Department of Forestry Declares Regulated Use Closure for Central Oregon District

[Prineville, Ore.] Regulated Use closure has been declared for Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday June 29, 2019.  The closure is intended to reduce wildfires related to high risk activities as wildland fuels dry out.  Lands included in this closure include private, municipal and state owned lands protected by the Central Oregon District, in the following counties:  Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Grant, Wheeler, Morrow, Gilliam, Hood River, Lake, Harney, Umatilla, and Wasco.

Activities below are restricted by this closure.  Additional restrictions and the full proclamation can be accessed at www.Oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Restrictions.aspx

·        Possession of the following firefighting equipment is required while traveling in a motorized vehicle, except on federal and state highways, county roads and driveways: one shovel and one gallon of water or one operational 2½ pound or larger fire extinguisher, except all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles which must be equipped with an approved spark arrestor in good working condition.

·        Smoking is prohibited while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads.

·        Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires, except in designated areas.

·        Chainsaw use is prohibited, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.  Chainsaw use is permitted at all other hours, if the following firefighting equipment is present with each operating saw: one axe, one shovel, and one operational 8 ounce or larger fire extinguisher.  In addition, a fire watch is required at least one hour following the use of each saw.

·        Mowing of dried grass with power driven equipment is prohibited, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., except for the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops.

·        Use of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, is prohibited, except on improved roads and except for vehicle use by a landowner and employees of the landowner upon their own land while conducting activities associated with their livelihood.

·        The use of fireworks and blasting is prohibited.

Beginning July 1, 2019 open burning including burn barrels in Hood River and Wasco counties will be prohibited with the burn ban going into effect. 

The public is also reminded that the use of tracer ammunition or exploding targets is illegal within the District during fire season.  Sky lanterns and other luminaries are prohibited in Oregon.

For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.

1620 Road Fire Update

[Parkdale, Ore.]  Today firefighters on the 80 acre 1620 Road Fire continued efforts mopping-up adjacent to the fireline.  Securing this perimeter ensures that fire will not move outside the line.  The fire is 100% contained, with 95% control. The fire burned primarily within a young timber stand with old logging slash.  There were no structures threatened or destroyed and no injuries were reported on the fire.

Saturday evening the fire was transitioned back to the local unit to continue work mopping-up the interior of the fire.  Firefighters will be gridding for areas of heat working through unburned fuels and removing fire hose and equipment from the fireline.  This work will continue through the beginning of next week.  Once complete the fire will continue to be monitored.  Resources on the fire include contract hand crews and a tender as well as contract and ODF fire engines.

Cooperators who assisted on this fire include a Type 3 organization from Central Oregon Fire Management Service, firefighting resources from Parkdale Fire Department, USFS Mt. Hood National Forest, USFS Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, other ODF Fire Districts, various contractors, and Oregon Department of Corrections.

For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.

1620 Road Fire Update

[Parkdale, Ore.]  Firefighters on the 1620 Road Fire reached 100% containment Thursday after completing handline construction around the spotfire perimeter.  The combined fire acreage is 80 acres.  The fires are 75% controlled and today firefighters will continue to strengthen and secure firelines.  The fire was first reported June 24^th burning on private lands west of Parkdale, Oregon.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

With completion of the fireline firefighters are turning their efforts to the mop-up process.  Significant unburned fuels and vegetation inside the fire perimeter makes the mop-up process slow and difficult as firefighters must work through all the material to ensure there is no hidden heat or flame.  Firefighters will mop-up the entire interior of the fire.  This mop-up plan will reduce the possibility of re-ignition of the fire in the future.

The Type 3 organization from Central Oregon Fire Management Service will transition the fire back to the local unit Saturday evening.  Resources on the fire include hand crews and fire engines.  Specific resources assigned to the fire have been pre-identified to support initial attack within the area if there are any new fire starts.

For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.

