September 4 Gw Fire Update PM
Incident: Gw Fire Wildland Fire
Released: 9/4/2007
GW Fire
Central Oregon Incident Management Team and Office of State Fire Marshal Incident Management Team
Unified Incident Commanders:
Mark Rapp - COIMT
Jim Stearns.-OSFM
September 4, 2007 PM
Residents of Black Butte Ranch were informed at a community meeting this afternoon they can return to their homes at 6:00 this evening. Black Butte Fire Chief Ed Sherrell announced the Black Butte Ranch will still remain under a Level 2 Evacuation notice.
The immediate threat has subsided with a 1/4 inch of rain that the area experienced today and the aggressive firefighting of the fire near the Black Butte Ranch. Firefighters will continue with mop-up taking advantage of the cooler temperatures and higher humidity in the next few days. Structural fire protection crews who were activated last night through the State Fire Marshal's Office will be demobilized this afternoon
SPECIAL NOTICES:
The Governor of the State of Oregon invoked the Conflagration Declaration last night at 8:30 pm which authorizes the State Fire Marshal to mobilize additional structure protection resources from around the State to support the local structural resources in the Black Butte Ranch area. Approximately 20 additional engines and water tenders from the counties of Clackamas, Yamhill, Linn, and Benton are expected to arrive this morning at 9 am. A Unified Command between the State Fire Marshal's Incident Management Team and the Central Oregon Incident Management Team will occur today. The two teams will integrate and work together to coordinate resources working within the Black Butte Ranch and continuation of suppression of the main fire.
Evacuation of Black Butte Ranch was successfully completed yesterday afternoon. The decision to evacuate was made due to the active fire behavior and for public safety. An American Red Cross Evacuation Shelter was established at the Sisters Community Church at 1300 West McKenzie Highway in Sisters.
FIRE SITUATION:
All perimeters of the fire were active yesterday. Gusty, 30 mph winds moved the fire in a northeasterly direction which prompted the decision to evacuate Black Butte Ranch. Once the winds subsided for the evening, night operations with eight dozers, five hand crews, and five engines began direct attack on the fire. Approximately seven miles of dozer line was successfully constructed and burned out by hand crews securing the constructed line on the northeast, east, and southeast flanks.
Today, firefighters will continue to secure the line constructed last night and mop-up and hold the line on the north flank. Two hotshot crews will begin working from the Washington Wilderness Area boundary constructing line on the fires edge headed west.
FIRE LOCATION:
The GW Fire is burning in the vicinity of Dry Creek on the lower east slope of Mt. Washington. The western portion of the fire is in the Mt. Washington Wilderness. The eastern edge is about 1/2 mile west of Black Butte Ranch.
TOTAL ACRES
FIRE CAUSE
CONTAINMENT
TOTAL PERSONNEL
7,300
Lightning
5%
800
FIRE CAMP/HELIBASE LOCATION: The incident command post is located at the Allingham Guard Station near Camp Sherman. The public will notice increased traffic in and around Camp Sherman and Highway 20 near the Camp Sherman road junction.
RESOURCES ASSIGNED:
Additional resources have been ordered and are arriving hourly.
Hand Crews
Engines
Water Tenders
Dozers
Helicopters
Overhead
Camp
Crews
24
43
22
10
9
139
2
CLOSURES:
Forest Road 2060 is closed from Hwy 20 to Hwy 242, and all lands west to the Pacific Crest Trail and north of Hwy 242 are also closed. The Pacific Crest Trail, however, is open. The north boundary of the closure is the 2067 and 500 roads. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area.
WEATHER:
A low pressure system will move across the fire area today bringing much cooler temperature, much higher humidity, a wind shift, and rain to the fire area. West-northwest winds will be gusty in the afternoon and evening, with drying expected tonight. The forecast is calling for temperatures in the mid 50s in the lower elevations and up to 65 degrees at higher elevations; humidity are expected up to 80% at the upper elevations; winds are expected to be from the west/southwest 5- 10 mph becoming northwest 10 mph by late morning with gust expected to 20 mph.
