Lookout Fire                                                                       

August 23, 2023

Morning Update

Size: 13,207 acres                           

Start Date: August 5, 2023

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 6%

Point of origin: 3 miles North of McKenzie Bridge, OR

Total personnel:   1,213

Resources: 72 engines l 23 crews l 14 bulldozers l 31 water tenders l 11 masticators l 6 helicopters

OSFM Resources: 5 task forces assigned to structure protection divisions
 

A community meeting will be held tonight, Wednesday, from 5:30-6:30 pm at McKenzie River High School. The meeting will be broadcast on the Lookout Fire Facebook page at 8 pm.

Current Situation:  Fire behavior was moderate at the Lookout Fire on Tuesday, with the exception of several spot fires across Deer Creek Road on the fire’s northeast flank. Hand crews and engine crews are making good progress containing the spot fires, assisted by water dropping helicopters.

Gusty winds out of the west cleared out dense smoke lingering over the area yesterday, giving way to clear skies and improved visibility for air operations. A warming trend will begin today, with critical fire weather and a chance of thunderstorms forecast for Thursday.

In the higher elevations along the northwest flank, yesterday’s cooler temperatures and higher humidity inhibited burning operations intended to secure road 2633 (Mill Creek Road). Firing operations will progress in this area today, and along the fire’s southeast flank, in more favorable burning conditions. Above the fire’s northern flank, crews with heavy equipment including bulldozers and masticators are clearing hazard trees and vegetation along roads, preparing for burning operations to prevent the fire’s spread to the north. On the fire’s southern flank, firefighters are progressing with mop-up along the 700 Road, working to the east.

Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) resources are demobilizing this morning and returning to their home agencies. Structural task forces from Clatsop, Tillamook, Lane, Clackamas, Deschutes, Yamhill, and Marion Counties, as well as from California Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES) responded to this incident. OSFM Task Forces assessed 1023 structures and prepped 560 more for protection while assigned to the Lookout Fire.

The rapid management of this fire would not have been possible without the quick actions of local resources, the support of the community, and the hard work of our response partners. Wildland resources will remain in place, and will continue to provide structural protection, should it become necessary. The local agencies will continue to provide protection to the impacted communities and OSFM resources remain available to return to the area should the need arise. 

Evacuation Centers: An evacuation center is moving Westridge Middle School for evacuees and small pets from the Bedrock and Lookout Fires. A large animal shelter is set up at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene. 

Evacuations: In Lane County, there is a Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation notice for North Bank Rd., all areas north of Highway 126 between North Bank Rd. and Drury Ln., Mona Campground, Lookout Campground, H.J. Andrews Headquarters and the area west of Highway 126 from Scott Rd. north into Linn County.

There is a Level 2 (Be Set) for areas north of Hwy. 126 west of the .5 mile mark on Mill Creek Rd. to Blue River Reservoir Rd. at the 1501 junction, the areas north of Hwy. 126 east of the .5 mile mark on Mill Creek Rd. to the east end of Taylor Rd, the area south of Hwy 126 to the McKenzie River from the east end of McKenzie River Dr. to the McKenzie River Bridge just east of Taylor Rd, Highway 126 from the Highway 242 junction to Scott Rd, Paradise Campground, FS Rd. 302, Belknap Springs Rd, the area east of Highway 126 from Scott Rd. north into Linn County.

There is a Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation notice for areas south of Hwy. 126 from Blue River Reservoir Rd. east to the east end of McKenzie River Dr, McKenzie River Dr. and areas directly to the south and east, The area south of Hwy 126 from the McKenzie River Bridge just east of Taylor Rd. to Scott Creek Rd, Belknap Springs Rd. S, Hwy 242 to FS Rd. 220, Yale Ln, Camp Yale Rd, FS Rd. 2643 southeast to the 445 spur.

For Lane County evacuation updates visit: https://www.lanecountyor.gov/cms/one.aspx?pageId=19729054    

In Linn County, there is a Level 3 (Go Now) for Olallie Campground, Trail Bridge Reservoir & Campground, and the trail systems and roadways north of the Linn County line, and west of Highway 126, extending north to intersection of National Forest Service Road 730 and Highway 126.  