1620 Road Fire Update

[Parkdale, Ore.]  Firefighters on the 1620 Road Fire made significant progress constructing fireline Wednesday and continued to hold the fire within the existing footprint.  Mop-up work adjacent to the fireline continues on portions of the fire where firelines are established and secure.  Firefighters were able to take advantage of increased humidity and wetting rain Wednesday which moderated fire behavior allowing them to focus on line construction.  With the moderated fire behavior firefighters were able to get around the fire perimeter with GPS receivers and have been able to improve the mapping of the fire perimeters.  The combined fire acreage is 80 acres with 75% containment and 50% control.

Today firefighters will continue to construct and secure fireline around the perimeter of the spotfire and mop-up where possible.  Direct fireline is being used to minimize acres burned and loss of resources.  Firefighters will be using a grid pattern to work through both fires as they mop-up to ensure there is no heat or flame within the unburned fuels inside and outside the fire perimeters.

The fire was first reported Monday morning burning on private lands approximately 4 miles west of Parkdale, Oregon.  Late Monday afternoon the fire spotted to the east and became established in a steep draw with difficult access.  Terrain, fuels and weather have challenged firefighters working to construct hand fireline on the spotfire.  The original fire has dozer line and roads securing the perimeter. The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

A Type 3 organization from Central Oregon Fire Management Service is managing the fire.  Resources on the fire include hand crews, fire engines, dozers, and excavators.  A Type 2 helicopter is available as needed. Specific resources assigned to the fire have been pre-identified to support initial attack within the area if there are any new fire starts.

For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.

1620 Road Fire Update

[Parkdale, Ore.]  Firefighters on the 1620 Road Fire were challenged Tuesday by moderate winds, steep terrain, and thick fuels.  The fire was held within its existing footprint using air resources to drop water and retardant to check fire growth supporting the ground crews.  The combined fire acreage is 85 acres with 20% containment and 10% control.

The original fire is fully lined by roads and dozer line.  Yesterday firefighters completed “plumbing” this portion of the fire.  Plumbing includes assembling fire hose around the fire perimeter to be used for mop-up.  Mop-up for this part of the fire will begin today, firefighters will methodically work through the fire looking for heat and flames to limit any potential for the fire to spread or move outside the fireline.     

Today crews will be continuing construction of handline around the spotfire to the east.  Constructing fireline in these areas is an arduous process due to the difficult terrain and fuels.  Firefighters are continuing to secure portions of the fire and strengthening the existing lines.  Variation in fuel conditions within the fire perimeter is resulting in unburned vegetation inside the line.  This unburned fuel makes suppression more difficult as the firefighters work through focusing on open flame and heat.

A Type 3 organization from Central Oregon Fire Management Service is managing the fire.  Resources on the fire include hand crews, fire engines, dozers, and excavators.  Heavy air tankers, fireboss scoopers, a Type 1 helicopter and a Type 2 helicopter are available as needed.

The weather for today includes the possibility of thunderstorms with strong gusty winds over the fire area, with a chance of wetting rain.  Lightning and the associated stormy conditions may cause aircraft to be grounded until the storm passes.  Specific resources assigned to the fire have been pre-identified to support initial attack within the area around the fire if these storms cause any new fire starts.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.

1620 Road Fire Evening Update

[Parkdale, Ore]  Firefighters continued to make progress today on the 1620 Road Fire located four miles west of Parkdale.  The fire was originally reported Monday morning burning in brush, timber, and young timber on privately owned land.  Today’s focus was to strengthen existing firelines and mop-up within the interior of the original fire.  Firefighters continued to construct handline on the spotfire to the east of the original fire.  A heavy air tanker, two fireboss scoopers, and a Type 2 helicopter, and a Type 1 helicopter provided support to the firefighters, cooling hot areas for direct line construction adjacent to the fire’s edge.  The combined acreage for the fires remains at 85 acres, with 20% containment and 10% control.  This afternoon precipitation fell on the fire as thunderstorms moved through the area.

