Hot, dry weather concerns Oregon firefighters

Firefighters battling the giant lightning-caused Biscuit fire in southern Oregon and northern California watched nervously Monday as hot, dry and windy conditions moved into the fire zone.

"This one has potential. If we don't catch it today, it's going to be a biggie," said David Widmark, spokesman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland.

The new fire, named the Bald Green Butte fire, was burning on 100 acres near a Ponderosa forest and rugged terrain about 17 miles northwest of Burns.

Meanwhile, Oregon's largest wildfire in more than a century continued to threaten power lines feeding several northern California towns Monday.

The Biscuit fire had burned 376,492 acres by Monday morning. A force of 6,100 firefighters were divided into three separate units battling different areas of the fire.

Formerly called the Florence Fire, the Biscuit fire covers about 460 square miles in the two states. Full containment for the portion of the fire south of the California border was expected by Thursday. The rest of the fire is only about 25 percent contained.

Over the weekend, hand crews created three or four fire lines in front of the advancing flames west of O'Brien, but said they would have to ask Pacific Power to shut down the power lines if the wildfire got too close.

When carbon-rich smoke thickens around the cables, it can cause the electricity from the lines to arc, endangering firefighters. Turning off the power would put the California towns of Gasquet, Hiouchi and Crescent City in the dark, said Leah Rosin, an Oregon Department of Forestry spokeswoman.

Widmark said 15-20 mph east winds, temperature of 100 degrees or higher and single-digit humidity levels were expected to hamper firefighters' ability to contain the Biscuit fire and other fires burning in the state.

The Tiller complex of fires burning east of Roseburg totaled 42,490 acres Monday. That fire was about 35 percent contained, Widmark said. Rolling rocks and snags threatened fire crews because of the steep terrain, he said.

"There are really concerned with the safety of crews on that one," Widmark said.

The Hemlock fire near Oakridge, east of Eugene, had burned 136 acres by Monday; it was 60 percent contained and continued to threaten the communities of Oakridge and Westfir.

There was some damage over the weekend to Bonneville Power Administration power poles in the area, but no interruption in electricity service, Widmark said.

In Curry County, a pre-evacuation notice posted Friday was still in effect. The notice was issued to make sure residents were ready to leave immediately if the fire moved closer to a few dozen homes scattered along river canyons near the ocean in the southwest corner of Oregon.

PILOT NEWS ALERT: MONDAY MORNING BISCUIT FIRE UPDATE

Published: August 12, 2002

Dear readers,

Here's what's new this morning on what is now called the Biscuit Fire:

-- A new pre-evacuation alert has been issued to five homes in the Upper Pistol River drainage this morning. This is similar to the alerts already in effect for residents of the Agness area and the Wilderness Retreat area.

-- The fire has moved over containment lines in the vicinity of both Snow Camp Mountain and Quail Prairie Mountain, with fire crews assigned "chase" the fire rather than prepare to stop it.

-- A large burn-out of up to 20,000 acres is being conducted along Bear Camp Road today in an effort to secure the containment line protecting Agness, Illahee and Oak Flat at the northwest corner of the fire.

-- No weather alerts or warnings have been issued for today, but firefighters are still concerned about hot and dry conditions in the fire area.

-- There are two community meetings tonight (Monday, Aug. 12) with fire officials and county emergency officials. One is set for 7 p.m. at Azalea Middle School in Brookings; the other is at 7 p.m. in Agness.

Current statistics: the entire fire is listed at 376,492 acres, with 25 percent containment and just over 100 miles of containment lines left to build. That eventual line may encompass 500,000 acres, according to some estimate. There are now 6,100 personnel assigned to the fire, and the total cost to date is listed at $48.8 million.

There continue to be large Fire Camps at Curry County fairgrounds, Upper Chetco School and Del Norte High School. There are open American Red Cross shelters at Riley Creek School in Gold Beach, Chetco Senior Center in Brookings, and Crescent Elk School in Crescent City.

The Curry Coastal Pilot will continue to post News Alerts throughout the fire emergency. For up-to-date fire information phone numbers and Web sites, visit our Web site at www.currypilot.com

For a special "Thank You Firefighters" poster to place in your window, pick up a copy of The Pilot's Saturday, Aug. 10, edition, available at news stands and stores through Tuesday.

