North Fork Complex: September 10, 2009
Incident: North Fork Complex Wildfire
Released: 9/10/2009
Thursday, September 11, 2009
North Fork Complex
FIRE UPDATE
Estimated Acreage: 6,129 acres
Resources on the Fire:
20-person fire crews: 2
Engines: 4
Overhead: 8 Total Personnel: 60
Location: 15 miles SE of Ukiah, OR in the North Fork John Day Wilderness. Lat: 44o55'29"
Long: 118o39'5"
Cause - Date Started: Lightning, Aug. 1, 2009
Current Update: The North Fork Complex fires continue to gain acreage as the two fires burn actively within the closure area surrounding the two fires. An Infra-red flight on September 9 estimated the combined acreage of both fires at 6,129 acres.
Warm daytime temperatures are forecasted for the next week. If fire activity remains steady, it is likely the two fires may burn together in the Simpson Creek drainage early next week. As the two fires move towards each other along the North Fork John Day River, there's continued concern for spotting across the river to the north.
The amount of smoke produced fluctuates daily depending upon weather conditions and how active the fires are burning. As we move into fall, morning inversions will become stronger and we'll likely see smoke settling into valleys for longer periods of time and becoming more noticeable.
Incident 136 (Raspberry Creek): The northwestern flank of the fire in Raspberry Creek, to Oriental Campground and down to Bismark Creek continues to hold with very little fire activity. Small sections (1-2 acres) of unburned vegetation right along the North Fork John Day River will occasionally burn out with the potential to spot across the river. Crews have been carefully monitoring these situations as they developed and have been pro-active in preventing spots across the river. The most active portion of this fire is mid-slope between Bismark Creek and the unnamed drainage to the southwest.
Incident 129 (Cougar/Basin Creek): The southern most portion of this fire backed down into Glade Creek and has burned in the 1996 Bull Fire scar. Fuel loading has been greatly modified in this old burn and we expect the fire to hold up there. On the western flank, in the Lost Horse Meadow/Kelsay Butte area, the fire is moving very slowly producing a mosaic of burned and unburned patches. The fire is most active in the mid-slope portions of Cougar Creek. The flank of this fire along the North Fork John Day River continues to require attention and occasional action from crews to prevent spotting across the river.
Restrictions and Closures: The Umatilla National Forest has a large temporary forest closure ordered in the area surrounding the North Fork Complex fires. Maps are available at http://www.inciweb.org/.
Hunter's Information: It is likely these fires will remain on the landscape until late fall, requiring the area closure to remain in effect for some time. If hunting near the closure area, you should be aware of your surroundings and watching for signs of active fire behavior, hot and dry weather conditions, rapid fire movement or abundant smoke. If camping near the area closure, be prepared to move your camp quickly if fire activity increases.
Long Term Suppression Strategy: Fire managers are monitoring the fires closely, watching for "trigger points" such as increased fire behavior, fire spread, and hot, dry weather conditions. Trigger points allow fire managers to adjust firefighting actions and resources accordingly. Managing wilderness fires in this manner provides for firefighter safety and reduces fire costs.
Management: Lance Delgado, Type 3 Incident Commander.
Cooperators: US Forest Service; Oregon Department of Forestry
Fire Weather: as of Sept. 11, 2009
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph. Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 42. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming east southeast. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 92. East wind between 3 and 6 mph. Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. East wind between 3 and 7 mph. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
