High
Fire Danger across the whole state.
The
high fire danger conditions bring a host of precautions. You can look a map and
links to precautions here:
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/restrictions.aspx
.
IFPL
is now at Level 3 in weather zones NW2 and NW3, and to IFPL 2 in
NW1. Public Use Restrictions will move to High in NW1 so all zones are now
in High (Yellow) at the same time.
The weather appears dry as far as out as the
forecast looks, and we may get dry east winds next week. You can see some of
these predictions and other weather resources here: https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Weather.aspx
Statewide fire activity remains very active. ODF Team 1 is working on the Sweet
Creek Fire in West Lane District. Other uncontrolled fires on the landscape
include the Lionshead Fire, White River Fire, and Beachie Creek Fire, all of
which are putting up plumes of smoke over the cascades.
Preparations
for the weekend include:
·
A
helicopter and 2 Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATS) on standby in Salem.
- Full
component of fire crew on and prepared
- Media
releases about fire danger
- State
Forest staff on patrol this weekend
- Our
first effort in a long time at closing parts of the forest for fire
protection through the use of gates.
Friday
we will be closing the new gates on McGregor, Music, and Wolf Creek roads. We
may also close the new gates on Drift Creek, Idiot Creek and Storeyburn as
well, but they will remain open in the short term. The gates will re-open as
soon as fire danger drops back down to moderate.
Be
safe everyone.
Mike Cafferata
Forest Grove District Forester
Oregon Department of Forestry
Work (503) 359-7430
Cell (503) 961-2022
