Single Publication

Fire Update – Oakridge Lightning Fires

Chalk, Coffeepot, McKinley, Moss Mountain, Tire Mountain, 208, and 217 Fires

Monday, July 29, 2024 – 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: (541) 208-1742

Email:2024.mossmountain@firenet.gov

Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Special Note: A community meeting is being planned for this week. Details will be communicated as soon as they are available.

Current Situation: Firefighters continue to construct and reinforce line across high priority areas on the Oakridge Lightning Fires. Light northwest winds are expected today with cooler temperatures and higher humidity. A change in weather later today could bring slight precipitation, though not enough to significantly impact fire activity. Higher temperatures are expected for later this week. Fire activity remains low to moderate across all seven fires.

The total acreage of the seven fires is 6,824 acres with 641 personnel assigned.

Information for each of the seven Oakridge Lightning Fires is provided below. Firefighting activities and suppression actions are described in detail for each double-lettered division on each fire.

Chalk Fire (3,616 acres, 7% contained)

Division AA: Line construction and felling continues in the southwest area of the Chalk Fire. There are significant hazards in steep terrain that require mitigation as firefighters steadily work to connect Division AA with the other Chalk Fire divisions. Firing operations are planned for later this week once the line preparation is complete.

Division KK: Low intensity firing operations were completed to tie Division KK to Division TT. Today firefighters will secure and mop up to reinforce the newly completed line.

Division TT: Firefighters in Division TT are strengthening existing line from previous fires where possible and scouting for other locations where there is as high probability of holding the north section of the Chalk Fire.

Coffeepot Fire (2,761 acres, 0% contained) and Moss Mountain Fire (224 acres, 0% contained)

Division PP: Work continues on the southwest section of the Coffeepot Fire to build line where there is a high probability of success in protecting highly valued resources on privately held land. Spot fires that were previously identified have been lined and will be further secured by firefighters today.

Division RR: Firefighters have constructed line in Division RR and are prepping it for future strategic operations. Other areas in this division are being scouted and analyzed to hold the Coffeepot Fire to the south of the 2307 Road.

Division SS: Heavy equipment continues to open existing roads and is pushing west toward Division PP.

Division WW: Firefighters are working on strengthening the line from the division break to the 23 Road; and from the 23 Road down toward Division SS.

Division YY: The Division Supervisor that previously supervised the fires in the Diamond Peak Wilderness has been moved to support operations on the Coffeepot and Moss Mountain Fires. Today fire managers will be scouting the area south of these fires to look for secondary containment lines in the event they are needed.

208 Fire (141 acres, 0% contained) – Branch XII: Fire is holding. There has been no growth over the past several days.

217 Fire (38 acres, 0% contained) – Branch XII: Smokejumpers assigned to the 217 Fire are patrolling and mopping up the 217 Fire in very challenging terrain.

Tire Mountain Fire (20 acres) – Division TT: The Tire Mountain Fire remains under mop up and patrol status. The fire has not grown in several days.

McKinley Fire (24 acres) – Division AA: Firefighters assigned to mop up and patrol the McKinley fire were able to quickly respond to some small spot fires over the weekend. Containment lines are expected to hold. Spot fires in areas of heavy dead and down fuel can be expected.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Clouds and smoke haze in the morning, mostly cloudy in the afternoon. Max temperatures in upper 70s. Daytime relative humidity approximately 40-50%. Winds will be light from the northwest at 5-10 mph. Good to excellent overnight humidity recovery ranging from 80-100%. Inversion may not lift. Chance of showers later today.

Heavy dead and down fuel concentrations from winter ice storms and blowdown events is also abundant. Live and dead fuel moisture will be on a downward trend, becoming more combustible. Fire danger indices are at high fire danger, and slightly above average for this time of year.

Evacuations: For evacuation information please visit: https://www.LaneCountyOR.gov/2024wildfires
To sign up for evacuation alerts please visit: https://www.LaneAlerts.org

Closures and Fire Restrictions: Area, road, trail, and recreation site closures are in place on the Willamette National Forest in the vicinity of many active fires. Temporary road barricades are in use to restrict traffic in the areas near High Prairie and Chalk Mountain.

For specific closure information follow this link:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd552029

Fire restrictions on the Willamette National Forest may be found at this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=81487

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) are in place over the Chalk and Moss Fires.

Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

For More Information:

Phone: (541) 208-1742

Email: 2024.mossmountain@firenet.gov

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orwif-oakridge-lightning-fires-2024

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakridgeLightningFires2024/

Total Fire Personnel: 641

Fire Cause: Lightning

Location: North & South of Oakridge, OR