A Level 2 (Be Ready) for the area from the east side of Olallie Campground east to the Willamette National Forest Boundary, north along boundary to Ice Cap Campground and Trailhead, then west to encompass Lakes End Campground and trail system, and south in line with the intersection of National Forest Service Road 730 and Highway 126 (entrance to the Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric facility). Tamolitch Falls/Blue Pool and Smith Reservoir are within this Level 2 (be set) evacuation zone.                                                                                         

Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation zone for areas north of Ice Cap Campground, extending east to the Willamette National Forest boundary, and north in line with Highway 20. This includes all areas around Clear Lake, and Clear Lake Campground. For current information please see Linn County’s website at: https://www.linnsheriff.org/2023/08/lookout-fire-update-august-17-2023-330-p-m/  

Closures: Highway 242, McKenzie Highway, is closed between milepost 61-76, 14 miles west of Sisters, Oregon to just east of the junction with Highway 126. Highway 126 is currently open. Please monitor Trip Check for any updates at: https://tripcheck.com/   

Willamette National Forest closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd552029Restrictions: Fire Restrictions are in place on the Willamette National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/willamette 

Smoke Outlook: Available at:  https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/4c92bc1a? 

Information Line: 541-215-6735 8am-8pm |  Email: 2023.lookout@firenet.gov                                              

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LookoutFire2023 

Little Mesa Fire Update

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Location: Approx. 15 miles west, southwest of Delta, CO, Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area      

Discovered: July 31, 2023, 11:00 AM

Cause: Lightning

Estimated Size: 3,943 acres 

Vegetation Type: Pinyon, Juniper, sagebrush, grass 

Containment: 40%

Total Personnel:  35

Current Situation: Thanks to the hard work done by firefighters, the containment of Little Mesa Fire is now 40%. Like much of the region, the fire area was mostly cloudy yesterday, with some gusty winds and light rain. The southern area of the fire received about 1/10th inch of rain while the northern end was left without any measurable precipitation. Firefighters began extending the black (burned area) to tie in the previous day’s hand ignitions to Black Point Road but only progressed about 400 yards before they were interrupted by rain and high humidity. The rest of the day was spent continuing to mop up and cold-trail the fire edge, a tedious but necessary step in gaining containment on any fire.

Today, firefighters plan to make another attempt to tie in the black they created during the firing operation on Monday into the Black Point Road to the south.

Weather: Mostly sunny skies are expected until about noon today, with a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon into the evening. Highs are forecast to be in the upper 70’s in the fire area. Southwest winds 15-20 mph are expected this morning, with a shift to lighter southerly winds this afternoon.

Monsoonal moisture in the region will get an extra boost from former Tropical Storm Harold as it gets pulled into the southerly flow. This moisture will bring widespread showers and thunderstorms beginning this evening and lasting through the end of the week. These storms will be capable of producing heavy rain, gusty winds, and frequent lighting. Chances of wetting rain will be increased Thursday, Friday, and into Saturday. 

Evacuations and Closures: No evacuations have been issued. Temporary road closures are in place in Delta County on Dry Mesa Road at the intersection with Escalante Rim Road and on USFS Dry Mesa Road at Sawmill Mesa Road junction. The GMUG National Forests issued a forest closure order for the area around the Little Mesa Fire. Public access to the closure area is limited. Visit https://bit.ly/3YwXNz0 for more information.

Smoke:  Smoke is visible from surrounding areas and highways 50, 550, 92, 65, 141 and C37 Road. Go to fire.airnow.gov or colorado.gov/airquality/ to get updates on smoke conditions.

Aviation Safety:  Incident aircraft may be flying over the Little Mesa Fire air space. Fire aviation resources are flying at different altitudes and speeds. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones must never fly near wildfires. Remember if you fly, we can’t!

Facebook: @LittleMesaFire

Twitter: @SWD_Fire

Size:    11,021 acres                                  Start Date:  18 August 2023, 1600hrs

Point of origin: Under Investigation

Containment: 0%

Cause: Under Investigation

Total personnel: 876

Resources: 43 engines l 32 crews l 9 bulldozers l 38 water tenders l 6 helicopters
 

Current Situation: The strategy continues to be full suppression with direct attack efforts where possible and 24-hour staffing. Activities in the previous 24 hours included structure protection, mop-up efforts, line construction and direct suppression utilizing engines, hand crews, and bulldozers. Airplanes and helicopters were unable to fly yesterday due to weather. Firefighters were able to take advantage of rain and made good progress in multiple areas of the fire.

