Cedar Creek Fire: East winds this week didn't challenge containment lines

Adam Duvernay, Register-Guard
·2 min read
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Containment strategies around the Cedar Creek Fire burning east of Oakridge are expected to remain fairly constant through the weekend as a new team takes over.

Easterly winds blowing over the fire Wednesday evening into Thursday morning stirred up some of the fire's interior but didn't greatly challenge firefighters' containment lines, said Northwest Incident Management Team 9 Public Information Officer Eric Hendrickson. Firefighters expect to continue strengthening those lines over the weekend.

A new incident management teamplans to take over control of the fire after the weekend, and Hendrickson said it's unlikely firefighting strategies will shift during the transition. Along with strengthening lines, Hendrickson said firefighters are working to analyze where hazards, such as downed trees, can be removed to give them better access to the wildfire.

"Those evaluations are ongoing now to see what kind of operations we can safely do," Hendrickson said.

The Cedar Creek Fire was 121,249 acres Friday morning and 38% contained, according to an update from Northwest Incident Management Team 9. There were 624 people assigned to the fire Friday morning, down from 991 Sunday.

More:Summer-like hot, dry weather expected to continue in Willamette Valley, Pacific Northwest

The Cedar Creek Fire has been burning west of Oakridge since it was sparked by an Aug. 1 lightning strike.

Initial response was hampered by steep terrain, which made it difficult to access for firefighters and their equipment. The fire initially moved more toward the west where it threatened recreational areas around Waldo Lake.

A Sept. 9 east wind event, however, pushed the Cedar Creek Fire west toward the Oakridge-Westfir area, prompting a full evacuation of the area. Those communities were spared when the winds died down. Firefighters then focused much of their attention on securing the western perimeter and burning unburnt areas in case the east winds returned.

A firefighter walks the line along a back burn on the northwest flank of the Cedar Creek Fire east of Oakridge.
A firefighter walks the line along a back burn on the northwest flank of the Cedar Creek Fire east of Oakridge.

Weather factored into how much and where firefighters could conduct such operations over the last few weeks, including theeast winds that made burning unsafe and high moisture levels which reduced the effectiveness of back burning.

More:Cedar Creek Fire: Firefighters preparing for dry conditions, east wind through weekend

A Burned Area Emergency Response team arrived earlier this week to begin their assessment of the Cedar Creek Fire. The BAER program aims to manage risks to human life, property and natural resources from post-wildfire conditions.

The team comprised of U.S. Forest Service specialists is conducting field surveys using modeling to rapidly assess watersheds on National Forest System lands and determine if emergency treatments are needed on national forest lands.

Team members will assess the watershed for the potential of post-fire rain-related impacts, such as increased flooding, debris flow and soil erosion, according to a news release. The team will recommend emergency response strategies that should be completed by Willamette and Deschutes National Forest supervisors before the first damaging storm.

The team's assessment should be completed by mid-October, according to the news release.

Contact reporter Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@registerguard.com Follow on Twitter @DuvernayOR.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Cedar Creek Fire: East winds this week didn't challenge containment