areas on federal lands associated with the Lionshead Fire can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7049/

Weather: Today’s high is expected to be 70, Winds will be much stronger than in recent days, with gusts up to 23 mph.

Evacuations: Breitenbush Hot Springs remains at Level 3 – “Go!” Detroit, Idanha, Hwy. 22 east of Detroit Dam to milepost 56, and Opal Creek Wilderness/Jawbone Flats are at Level 2 – “Be Set.” Elkhorn, Gates east of Gates Hill Road, and Hwy. 22 from Gates Hill Road east to Detroit Dam are at Level 1 – “Ready.” Residents of Linn County can find up to date information at www.LinnSheriff.org. Closure orders and maps can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7049/

Other information: The section of the Pacific Crest Trail between Santiam Pass and Forest Road 60/Windigo Pass on the Deschutes National Forest is now open. A list of Willamette National Forest recreation areas within the fire zone that remain closed can be found at  https://go.usa.gov/xGpeV  

Resource Advisors (READs) represent a variety of specialties, including archaeology, wildlife, timber and natural resources. During suppression activities, archaeological READs work closely with firefighters to identify values at risk and strategies for protecting them from the fire itself and also suppression work. For example, a hand or dozer line might need to be rerouted in order to avoid damaging a cultural site. Aluminized structure wrap can be applied to historic cabins and other buildings – what firefighters call a “baked potato” – to prevent embers or sparks from setting them on fire. Depending on the intensity of the fire, it can also protect a structure through a burnover.

On the Lionshead Fire, READs worked with crews to wrap the Mt. Hood National Forest’s Olallie Meadows Cabin, which was built in 1910, and is now used as a recreation rental; and the original Bagby Guard Station cabin, which was built in 1913. Both structures are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Photos by Brittany Cardarella, READ