Today’s activities: Priorities for the next few days remain structure protection, mop-up activities around structures and to minimize acres burned through fire line construction. Engines, hand crews and bull dozers will be active on all segments of the fire perimeter engaging in fire line construction and fortification. Activities across the southern flank of the fire will be connecting existing dozer line and establishing new line where needed. On the eastern flank of the fire crews will be scouting and linking established fire lines, mopping up and taking opportunities for direct attack suppression. Efforts on the northern and western flanks of the fire will be mopping up and line strengthening established line. The dedicated structure group will continue to provide structure protection, complete damage assessments, and gather data. Air assets will remain available to support ground efforts today.

Evacuations: Level 3 Evacuations (Go – Leave Immediately) are still in effect for areas east and southeast of Elk. See the attached map. For updated evacuation maps of Spokane County are available here www.facebook.com/GEGEmergencyMgt and for evacuation maps of Pend Oreille County are here www.facebook.com/pocsheriff. The situation can change rapidly due to weather and other factors, please check these two sources of information regularly for the most up to date information. The evacuation center is currently located at Riverside High School 4120 E. Deer Park Milan Rd, Chattaroy, WA 99003.

Weather: Yesterday’s half inch of rain across the area decreased fire activity throughout the day. Today will be the start of a warming and drying trend with forecasted clear skies and temperatures expected to be in the mid-70s, relative humidity dropping to 30%-40%, and wind gusts of 25mph out of the southwest.

Smoke Outlook: Washington State Department of Ecology has up to date air quality information at: enviwa.ecology.wa.gov/home/map.

Current Situation:

3-9 Fire: 1,430 acres with 0% containment

Pilot Fire: 913 acres with 26% containment and air support 

Pelllitreau Fire: 3 acres with 100% containment

Sulphur Fire: 31 acres with 20% containment

20% overall containment for the Complex

People and Equipment: 548 personnel, crews, engines, dozers, water tenders

3-9 Fire: Firefighters continue to improve the dozer line down to Pilot Creek on the southwestern perimeter and put in handline along Pilot Creek going north. Firefighters were able to go direct on the northwest side along the Route 1 road. They are also able to go direct along the ridgeline to Bennett Peak and were able to get a dozer in on the north side. The strategy is to build an indirect line using an existing road on the east side as going direct is not feasible in this steep snag-ridden area.

Pilot Fire: In general, good progress is being made on the containment lines of this fire. Hand-line has been completed along the east side along Grouse Creek. Dozer line is in along the southern, western and northern perimeter of this fire. Firefighters are working on a contingency dozer line east of the fire in case the fire moves beyond the handline. A satellite camp has been established for the Pilot firefighters to reduce their travel time to the fire.

There are no real issues with the Pellitreau and Sulfur fires; they are both currently in patrol status. The increase in acreage on the Pellitreau fire is due to better mapping data.

Falling snags have already injured several firefighters this season in California. Falling snags that become rolling burning logs (“rollouts”) can spread fire. Widespread concentrations of fire-weakened snags remain the primary challenge to firefighters.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Weather models show a warming trend will occur which will continue to dry fuels and likely increase fire behavior. High pressure will build into the region today and begin a warming trend through Wednesday and a drying trend through Thusday. Temperatures will rise at least 10 degrees today from yesterday. The Pilot Fire and 3-9 Fires will continue to burn heavier fuels within the perimeter and wind may test control lines. Spot fires created by rollout will continue to present an issue with several areas of the fire. Major movement of the fire is unlikely without a wind event.

Evacuation Warning:

These remain in effect. Please continue to check the Trinity County Wildfire and Evacuation site for up-to-date status and locations: Trinity County Wildfire and Evacuation Map

Forest Closure: There are new Forest Closure orders for the South Fork Complex Fire that have been posted on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest website home page and on the Six Rivers National Forest (click on Forest Closures). Please avoid the closed areas.

Smith River Complex North update for Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Grants Pass, Ore. – Pushed by gusty winds, the Kelly Fire spread further north into the West Fork of the Illinois River valley yesterday. In response, local firefighters and resources from the Smith River Complex North concentrated on structure protection work around Lone Mountain and Elk, Blue, Dwight, and White Creeks. Protecting structures, powerlines, and resources along Hwy 199 are a high priority for this fire.

Heavy smoke continues to hamper aerial operations. Yesterday, smoke prevented helicopters from dropping water or retardant on the north edge of the Kelly Fire. The smoke also made it difficult to monitor the fire’s spread and exact location using aircraft. Winds from the north are expected today, which should reduce smoke along the north edge of the Kelly Fire. When the smoke lifts, aerial resources are ready to support firefighters on the ground.

