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The information found on this web page provides information about the North Willamette Complex, Pyramid and Ore Fires. Information for the previously called the Oakridge Lightning Fires, the Willamette Complex Fires- South (the Chalk, McKinley, Tire Mountain, Moss Mountain, Coffeepot, 217, and 208 Fires), can be found on the InciWeb page listed here: Willamette Complex Fires - South
NORTH WILLAMETTE COMPLEX LINKS: Daily Update (pdf) | Daily Briefing Video | Smoke / Air Quality Outlook | YouTube Channel
Ore Fire: Daily Public Information Map (pdf) | Fire Progression Map | Ore Fire Facebook
Pyramid Fire: Daily Public Information Map (pdf) | Fire Progression Map | Pyramid Fire Facebook
Cameras: A view of the Ore Fire from ALERTWest - Deathball Mtn.
CURRENT SITUATION: Firefighters continue to make progress, with the Ore fire showing an increase of containment to forty-two percent. Weather continues to moderate over the fire with temperatures decreasing and humidities increasing. However, temperatures will increase by Wednesday and fire behavior may increase into the first week of September. Helicopters completed over eighty bucket drops to help ground resources work hot and heavy fuels. Air resources will again serve both the Ore and Pyramid fires and the District and Forest for initial attack response.
Ore Fire: 7 miles Northeast of Blue River, 3,271 acres, 40% contained, 647 total personnel, human caused. Crews continued to work above the 1509 road where the spot fire was reported two days ago. The felling of hazardous trees around the line is nearing completion for firefighters to mitigate overhead safety concerns. Firefighters look to gain containment depth in the spot fire and advance the mop up depth from the line. Crews are identifying hot spots with potential to reburn and are working to ensure that the fire line is secure. Night crews continue to patrol and look for opportunities to suppress fire, secure and mop up as conditions allow. Chipping and processing of fuels progresses throughout the contingency lines.
Pyramid Fire: East of Middle Santiam Wilderness, 1,312 Acres, 98% contained, 213 total personnel, lightning caused. Hauling of material to be chipped and mastication will continue today. Crews and heavy equipment work to move the fuels created from suppression related activities away from the fire and secure established containment lines.
WEATHER: Upper-level ridge rebuilds towards the middle of this week, trending temperatures warmer again along with a return of lower afternoon relative humidity and poor to fair overnight recoveries, especially Wednesday and Thursday. Thereafter, forecast model trends suggest a return of cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity for this coming weekend.
CLOSURES & FIRE RESTRICTIONS UPDATE: Everyone is reminded to stay out of all fire closures for firefighter and general safety. Visit the Willamette National Forest Alerts and Notices for all Forest Order Restrictions
Looking for specific closure maps? Pyramid Fire Closure Map | Ore Fire Closure Map
DRONE SAFETY - KNOW WHERE YOU CAN FLY: Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. When drones interfere with firefighting efforts, a wildfire has the potential to grow larger and cause more damage. For more information on drones the public can visit the FAA’s website at Home - Know Before You Fly . “If you fly, we can’t!”
STRUBE CAMP - A historical camp, is also being used for Fire Camp on the North Willamette Complex. Of the several stories that have appeared about the origin of the camp name, Bill Lynch (1979) wrote the true story in the Eugene Register-Guard in 1979: “…apparently at the turn of the century a German-born cattleman by the name of Strube regularly drove herds of beef from Central Oregon to the Willamette Valley and had a cattle camp on the South Fork of the McKenzie River. The place became known as Strube Camp. More information available from this historic document.
Firefighters for the Pyramid Fire are also using a camp called Santiam Camp. View a video of Santiam Camp.
ABOUT THE FOREST: The Willamette National Forest offers a stunning choice of year-round recreation for day-trippers and vacationers alike from hiking, camping, fishing or skiing in the Cascade Mountains to picnicking or rafting along one of our scenic rivers. Home to eight wilderness areas, including the popular Three Sisters Wilderness and Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, a variety of backpacking and day hiking opportunities, waterfalls, and much more! Seven major volcanic peaks rise within the Forest's Wilderness areas: Mt. Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington, the Three Sisters, and Diamond Peak.
