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Lionshead Evacuations Map for September 21 2020

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Publication Type: Announcement

Deschutes National Forest Reduces Lionshead Fire Closure Area

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Publication Type: Announcement

Deschutes National Forest Reduces Lionshead Fire Closure Area

Favorable weather and firefighting efforts lead to increased access to Metolius Basin

 

Sisters, Ore.- Favorable weather conditions and significant firefighting efforts on the Lionshead Fire prompted the Sisters Ranger District to decrease the Lionshead Fire Closure Area. See attached map and News Release below.

Lionshead Fire Virtual Community Meeting 6 pm Wednesday September 23 2020

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Publication Type: Announcement


We will be having a live-streamed Community Meeting for the Lionshead Fire Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 6 p.m.

Facebook link: facebook.com/LionsheadFire

Zoom Link: https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1606494587
Meeting ID: 160 649 4587


Daily Update for the Lionshead Fire Monday September 21

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Publication Type: News

Lionshead Fire Update – Monday, September 21, 2020

 

Firefighters Continue to Take Advantage of Cooler Weather


Current Situation: The weather continues to stabilize with moderate temperatures and slightly lower humidities. Patchy clouds and fog are expected over parts of the fire this morning. As light fuels dry out over the next couple of days, activity in fine fuels may increase. More smoke may be expected, particularly as green islands within the perimeter burn out.

Some Canadian crews and overhead arrived on the fire on Sunday. This international assistance comes at a time of unprecedented resource demands.

A Virtual Fire Information Public Meeting is being planned for Wednesday, September 23, 2020. More information will follow.


Firefighting Efforts by Division: (Refer to the map for division breakdown.)

Good progress was made Sunday on Division A, the northeastern portion of the fire. Crews worked directly on the fire’s edge towards Badger Butte, reassessing containment options and conducting a small burnout operation along an existing road system. Crews were able to build sections of line and plan for filling in gaps in the line moving forward. Green islands inside the fire perimeter in Division A will produce smoke as fuels are consumed.

The eastern fire edge in Divisions A and E is secure, but crews will continue to mop up and patrol for hotspots. Crews conducted direct line work to contain the fire spread to the north. Most of the east side of the fire on the Warm Springs Reservation is contained. Division E is in patrol and mop up status with chipping work beginning today along the road system. 
 

The east side of the fire in Divisions G, I, K, and N has been quiet for several days and continues to be secure. Firefighters will continue to monitor and patrol this area. 
 

On the southeast perimeter, working west from the Division N/R break (north of Jefferson Lake), the fireline has been secured west to the lava rock in Division R. No crews have been placed on the fire edge in this division or in the eastern portion of Division S due to safety concerns and low potential for fire spread. Fire managers are monitoring this area with aircraft. 
 

In Division S, within the wilderness, the fire has not moved in several days and currently does not pose a concern. On the west side of Division S, a combination of hand and dozer line is being constructed using a historic burn scar as an anchor point and tying into Highway 22. Line construction continues west into Division T as terrain allows. Efforts moving towards Division W become more difficult as terrain becomes steeper.


In Division T, the areas of Idanha and New Idanha and private lands to the south of the fire are looking good. In many places the fire has checked itself as it burns up against road systems. Structure protection efforts continue. Utility companies are starting to repair infrastructure in the Detroit area. One focus today will be continued work on a large spot fire near Stahlman Point and the Cove Creek Campground.


On the northwest flank of the fire in Division W, fire managers are developing suppression plans. There are currently no crews assigned to the division due to higher priorities elsewhere.


Continuing east to Division Y, in the finger of fire to the north, firefighters focused on containing a spot fire and an area where the fire crossed Highway 46.


In Division Z, an indirect line is being prepped and improved. The 46 Road remains closed due to the large amount of heavy equipment required for this effort. This road will remain closed until snag hazards are cleared and the road is deemed safe for public travel.


Two contingency groups are building indirect fireline. These lines will only be used in the event that fire activity increases, and firefighters are not able to engage the fire directly. The south contingency group is working along County Road 12 to County Road 20, creating fuel breaks along the road. Expect heavy equipment traffic in this area. The north contingency group is working in close coordination with Riverside Fire managers to identify opportunities to connect existing roads that both fires could use in the event these indirect lines are needed.


Thanks to improved visibility, firefighters were able fly sections of the fire, putting in over 14 hours of flight time on Sunday. Heavy helicopters did water bucket work. Additional helispots were identified. Critically needed radio repeaters were installed Sunday.