Resources assigned to the Complex will assist with initial attack on fires within the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) and on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Currently assigned resources include seven helicopters for the Complex, nine engines, four crews, and five pieces of heavy equipment for the North, with more on order. With more resources arriving at the fire, the Smith River Complex North has added a night shift. These resources will be working overnight and monitoring the fire vicinity. They can respond quickly if there is an increase in fire activity.

Del Norte County has issued a Level 3 evacuation notice from the Oregon/California border south. Specifics of this closure can be found at https://www.facebook.com/DelNorteOfficeOfEmergencyServices/.

Josephine County has issued a Level 2 evacuation notice along Hwy 199 south of mile post 39 to the California border, and a Level 1 evacuation for the community of O’Brien south of Rough & Ready Creek. For more information and maps, visit the Rogue Valley Emergency Management site at https://www.rvem.org. 

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has implemented an area and road closure order for the Smith River Complex. Visit the forest website for additional information https://tinyurl.com/2s4hymku.

Cooperatively responding agencies include the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, the Oregon Department of Forestry, BLM-Coos Bay District, BLM-Medford District, Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, Josephine County EMS, the Illinois Valley Fire Department and Curry County Sheriff’s Office.

There will be a community meeting on Thursday, August 24 at 6:00 p.m. It will be held at the staging area across from 30159 Redwood Hwy, Cave Junction. The meeting will also be live-streamed on Facebook.

Fire start date:   August 5, 2023 

Cause:  Lightning 

Location:  13 miles Northeast of Pagosa Springs, Colorado 

Incident Commander: 

Jay Kurth 

Management Team: 

NIMO Team 1 

Management: Suppression 

Fire size today: 1,799 acres  

Containment: 0% 

Completion: 64%  

Personnel: 150 

Evacuation Information: 

There are no current evacuations. Local residents should follow incident information for updates. 

Closures:  

• Quartz Meadows Rd (NFSR#685) 

• Quartz Ridge Trail (NFST#570) 

• Quartz Creek Trail (NFST#571) 

• https://tinyurl.com/roads-and-trails 

INCIDENT OBJECTIVES: 

• Firefighter and Public safety are the highest priority. 

• Protect private lands within East Fork San Juan River drainage, natural resources, cultural and historic sites, recreation assets, and critical infrastructure including powerlines and gas utility lines. 

The Quartz Ridge Fire warmed up a bit throughout the day and burned concentrations of dead, downed wood within the rocky area on the east side of Quartz Creek. This fire activity created some visible smoke in the afternoon and growth in the southerly direction. This is to be expected with days of drier weather and increasing temperatures in the afternoons. The size of the fire increased to 1,799 acres. 

The wildfire is burning in steep terrain in the South San Juan Wilderness.  A combination of indirect and direct control lines is being utilized to accomplish multiple objectives of full suppression on accessible parts of the fire and confinement on parts that are remote and/or present high safety risks to firefighters. Overall, 64% of these objectives have been completed. 

YESTERDAY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 

• Continued to evaluate terrain and potential areas for containment outside of wilderness boundaries and scouted for strategic areas for control. 

• Assessed the burned area on the east side of Quartz Creek for control features and strategies. 

• Completed structure preparation along the East Fork Road at the Silver Guard Station. 

• Graded the East Fork Road to improve access for fire personnel and the public. 

TODAY’S PLAN: 

• Assess the burned area on the east side of Quartz Creek and the northern edge for control features and strategies. 

• Continue road grading operations along the East Fork Road. 

• Work with the incoming crews to orient them to the details of the fire. 

WEATHER:  

The Quartz Ridge Fire did not receive rain yesterday or last night. Higher humidities will continue today. The temperatures will be between 60-70 degrees depending on elevation. There is a 50% chance the fire will receive showers or a thunderstorm today. Winds will be light but increase with storms. 

Incident Information : https://tinyurl.com/mr37bhnr 

Facebook : https://tinyurl.com/y87cycm4 

Email :  2023.quartzridge@firenet.gov       Information Line : 970-426-5370 

Yesterday widespread rain showers brought additional precipitation to the fire area, with rainfall totaling approximately 0.25” in the past 24 hours. The additional moisture kept fire activity to a minimum. With that, crews did witness creeping and smoldering in the underbrush yesterday. As fuels dry out and temperatures rise, increased fire activity and smoke may be visible. Drift smoke may also be visible from wildfires burning in Washington and Oregon.

