Wizard Fire Update for Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Incident: Wizard Wildland Fire
Released: 9/30/2008
Camp Sherman, OR --- Yesterday, fire crews were successful in further securing containment lines along the perimeter of the Wizard Fire and began to burn out unburned islands of vegetation. Most of the work is focused along the northern boundary of the fire near the Green Ridge Lookout. The northern fire line has been safely constructed and secured some distance in front of the main fire. Fire crews will slowly introduce fire and manage its progress to create conditions that will allow it to burn the light ground fuels and avoid killing the larger trees. This "underburn" is designed to reduce or eliminate the grasses, small shrubs and dead debris on the forest floor. Helicopters dropping water and air tankers were used to pre-treat the area between the fire line and the head of the fire to further manage and slow the spread of the fire.
Today, crews will continue this strategy under favorable conditions and the results should leave a natural-looking Ponderosa Pine forest. On the western flank of the fire, along Forest Service Road 14, large chippers will begin to chip thinning slash and roadside vegetation and broadcast the mulch along the road to secure the fire lines.
The weather today is predicted to be very similar to yesterday, with very light isolated winds. The fuels or vegetation within the fire area remain very dry and conditions exist for intense fire behavior. Cooler temperatures and higher humidities are expected later this week, so the next few days will be critical to actively manage the fire. Night and swing-shift crews will continue the burn-out operations and monitor the results and are prepared to respond to any potential escape fire.
For further information on road and campground closures around the fire area, please check the Deschutes National Forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r6/deschutes.
Tom Lavagnino
ORCA IMT PIO