Weather and Fuels Conditions:  Mild conditions are expected to continue for the next couple of days with little change to temperatures, humidity, and winds. There will be an increasing chance of rain on Wednesday and Thursday.


Closures and Evacuations:
Evacuation Notices remain in place for the Lionshead Fire. Level 3 “Go!” evacuation notices were issued for the communities of Detroit, Idanha, and Breitenbush. There are no longer any evacuation notices for the Sid Walter/Miller flats area.

Roads and trails near the fires remain closed for public safety. This includes roads and trails on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Spring lands adjacent to the fire and a 40-mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail between Santiam Pass and Olallie Lake. Forest closures are in place for Deschutes, Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests: Deschutes NF Alerts   Willamette NF Alerts  Mt. Hood NF Alerts.


Temporary Flight Restrictions:
A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Lionshead Fire and surrounding fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit knowbeforeyoufly.org.

 
Reminder: Schools re-open on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Traffic safety is a priority. 


Lionshead Fire Statistics: 
Size: 199,022 acres 
Containment: 13% 
Total Personnel: 1,122
Location: 14 miles west of Warm Springs 
Reported: 8/16/20, approximately 8:44 p.m. 
Cause: Lightning 

For More Information:
Information Office: 971-277-5075, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Media Inquiries: 541-904-0542
Email: 2020.lionshead@firenet.gov
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7049/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LionsheadFire

Lionshead YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHSR6_yJRQkHyGjvvqX99gw


Do Not Fly Drones In the Fire Area RIVERSIDE FIRE

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Publication Type: Announcement

Sharing for the RIVERSIDE FIRE: Temporary Flight Restriction In Effect; Do Not Fly Drones In the Fire Area 

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in effect. Yesterday a drone was spotted within restricted airspace over the fire. Suppression operations were not affected at the time, but fire managers have grave concerns, as drones are not able to communicate with firefighting aircraft and a mid-air collision could be deadly. Learn more at nifc.gov/drones

 

Air Quality Report and Smoke Summary for Monday September 21

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Publication Type: News


 

We should see a little more smoke in the communities adjacent to the Lionshead fire today as compared to the weekend. A light inversion and generally stable conditions will enable pooling smoke which will be slow to dissipate. Another weather system is on its way. It will bring with it wetting rains and wind beginning Wednesday and continue through the end of the week.

Direct line construction and Indirect Attack

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Publication Type: News

Evacuation Level Update for Camp Sherman Area

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Publication Type: Announcement

Jefferson County Oregon Sheriff Announced September 19, 2000 at 11:59 a.m. - Due to favorable weather conditions and increased fire suppression of Lionshead Fire in the area near Camp Sherman in Jefferson County, the Level 1 and 2 evacuation notices are being removed, with the exception of the structures along the USFS 1499 to Monty Campground that will remain in a level 1. Be advised that there are still USFS Area Closures in place for safety reasons. 

Lionshead Youtube Channel has been created

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Publication Type: Announcement

Lionshead Fire - YouTube:  A Youtube Channel has been created for all the videos. All the past Ops video updates are currently posted there and available, up to today.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHSR6_yJRQkHyGjvvqX99gw
 

Daily Update for the Lionshead Fire Sunday September 20

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Publication Type: News

Lionshead Fire Update – Sunday, September 20, 2020

 

Air Operations Active with Favorable Weather Conditions


Current Situation: Fire growth should be minimal today with current weather and fire behavior forecasts. Fire behavior will likely increase with the warmer and drier weather in the coming days.

Resources from the National Guard will be arriving on the fire in the next few days. These troops, along with additional crews arriving, will allow for more work on the fire to be achieved.


Firefighting Efforts by Division: (Refer to the map for division breakdown.)

On the northeast portion of the fire, in Division A, steep, rugged terrain and snags are present in the Badger Butte area. Crews were able to stitch together line and plan for filling in gaps in the line moving forward. The eastern fire perimeter in Divisions A and E is secure, but crews will continue to mop up and patrol for hotspots to achieve full containment. Good progress was made yesterday on direct line work to contain the fire spread to the north. The east side of the fire on the Warm Springs Reservation is approaching containment.

The east side of the fire in Divisions G, I, K, and N has been contained for several days. Firefighters will continue to monitor and patrol this area. Firefighting equipment, such as hoses, pumps, and portable tanks, that is no longer needed will be removed from this portion of the fire and relocated to other areas where there is a need.