Thanks for using The Pilot,

Charles Kocher
Publisher

The latest from Oregon Live:

The Associated Press
8/12/02 3:43 PM

Major wildfires are burning on about 459,823 acres in Oregon on Monday. About 9,170 firefighters are working in the state. The Northwest Interagency Communication Center is tracking five major fires in Oregon. Top priorities for fire officials Monday were the Biscuit fire, covering 376,492 acres, and the 42,490-acre Tiller Complex.

BISCUIT FIRE (formerly called Florence Fire; name changed on 8/11/02)

Started: Florence fire started 26 miles west of Grant Pass, 07/13/02; Sour Biscuit started 17 miles southwest of Cave Junction.

Size: 376,492 acres.

Containment: 25 percent.

Evacuations: The entire Illinois Valley on 12-hour notice to evacuate. Agness, on northwest corner of the fire, is on 24-hour evacuation notice.

Damage: 4 residences and 8 outbuildings.

On scene: 6,132 firefighters.

Cause: Lightning.

TILLER COMPLEX

Started: Outside Tiller, east of Canyonville off Interstate 5, 07/12/02.

Size: 42,490 acres.

Containment: 36 percent.

Evacuations: South Umpqua Road closed at milepost 6. Fifteen residences threatened. Tribal ceremonial grounds and critical cultural resources are threatened.

Damage: No listed damage.

On scene: 1,917 firefighters

Cause: Lightning.

MONUMENT-MALHEUR COMPLEX (Monument and Malheur fires merged under one management team, 8/11/02)

Started: 9 miles southwest of Unity, 07/12/02

Size: 40,605 acres

Containment: 95 percent.

Evacuations: None at this time.

Damage: None.

On Scene: 546 firefighters.

Cause: Lightning.

HEMLOCK FIRE

Started: 1/2 mile north of Westfir

Size: 136 acres

Containment: 60 percent.

Evacuations: None at this time.

Damage: None.

On Scene: 511 firefighters.

Cause: Under investigation.

BALD GREEN BUTTE

Started: 17 miles east of Burns, 8/11/02

Size: 100 acres.

Containment: Zero.

Evacuations: None.

Damage: None.

On Scene: 64 firefighters.

Cause: Human caused, underinvestigation.

----

Source: The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center

Fire Facts
Agness, Gold Beach, Brookings and vicinity

Sunday, August 11, 2002 [0900 hours]

Gold Beach Information Center : (541) 247-2486, (541) 247-2590, and (541) 247-2620

Today’s resources for the entire Biscuit Fire (formerly called Florence Fire) Zones 1-4: 46 Type I crews, 124 Type II crews, 54 helicopters, 183 engines, 1,341 Overhead, 93 Dozers, and 69 Watertenders. In addition, 366 fire support personnel from Canada are assisting with the fire and 116 Oregon National Guard personnel are staffing road closures and will provide security should evacuations become necessary. There are 6,081 people assigned to the Biscuit Fire.

BISCUIT FIRE (West) (The following report is for the western portion of the Biscuit Fire.)

At Risk: Private residences in Oak Flat (Curry Co.), Agness, Illahe on the Rogue, and Wilderness Retreat on the Chetco River.

Boat Traffic: Currently there are no restrictions on tour boat, fishing or rafting traffic on the Rogue River. The Quosatana Campground and Boat Ramp are closed. Lobster Creek and Foster Bar Boat Ramps are open.

Closures: The entire Siskiyou National Forest is under a fire closure. All open campfires are prohibited. Most Forest Service roads and trails south of the Agness Road (#33) are closed to public access and the Upper Rogue River Trail is closed. The Bear Camp Road (#23) is closed, travel is limited to emergency fire traffic only.

Fire Weather Status: A FIRE WEATHER WATCH has been issued in portions of southwest Oregon for strong northeast winds and low relative humidity. A weak upper level disturbance is moving across the fire area this morning bringing unstable conditions. Behind this disturbance a dry northeast flow will set up. A thermal trough will build along the coast to create light east winds beginning tonight through Wednesday morning. Very hot and dry conditions are expected to continue.