After taking a tactical pause on Monday due to safety concerns regarding inclement weather, fire personnel were able to reengage the fire where safe. Crews made good progress removing hazardous trees along forest road 405 to increase safety. Further progress was made securing the southern end of the fire along forest road 417 and around the East Mountain communication site.

Aviation resources were able to fly over the fire on Tuesday and conduct an additional infrared flyover to better map the area. An updated infrared fire perimeter map is expected tomorrow.

Weather: A weak stormfront will pass through the area today, giving way to warmer and dryer conditions later in the week. Relative humidities will continue to be above normal with good overnight recoveries.

Closure Area: Remains in place for public safety and details including a map can be found on the East Fire InciWeb page and the Boise National Forest Facebook page.

Air Quality: http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/
Web: https://www.fs.usda.gov/boise/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoiseNationalForest
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/idbof-east.

2023 Six Rivers National Forest Lightning Complex and Redwood Lightning Complex

August 23, 2023 – California Incident Management Team 2 is in command of the Six Rivers National Forest (SRF) 2023 Lightning Complex and Redwood Lightning Complex, which includes the following 12 fires. Total estimated acreage for the SRF Lightning Complex and Redwood Lightning Complex is 5,441.2 acres with 15% containment.

Redwood National and State Parks Area 

Lost - Full suppression tactics continue on the Lost Fire, estimated at 529 acres on Redwood National and State Parks lands. The fire is located northeast of Orick in the Lost Man Creek watershed west of Holter Ridge Road and south of the Lost Man Creek Trail/Geneva Road. Crews are working to prevent the fire from entering old growth forest and have held the fire on Holter Ridge. Other fires in the area have been contained. CAL FIRE and Green Diamond Resource Company are collaborating with suppression efforts on the Lost Fire. 

Devil - 12 acres contained and in patrol status.  Glenn - .1 acre contained and in patrol status.  

Hoopa Area 

Lone Pine - Located south of Hoopa in the Horse Linto Creek watershed east of the Trinity River and across the river from Tish Tang Campground and Sugar Bowl Ranch, fire size is estimated at 1,678 acres. Crews are constructing dozer lines and hand lines for containment. The fire is smoldering with minimal growth. Crews are continuing with mop up activities.

Orleans Area

Pearch - East of Orleans is estimated at 981 acres with a slow rate of spread. The Orleans pumphouse has been prepped with structure wrap. Structure protection personnel are continuing to prepare homes and structures around Orleans and have made significant progress. Hose line and sprinklers have been placed around values at risk.

Pearch Fire Evacuation Warning:

Orleans

Zone HUM-E009 (Southeast of the Klamath River in Orleans)

Zone HUM-E008-B (Community of Orleans, west of Klamath River. East of Crawford Creek, including Orleans proper). Hwy 96 and Red Cap Road along the east bank of Klamath River, south from Salmon River, east to Orleans Mountain. Approximately 243 residents live in these 2 zones. 

Somes Bar

Zone SIS-1701: NORTH of Monte Creek Road, SOUTH OF Camp Three Road, EAST OF Camp

Three Road, WEST OF Wooley Creek Trailhead. Anyone in these areas should be prepared for potential evacuations, including personal supplies and overnight accommodations. Be ready to go at a moment's notice. 

Iron - Located above Ti-Bar Wildland Fire Station with minimal fire activity.

Hancock - Located in the Wooley Creek area within the Marble Mountain Wilderness, staffed by a crew of ten smoke jumpers. Personnel are engaged in point protection efforts to protect values at risk.

Mosquito - Near the Bluff Creek area north of Mosquito Lake is estimated at 1,061 acres. The fire remains north of Forest Road 11N19 and west of Forest Road 12N12 (Cedar Camp Road). Containment lines along the 12N12 road have held. Crews continue to construct containment lines.    

Bluff #1 - 828 acres with minimal movement.

Let er-Buck - 34 acres

Blue Creek - .1 acre Blue Creek 2 - 318 acres. The Blue Creek and Blue Creek 2 are currently unstaffed due to limited resources. Additional resources are on order.

Weather - High pressure will build over the area causing temperatures to rise and humidity to fall. Onshore westerly winds return in the afternoon with gusts up to 18 mph, potentially up to 20 mph in certain areas. The weather change has potential for larger fire growth.

Six Rivers National Forest Closures 

Area and campground closures are in effect on Six Rivers National Forest. They may be found at: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/srnf/notices/?cid=FSEPRD1096395.