On the southeast perimeter, working west from the Division N/R break (north of Jefferson Lake), the fireline has been secured west to the lava rock in Division R. To provide for firefighter safety, no crews have been placed on the active fire edge in the rest of this division or in eastern portion of Division S, east of the wilderness boundary, due to terrain and related safety concerns. Some rain on the area helped contain any spread on Saturday. Fire managers are monitoring this area with aircraft and drones with IR capability as aviation conditions improve. Air support will monitor any fire spread.


In Division S, within the wilderness, the fire has not moved in several days and is not currently posing a concern. This area is being monitored. On the west side of Division S, a combination of hand and dozer line is being constructed using the Whitewater Fire burn scar as an anchor point and tying into Highway 22. Line construction will continue west into Division T as terrain allows.


In Division T, the primary focus will be in the areas of Idanha, New Idanha, Detroit, South Detroit, and private lands to the south of the fire. Structure protection will continue in these areas. This portion of the fire received the most precipitation on Friday. The road system held the fire in this area, and this helped with further containment in the New Idanha and Idanha areas. Dozer line has been completed around the spot fire near Beard Saddle. The focus today will be containing a large spot fire near Stallman Point and the Cove Creek Campground.


On the northwest flank of the fire in Division W, fire managers are developing suppression plans for this portion of the fire. Continuing east to Division Y, in the finger of fire to the north, firefighters are focused on containing the spot fire and portion of the fire that crossed Highway 46. In Division Z, the immediate priority is containing a 600-acre spot fire that is near the Division Z/A break. Snags and difficult terrain have made this work difficult.


Two contingency groups are in place looking at options for indirect fireline. These lines will be used in the event that fire activity increases, and firefighters are not able to engage the fire directly. The south contingency group is working along County Road 12 creating fuel breaks along the road. This indirect line will be used to protect values to the east in the event fire activity increases in this area as fuels dry out. The north contingency group is working in close coordination with Riverside Fire management to identify opportunities to connect existing roads that both fires could use in the event these indirect lines are needed.

Thanks to the improved visibility, firefighters were able fly sections of the fire for the first time in several days. Having favorable weather has been extremely helpful in this regard. Helicopters were able to accomplish water bucket work and helispots for future work were identified. Due to local clouds and smoke, crews were not able to install the critically needed radio repeater scheduled for placement on the north side of the fire.


Weather and Fuels Conditions: 
Very mild conditions will continue for the next couple of days. Good minimum humidity during the day will limit fire spread in fine fuels. Friday's showers and thunderstorms that brought rainfall amounts around 0.3 inch to 0.5 inch west of the Cascade crest (approximately one inch fell near Detroit Lake) and 0.1 inch to 0.2 inch east of the crest. The rain helped to clear out the smoke that has blanketed the region for several days. Westerly winds allowed marine clouds to move inland toward the Cascade Range. Nevertheless, the air quality conditions greatly improved. No fire weather concerns are anticipated on Sunday. It will be warmer with lower humidity and little change in the winds. Highs on Sunday will be in the mid-60s to lower 70s, the relative humidity will range from 35 to 45%, and the winds will be west- southwest around 5-10 mph gusting to 15 mph.



Closures and Evacuations:
Evacuation Notices remain in place for the Lionshead Fire. Level 3 “Go!” evacuation notices were issued for the communities of Detroit, Idanha, and Breitenbush. There are no longer any evacuation notices for the Sid Walter/Miller flats area.


Roads and trails near the fires remain closed for public safety. This includes roads and trails on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Spring lands adjacent to the fire and a 40-mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail between Santiam Pass and Olallie Lake. Forest closures are in place for Deschutes, Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests: Deschutes NF Alerts   Willamette NF Alerts  Mt. Hood NF Alerts.



Temporary Flight Restrictions:
A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Lionshead Fire and surrounding fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit knowbeforeyoufly.org.


Lionshead Fire Statistics: 
Size: 198,763 acres 
Containment: 10% 
Total Personnel: 1,077 
Location: 14 miles west of Warm Springs 
Reported: 8/16/20, approximately 8:44 p.m. 
Cause: Lightning 

 

For More Information:
Information Office: 971-277-5075, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Media Inquiries: 541-904-0542
Email: 2020.lionshead@firenet.gov
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7049/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LionsheadFire

Lionshead YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHSR6_yJRQkHyGjvvqX99gw


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