Oregon wildfire updates: Cedar Creek Fire near Oakridge prompts Waldo Lake closures
The Cedar Creek Fire, burning about 12 miles east of Oakridge, grew to an estimated 900 acres Thursday afternoon, prompting a closure and evacuations to the Waldo Lake Wilderness.
The lightning-ignited fire was first detected Monday. It's burning in heavy timber about 3.5 miles west of Waldo Lake on the Willamette National Forest, according to Willamette National Forest wildfire spokesperson Kris Eriksen.
As of Thursday afternoon, four large air tankers were dropping fire retardant on the fire. Firefighters so far have had trouble accessing the wildfire because of steep terrain.
Officials revised Thursday afternoon the size of the fire and reported the fire moved from 18 miles to 12 miles east of Oakridge.
First report:500-acre Cedar Creek Fire burning 18 miles east of Oakridge
Because of the fire, the Willamette National Forest closed the Waldo Lake Wilderness area.
On Wednesday, forest officials closed the entire west side of Waldo Lake, including all trails and trailheads, the trail to Spirit Lake, and said hikers should not use trails off Forest Roads 2421 or 2424.
Eriksen said local fire engines patrolled the area Wednesday night to get campers and others to leave and are doing so again Thursday morning.
The decision about the east side, including the lake overall and campgrounds such as North Waldo and Shadow Bay, will be made in the next couple of days. For now, they are still open.
"It depends on the fire behavior and direction," Erikson said.
There are no major east winds in the forecast for the near future, according to fire officials said.
“(We’re) closing the entire Waldo Lake Wilderness area as a precaution as the fire is headed in that direction, away from the community of Oakridge,” the U.S. Forest Service added in a news release.
“While there is no need to panic, local engines patrolled the area last night to get campers and other recreationists out of the area and are continuing that effort this morning,” the federal agency said.
Eriksen said the public can expect a reverse 911 call at some point, but anyone with friends or family recreating in that area should contact them and inform them of the closures and the need to leave the area. If they can't be reached, call Lane County Non-Emergency line at 541-682-4150, and the message will be relayed to those on patrol.
An Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal incident command team is expected to take over there Thursday afternoon.
It spread north and east overnight Wednesday, but not west toward Oakridge.
Other Oregon wildfires updates, as of noon Thursday:
Oregon raked by 5,800 lightning strikes
Thunderstorms have kept firefighters busy across Oregon the past week, as a total of 5,800 strikes have hit the state since July 30, according to the Northwest Coordination Center.
The strikes have ignited most of the major fires currently burning across the state.
Before this system, Oregon had a lower than normal number of lightning strikes. In June, Oregon had 13,310 strikes for the entire month, which is 86% of normal. In July, the state had 12,940 strikes, which is 59% of normal.
Air quality advisory lifted for Jackson and Klamath counties, improves statewide
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality lifted an air quality advisory Thursday for Jackson and Klamath counties due to improved smoke conditions and a favorable weekend weather forecast.
Fires around Oregon and Northern California may still cause localized smoke impacts, but overall, air quality is good across the state except for being at “moderate” levels in the Bend area.
Gov. Kate Brow declares emergency in Wasco County
Gov. Kate Brown has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in response to the Miller Road/Dodge Fire in Wasco County. The fire sparked Tuesday and had burned about 1,000 acres of grass, brush and juniper near the community of Juniper Flats.
Residents of several homes near the fire were ordered to evacuate.
The emergency act is declared when a fire is a threat to life, safety and property and when that threat exceeds the capacity of local fire fighting personnel. It allows the state fire marshal to bring in additional firefighters and equipment from around the state.
McKinney Fire acreage grows to 58,668 acres, 10% contained
The largest wildfire in the area, the McKinney Fire, just south of the Oregon state line in California, grew to 58,668 acres acres as of Thursday morning. It is now the largest wildfire this year in California.
Fire reports said crews were able to work successfully behind Yreka, creating a dozer line along the ridge to protect structures. Some rain on Tuesday night brought small relief to portions of the McKinney Fire, but activity was expected to increase as dry temperatures continue.
Smoke from the McKinney Fire is projected to move east over the course of Wednesday, impacting communities such as Yreka, Horn Brook, Weed and Black Butte.
After the discovery of two individuals in separate residences inside the perimeter of the fire, the confirmed fatalities for the McKinney Fire reached four early Tuesday morning, according to officials.
McKinney Fire live updates: Unstable air could create hazardous conditions; death toll at four
Alex Fire, China 2, surrounding area fires now called 'Yeti Fire Complex'
The Alex Fire in the Klamath National Forest, nearby China 2 Fire and surrounding smaller lightning fires are now being called the Yeti Complex, according to the National Forest Service.
While cooler temperatures Tuesday evening helped moderate Yeti Fire activity overnight, warm and dry conditions in the forecast are creating hazardous conditions for firefighters moving forward through Wednesday, according to officials.
Potter Fire acreage accurately mapped at 85 acres
The Potter Fire, previously assumed to have grown to 400 acres on Potter Mountain, was remapped Tuesday and determined to be 85 acres, according to Northwest Incident Management. Northwest of Lemolo Lake and north of the North Umpqua River, on the border of Willamette and Umpqua national forests, the Potter Fire was 0% contained as of Wednesday morning.
Potter Fire acreage accurately mapped at 85 acres
The Potter Fire, previously assumed to have grown to 400 acres on Potter Mountain, was remapped Tuesday and determined to be 85 acres, according to Northwest Incident Management. Northwest of Lemolo Lake and north of the North Umpqua River, on the border of Willamette and Umpqua national forests, the Potter Fire was 0% contained as of Wednesday morning.
“We want to keep this fire’s footprint as small as possible and all assigned people and equipment will be focused on finding ways to work as close to the edge as safely possible. We are actively looking for every opportunity to stop the spread," Fire Management staff officer Ed Hiatt said in a news release.
"The fire was reported and very active although in a relatively remote area," the forest service said in a Facebook post.
Windigo Fire remapped at 978 acres, Tolo Mountain 75% contained
The Windigo Fire, burning in the area of Windigo Pass south of Diamond Peak, has been re-estimated at 978 acres, according to the forest service. The fire is actively burning timber off Forest Service Road 60 on the Douglas and Klamath counties divide in Umpqua National Forest, according to officials.
It's in a popular area near Timpanogas Lake. A large closure of trails and natural areas is in effect near the fire. A full list of closures can be found here. Weekend lightning storms resulted in roughly 220 strikes across Lake and Klamath counties, according to officials.
Nearby, the Tolo Mountain fire in the Deschutes National Forest is being held at 41 acres and is now 75% contained. Local crews remain to mop up the area until full containment is reached, an update from officials on Tolo Mountain said.
Statesman Journal outdoors reporter Zach Urness contributed to this report.
Contact reporter Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@registerguard.com. Follow on Twitter @DuvernayOR.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Cedar Creek Fire Oakridge grows overnight, prompts Waldo Lake closures