Tonight firefighters will be used to monitor fire behavior and patrol the fire for any fire movement outside the fireline.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.

1620 Road Fire

[Parkdale, Ore]  The 1620 Road Fire was reported Monday morning June 24^th burning in brush, slash and young timber on private land approximately four miles west of Parkdale, Oregon.  Throughout Monday, resources from Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District were assisted by firefighters from Parkdale Fire Department, USFS Mt. Hood National Forest, USFS Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and Washington Department of Natural Resources.  Jackpots of slash and increasing afternoon winds challenged firefighters yesterday.  Fire behavior included creeping, spotting and single tree torching.

A spot fire was detected Monday afternoon burning in a draw to the east of the main fire.  The spot fire was burning in dense vegetation and less accessible terrain, quickly growing in size.  Currently the combined acreage for the two fires is estimated at 85 acres. The fires are 35% lined and 10% contained.   No structures are threatened or have been destroyed, and there have been no firefighter injuries reported.

Overnight firefighters worked to complete line around the original fire perimeter using dozers and existing roads. Handline construction started around the larger spotfire, and this work will continue on Tuesday.   A Type 3 organization was in-briefed Tuesday morning and will take command of the fire to provide additional support to firefighters and resources.  This organization will be used to manage the additional resources which have been ordered for suppression efforts.  Overnight two 20 person crews, two five person crews, an engine, a dozer, an excavator and additional overhead staffed the fire.  Today the fire will be staffed by six 20 person crews, five engines, three tenders, two dozers, an excavator and overhead to manage the resources. Aerial resources available to support ground operations today include two fireboss scooper planes, two heavy air tankers, a Type 2 helicopter, and a Type 1 helicopter.    

Firefighter and public safety are the priority for the incident.  Today’s objectives for firefighters is to hold and secure existing firelines along the perimeter of the fire and begin mop-up on the secured lines.  Direct line construction will be used where possible to minimize acres burned and damage to natural resources. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.

Fire Season Begins for ODF Protected Lands in Central Oregon

[Prineville, Ore.]  Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District will implement Fire Season Monday June 10, 2019 at 12:01 a.m.  The Central Oregon District includes approximately 2.3 million acres of private, state, and municipally owned forestland throughout central Oregon.  Fire Season declaration heightens awareness of increasing hazardous fuel conditions and fire growth potential in wildland fuels.  “Late May rain really helped reduce the fire risk in our fuels but the recent warming trend is quickly drying fuels again and with limited moisture in the forecast it is unlikely that the risk will drop again.” states Rob Pentzer, District Forester for Central Oregon. Fire season in the District typically starts early to mid-June based on current conditions and forecasted weather.  In 2018 June 1^st marked the start of fire season.

With the implementation of fire season, logging and other industrial operations must meet requirements for fire prevention, such as fire tools, water supply, and watchman service when those operations are occurring on lands protected by ODF.  In addition to fire season restrictions, Industrial Fire Precaution Level 1 (IFPL) will be in effect for lands protected by ODF in Hood River and Wasco counties.  Details for fire season and IFPL requirements are available at www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/pages/FirePrevention.aspx, or contact your local Department of Forestry office for more information.

Campfires are currently still allowed, but should be DEAD OUT! and cool to the touch when you leave.  The use of tracer ammunition and exploding targets is prohibited during fire season.  Sky lanterns and other luminaries are prohibited at all times in Oregon.

Year to date for 2019 there have been fourteen human caused fires burning more than fifteen acres within the District.  Nine of these fires are linked to escape debris burns.  Landowners who burned earlier this winter or spring should check their burn piles and verify there is no longer heat in the burned area.  Burn barrels are allowed by permit in The Dalles Unit (Wasco and Hood River counties) until 11:00 a.m. through June 30^th.  However open burning is no longer permitted across the District.  

For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.