Western Portion of the Biscuit Fire Update:

The Biscuit Fire was again relatively inactive yesterday morning. The inversion layer lifted by 2:00 p.m. and by 5:00 p.m., the fire became very active. Fire crews took advantage of the burning conditions late in the afternoon by securing the western flanks of the fire line. Light winds, blowing to the east, directed the burn out towards the main fire front and helped to secure that portion of the fire line. The fire is now 333,891 acres and 25% Contained. The western fire perimeter is approximately two air miles southeast of Oak Flat (Curry County) on the Rogue River, four air miles east of the Wilderness Retreat area in the Chetco drainage northeast of Brookings and two miles north of Gasquet, California.

The fire continues to be active near the northern and western perimeter of the fire near Agness, Collier Butte and Quail Prairie Mountain. Crews are preparing portions of the fire line for expected burning operations to further secure the fire lines near Oak Flat, Agness other strategic locations.

A burnout operation near Quail Prairie and Toleman Ranch is planned for today. The fire burned over the line near Quail Mountain and was quickly cooled down with water dropped from helicopters.

A heavy-lift capacity helicopter (Sikorsky-61) experienced an engine failure yesterday and safely landed at Tolman Ranch. A new engine has been trucked into the meadow overnight and has been installed. After a thorough maintenance check, the ship was flown back to the helibase and is now ready for operations today.

The Curry County Sheriff has issued a pre-evacuation advisory to residents of Agness, Illahe, Oak Flat, Cate Road, Gardner Ridge, Wilderness Retreat, and north of Wilson Prairie to be prepared to evacuate if the need arises.

Today’s Objective:

Establish line to keep the fire east of the ridge running from Lawson Creek to Sugarloaf Mountain. Snow Camp Mountain, to Mineral Hill. Prepare segments of roads and dozer lines for future burnout operations. Keeping the public informed will also be a priority for all of the management teams assigned to the fire. The best source for current information will be either to access the Internet Web Site or to call one of the Fire Information telephone numbers.

There will be two public information meetings on Monday evening scheduled for 7:00 p.m. For the Gold Beach/Agness area (Zone 4) it will at the Agness Community Center and for the Brookings area it will be at Azalea Middle School in Brookings. The status of the fire, general fire information and maps will be shared with the communities of Agness, Illahe, Oak Flat, Wilderness Retreat, Brookings and the surrounding residents.
Great Basin National Incident Management Team
Kim Martin, Incident Commander

This fire was less than a mile from my house:

August 12, 2002

West Eugene grass fire doused
By GARRET JAROS
The Register-Guard

Flames raced through dry grass and brush in west Eugene on Sunday afternoon, threatening homes, power lines and an apartment complex.

About 30 firefighters attacked the blaze that broke out behind the Wal-Mart store at 4550 W. 11th Ave. just after 2:05 p.m. The flames were quickly fanned south by high winds out of the northwest.

Burning grass, brush and blackberries on West 18th Avenue pose a challenge for firefighters battling a Sunday afternoon fire.

Officials closed West 18th Avenue between Bertelsen and Willow Creek roads, using it as a fire line to prevent the flames from jumping to open grass and brush on the road's south side, where the fire could have a straight shot to the forested south hills.

Large chunks of black ash fell from the sky as firefighters scrambled to run hose and protect the two homes that lay in the fire's path on the north side of 18th Avenue.

Mark Jameson battled the blaze with a garden hose at the home of his parents, retirees Bob and Vera Jameson, first from their yard and then from their roof as flames lighted up the blackberry bushes and scrub trees bordering the property.

Other neighbors brought their hoses and joined in the fight, or helped fire crews pull their hoses straight.

No fire hydrants were in the immediate area, but crews quickly closed in and held the blaze at bay.

The nearest hydrant was in front of the Redwood Park Apartments, which borders the east side of the two threatened homes.

At one point, only a line of 100-foot tall sequoia trees, a major power line and a 40-yard swath of lawn separated the flames from the apartment complex.

The blaze was declared contained just before 4:30 p.m., but not before it had consumed an estimated 50 acres. Crews watched the site late into the night, and a dozer will probably be called out today to dig a perimeter around the burned area.