Redwood National Park and State Parks Closures  

Due to fire activity in the area, Lost Man Trail from the trailhead on Bald Hills Road to the gate at the Lost Man Picnic Area is closed. Lost Man Road will remain open from Hwy 101 to the Lost Man Picnic Area. www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Alert Notifications

ZoneHaven/Genasys for map and zone identification:

https://protect.genasys.com

Humboldt County Residents Register for Humboldt Alert Notification:

www.humboldt.gov/alerts

Siskiyou County Resident Register at Code Red Alert Notification:

https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/6F327CCDFFFD

For more information:

Redwood National and State Parks Information Hotline

Phone: 707-464-6101

2023 SRF Lightning Complex Fire Information

Phone: 213-431-4035 (Temporary number)

Email: 2023.lightningcomplex@firenet.gov

Hoopa Information Hotline

Phone: 530-618-2995

Email: serene.oes@gmail.com

Bear Creek Fire start date:   

August 1, 2023 

Location:  23 miles Northwest of Pagosa Springs, Colorado  

Cause:  Lightning 

Incident Commander: 

Jay Kurth 

Management Team: 

NIMO Team 1 

Management:  Suppression 

Fire size today: 415 acres 

Containment:  0% 

Completion:  71%    

Personnel: 39 

Evacuation Information:   

Weminuche Valley is under pre-evacuation notice. Local residents should follow incident information and updates. 

Closures:  

• Coleman Park in Pagosa Springs 

• https://tinyurl.com/trails-and-roads 

INCIDENT OBJECTIVES: 

• Firefighter and Public safety are the highest priority. 

• Protect private lands within the Weminuche Creek drainage, natural resources, cultural and historic sites, recreation assets and critical infrastructure including powerlines and gas utility lines. 

Indirect control lines are being utilized to accomplish multiple objectives of full suppression in accessible parts of the fire and confinement in areas that are remote and/or present high safety risks to firefighters. Overall, 71% of these objectives have been completed. 

The Bear Creek Fire was inactive again yesterday and is likely to stay the same today. There are still a few hot spots (appearing like campfires) in the northeast but they are not a concern. The fire behavior trend remains the same with no growth in size beyond 415 acres in the past week. The National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) is informing the in-coming Type 3 team during the next few days to ensure they learn the strategies and details of the fire before assuming command on Friday. The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team will begin to assess the Bear Fire today. 

YESTERDAY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 

• Completed the indirect fire line along the Mosca Road with the two masticator crews. Approximately 2.5 miles of vegetation along the road was masticated.  

• Firefighters remained alert for any changes in fire behavior. 

TODAY’S PLAN: 

• Begin the process of transporting the mastication equipment out of the area.  

• Continue structure protection with engine patrols. 

• Assess any changes in fire behavior. 

• Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team will begin reconnaissance of the fire. 

WEATHER:  

The Bear Creek Fire received moisture yesterday and during the night. Higher humidities will continue today with a 50% chance of showers or thunderstorms. The temperatures will be between 60-70 degrees depending on elevation. Winds will be light but increase around storms. 

Incident Information: https://tinyurl.com/mrx4pp27 

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/mr2tpj69 

Email :  2023.bearcreek@firenet.gov       Information Line : 970-426-5370 

Hill Top Fire

News - 08/23/2023

This is the final update for the Hill Top Fire as the Florida Gold Incident Management Team will transition command of the fire to local fire departments today.

Size: 200 acres

Containment: 95%

Start Date: August 18, 2023

Cause: Lightning

Incident Commander: Keith Mousel

Management Team: Florida Gold Team

Current Situation:

Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor the fire area.

Weather:

Forecast weather includes continued hot and dry conditions with elevated wind speeds this afternoon. Residents and visitors to the area are likely to see high levels of dust and ash blowing from the burn area as winds increase out of the east.

Evacuations and Closures:

There are no evacuations at this time, but citizens are encouraged to refer to the Taylor County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page for more information.

The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in still place for the area over the fire, today [NOTAM: FDC 3/8262,https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_8262.html. Please avoid the area to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft.

Emergency Alerts:

Taylor County Commissioners Court implemented a county-wide burn ban for Taylor County effective immediately July 18, 2023 for 90 days or until substantial rainfall has saturated all areas within the County.

Alert Center • Taylor County, TX • CivicEngage (texas.gov)

Damages and Injuries: 

Significant damage to powerlines and a repeater building were noted by fire managers on Aug. 19. No other structure damage or loss has been reported.

On Aug. 20, two minor injuries were reported. The firefighters were treated on scene and returned to work.