Wildfire Ecology in on the Willamette: Periodic fire can be an important part of maintaining diverse and healthy ecosystems. Nearly every region in the country has some kind of fire-dependent plant or tree. Many plants have evolved adaptations that protect them as a species against the effects of fire, and some are even strengthened by it. When fires burn in intervals appropriate to their ecosystem, they consume leaf litter and other ground vegetation like dead wood. This can trigger a rebirth of forests, helping to maintain native plant species.
Wildfires have always occurred in the Oregon Cascades in what are now wilderness areas. The Wilderness Act allows fire suppression but does not allow people to interfere with the natural recovery of these areas. No timber harvest or replanting is allowed. Read more about Wildfire Recovery and Ecology.
SUPPRESSION OBJECTIVES: The Ore Fire and the Pyramid Fire remain under a full suppression strategy to protect values at risk, including the Middle Santiam Wilderness and private timberlands. Firefighters are building direct fire line where possible, and strategic indirect containment line as needed.
- Provide for firefighter and public safety by developing and implementing sound strategies and tactics while considering values, resource availability, and probability of success.
- Maintain and enhance relationships with agency partners, cooperators, stakeholders, and the public though timely and accurate information exchange. In addition, ensure long-term strategies are communicated.
- Prioritize suppression efforts and reduce the threat to private industrial timberlands, wilderness, and non-industrial lands, as well as other critical infrastructure while minimizing impacts to natural and cultural resources.
- Keep incident costs commensurate with values at risk by employing tactics that have the highest probability of success while minimizing firefighter exposure.
| Current as of | Tue, 09/03/2024 - 13:01 |
|---|---|
| Incident Time Zone | America/Los_Angeles |
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Pyramid=Lightning; Ore=Human Caused |
| Date of Origin | |
| Location | Willamette National Forest |
| Incident Commander | California Interagency Complex Incident Management Team 13. |
| Coordinates |
44° 18' 1'' Latitude
-122° 14' 22
'' Longitude
|
| Total Personnel: | 874 |
|---|---|
| Size | 4,588 Acres |
| Estimated Containment Date | Ore: 10/15/2024 Pyramid: 10/31/2024 |
| Fuels Involved | Brush (2 feet), Closed Timber Litter, & Timber (Litter and Understory) Fuels in the fire area are composed of conifer Timber Litter, and Timber with Understory models. |
| Significant Events | Ore: Although slightly cooler with increasing clouds, continued warm and dry weather has resulted in |
| Planned Actions |
Ore Fire: -Div Z: Continue to patrol and mop-up along containment lines on the southern and southeastern -Div F: Contain and Secure slop-over on 1509 Road between DP 33 and 35. Refine firing plan along FS CONTINGENCY WEST: CONTINGENCY EAST: All DIV: Improve upon the current containment lines on the fire, ensuring they are as direct as DIV M, R and K: Continue heavy equipment operations to improve prep of and clean up established |
|---|---|
| Projected Incident Activity |
12 Hours: Ore: Although slightly cooler with increasing clouds, warm and dry conditions have produced active fire behavior in several areas of the fire, primarily on the upper slopes on the north end of the fire. Ore: Clearing skies, with warming and drying. Continued potential for areas of surface fire spread where heat sources, wind, and slope align. Flare-ups, torching, and short-range spotting are possible where sufficient surface fuels and source of heat are present. Heavy fuels continue to consume in-place due to seasonal dryness. Increasing smoke production due to dryness of surface fuels, areas of fire activity, and residual consumption of heavy fuels. Continued warming decreasing relative humidity will continue to provide potential for areas of surface fire spread where heat sources, wind, and slope align. Flare-ups, torching, and short-range spotting are possible where sufficient surface fuels and a source of heat is present. Heavy fuels continue to consume in-place due to seasonal dryness. Continued moderate smoke production due to scattered areas of surface fire activity. |
| Weather Concerns | Temperatures will trend cooler and relative humidity higher late this weekend and into early next week, along with chances for precipitation returning to the area. Any rainfall amounts during this period are expected to be minimal at best. Upper-level ridge rebuilds towards the middle of the week, trending temperatures warmer again along with a return of lower afternoon relative humidity and poor to fair overnight recoveries, especially Wednesday and Thursday. Thereafter, forecast model trends suggest a return of cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity around next weekend. |
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