Late afternoon "is the worst part of the day for winds," said Randall Groves, Eugene deputy fire chief. "The heavy wind out of the northwest (is what) got us into trouble."

Eighteen emergency vehicles responded to the fire, including four water tenders, three of which hold 3,000 gallons of water. Crews from Eugene, Lane County Fire District 1 and the Oregon Department of Forestry were on the scene.

Investigators have yet to determine what caused the blaze and weren't offering any guesses. A suspicious fire broke out in an abandoned shed behind the same Wal-Mart on Saturday.

Groves warned that similar fires could be on the horizon.

"We're really just getting into our fire season now," he said. "The valley just jumped from moderate to high in the last two weeks. Traditionally the two worst months are August and September because of a combination of dry conditions and increased winds."

Fire Information Update
Florence Fire
Sunday, August 11, 2002 8:30 pm
Fire Information Center: (541) 592-1029

376,492 acres

Area
% Contained
Cost
Personnel

Entire Fire
25%
$48.8 million
6,108

Zone 1
25%
$29.5 million
2,262

Total Florence Fire
Location: 26 miles southwest of Grants Pass, Ore., on the Siskiyou National Forest within the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.
Fire Line to Build: 102 miles
Start: July 13, 2002 Cause: Lightning Expected Containment: Unknown
Resources: 165 crews (53 Type 1, 112 Type 2), 53 helicopters (19 Type 1, 17 Type 2, 13 Type 3), 211 engines, 97 dozers, 73 water tenders.
Structures Threatened: 4,019 residences, 250 commercial properties, 2,200 outbuildings

Zone 1
Location: Zone 1 of the Biscuit Fire runs east from Silver Peak and encompasses much of the north flank of the fire, and includes the entire east flank down to the Oregon-California border.
Fire Line to Build: 30 miles
Resources: 62 crews (12 Type 1, 50 Type 2), 17 helicopters (8 Type 1, 4 Type 2, 5 Type 3), 104 engines, 45 dozers, 34 water tenders.
Structures Threatened: 3,400 residences, 250 commercial properties, 2,200 outbuildings
Structures Destroyed: 4 residences, 8 outbuildings
Cooperating Agencies: USDA Forest Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry, USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, USDI National Park Service, Oregon National Guard, Josephine County, the City of Cave Junction, and various private entities.

What’s New: New start on southeast corner of the fire in the Whiskey Creek area was contained at 2 acres. Crews continue to contain and mopup the 400-acre slopover 5 miles southwest of O’Brien. Mopup operations are going well. Crews are in patrol status. Less than one mile of direct fireline still needs to be constructed around the slopover. The two contingency lines have been completed. Burnout operations will continue through the night.

Fire line construction, preparing the lines for burnouts, and burning continued in the northwest corner of the Biscuit Fire today. Burnout operations reached Fish Hook Creek. Line preparation includes brushing out and widening. Zone 1 crews and helicopters are working with their Zone 4 counterparts on this operation. The goal is to secure that flank of the fire to minimize the advance of the main fire toward Agness.

The fire weather watch for tonight has been canceled. An upper level ridge of high pressure over the West coast will remain in place coupled with a surface thermal trough off the southern Oregon and California coast creating hot and dry conditions over the Biscuit Fire. Tonight, wind will be from the north-northeast, 7-12 mph, temperatures will range from 50-55 degrees in the valleys and 56-66 degrees on the ridgetops. Humidity recovery will be 50-60 percent in the valleys and 35-45 percent on the ridgetops. Fire behavior is expected to be active throughout nighttime hours.

For information about the other zones: Zone 2, California, (707) 464-8590 or (707) 464-7330; Zone 4, Brookings/Agness, (541) 247-2486, (541) 247-2590 or (541) 247-2620.

Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 2
Mike Lohrey, Incident Commander

August 12, 2002

Westfir fire crews reach 60 percent containment

WESTFIR - Officials declared the 136-acre Hemlock fire 60 percent contained Sunday, but cautioned that high temperatures and east winds expected during the next several days will test fire lines.

More than 500 firefighters are battling north and west of town, and suppression costs have reached an estimated $1.35 million, said Debbie Norton, spokeswoman for the Northwest Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team.

Crews on Sunday began using infrared fire detectors to locate any remaining hot spots and spent much of the day felling burning snags, Norton said. The cause of the fire, which began last Tuesday, is still being investigated.

On Sunday morning, a helicopter and fire engine assigned to the Hemlock fire helped Oregon Department of Forestry officials fight a quarter-acre fire on private land near a day-use area on the northeast edge of Hills Creek Lake. The cause of that fire is also unknown.

August 12, 2002

Biscuit fire could put out the lights in California

By The Associated Press

Oregon's largest wildfire in more than a century threatened power lines feeding several Northern California towns Sunday as crews tried to stop a slow creep along its southeastern flank.

Ground crews had created three or four fire lines in front of the advancing flames west of O'Brien, near Cave Junction, but said they would have to ask Pacific Power to shut down the power lines if the wildfire got too close.

When carbon-rich smoke thickens around the cables, it can cause the electricity from the lines to arc, endangering firefighters. Turning off the power would put the California towns of Gasquet, Hiouchi and Crescent City in the dark, said Leah Rosin, an Oregon Department of Forestry spokeswoman.

A 400-acre spot fire started Thursday when flames jumped a containment line in the same area, leading to the voluntary evacuation of Gasquet's 800 residents. They were allowed to return home Saturday.

``It's going to be days (before it's stopped) and it keeps chunking along,'' Rosin said of the fire. ``It's not rushing anywhere, it's just creeping along.''

The roughly 370,000-acre Biscuit fire, formerly called the Florence fire, covers about 460 square miles in Oregon and California, between Cave Junction on the east and Brookings on the west, and is so large that three separate management teams are handling different parts of the fire.

Full containment for the portion of the fire south of the California border is expected by Thursday, Rosin said. The rest of the fire is only about 25 percent contained.

Meanwhile, humid conditions and a wind from the northeast overnight helped firefighters working on the fire's northern flank, near the tiny community of Agness, said Nigel Baker, a Forest Service spokesman. Crews set "burnout" fires - used to rob the main blaze of its fuel - until midnight, taking advantage of the favorable winds, he said.

``It's kind of burning back onto itself on the slopes,'' Baker said.

On the fire's eastern side, weather conditions were less favorable, with hot, dry weather predicted into the week. Hotter weather was also expected to hit the fire's western side today, hampering firefighting activity.

``We are expecting a change tomorrow (today) with real high temperatures and low humidity. We're anticipating possibly some fire activity tomorrow,'' said Dick Fleischman, a Forest Service spokesman.

In Curry County, a pre-evacuation notice posted Friday was still in effect Sunday, Baker said.

The notice was issued to make sure residents were ready to leave immediately if the fire moved closer to a few dozen homes scattered along river canyons near the ocean in the southwest corner of Oregon.

The blaze is now larger than the 1933 Tillamook fire, which burned 311,000 acres. There are indications some 19th century fires may have covered more ground, however.

National forest management did not begin until after the Forest Service was established in the 1890s.

In Washington, firefighters early Sunday contained a 400-acre fire burning in the Columbia Gorge west of Murdock, allowing hundreds of residents to return to their homes.

Crews were about 75 percent done with mop-up work on the blaze, which was completely contained by about 1:30 a.m. - about six hours after it started, said Cathy Bevans, spokeswoman for Klickitat County Emergency Management.

Four houses were destroyed along with some cars and outbuildings, Bevans said.

Three firefighters were doing fine at a nearby hospital, where one went for help with soot in his eye, she said. The others suffered minor smoke inhalation.

The Klickitat County sheriff's department was investigating the cause of the fire, which burned grass, brush and trees between Highway 14 and the Columbia River.

Winds of up to 30 mph Saturday night helped move the blaze east toward Murdock, but crews were able to protect a majority of the town's surrounding structures, Bevans said.

``They did a fantastic job getting it contained as quickly as they did,'' she said.

The 400 people evacuated from their homes Saturday night were allowed to return Sunday.

Officials also reopened Highway 14 and a bridge at The Dalles, which carries Highway 197 across the river. Access had been restricted because of heavy smoke in the area, a state Transportation Department dispatcher said.

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