Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 10
Green Ridge Fire Update
August 20, 2020 – 9:45 am
Incident Commander Alan Lawson
Agency Jurisdiction: Oregon Department of Forestry/USFS-Deschutes National Forest
Email: 2020.GreenRidge@firenet.gov
Twitter: @CentralORfire
Green Ridge Fire Information: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7012/
Central Oregon Fire Information: www.centraloregonfire.org
Fire Information Number: (360) 319-6582
Date Started: August 16, 2020
Acres: 1,937
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 0% containment
Jefferson County, Oregon – The Green Ridge fire started on August 16 approximately 12 miles northwest of Sisters, Oregon. High daytime temperatures and afternoon winds yesterday pushed the fire across containment lines on the eastern edge of the fire. In one spot, the fire crossed the FS 11 Road, and firefighters quickly caught that edge with a dozer line. The fire continued to back down the west side of Green Ridge and rolling material on the northwest edge of the fire caused a small area of slop-over overnight. The fire is currently mapped at 1,937 acres.
Today, firefighters will continue to use dozers to create containment lines on the eastern 2/3 of the fireline, while crews hold and improve the line through the heat of the day. Where the fire continues to back down the steep slopes of Green Ridge, firefighters will dig handline to stop the fire’s progress. The heavy and medium helicopters will continue to support the ground effort with bucket drops, and heavy airtankers will be available if the fire is pushed outside of containment lines again today.
A cooling trend today and tomorrow with lower temperatures and higher relative humidity should assist suppression operations; however, firefighters will still have to address typical Central Oregon afternoon winds. Fuel conditions remain extremely dry and contribute to fire spread. Crews will continue to grid outside the fireline to catch any spot fires that may occur.
The fire is staffed with almost 300 personnel including two interagency hotshot crews, two Type 2 initial attack crews, five 20-person handcrews, five Type 4 Engines, three Type 6 Engines, 11 dozers, two feller bunchers, eight water tenders, two skidgeons, three masticators and approximately 60 overhead positions.
Priorities continue to be public and firefighter safety, stopping fire movement to the 1120 road on the western side of the fire, and protecting private property, private timberlands and any critical infrastructure within and adjacent to the fire perimeter.
The Deschutes and Jefferson County Sheriffs’ offices issued a Level 2 (Get Set; prepare to leave at a moment’s notice) Evacuation notice for the following areas: residences north of Indian Ford Road; east of Green Ridge Rd 11 and west of Fly Lake Road (USFS 2055), and a Level 1 (Get Set) Pre-Evacuation notice for the following areas: residences along the south side of Indian Ford Road from Hwy 20 to Stevens Canyon Road; residences east of Fly Lake Rd (FS 2055) to Stevens Canyon Rd (including all residences along Stevens Canyon Rd); and private residences and campgrounds west of USFS 14 within the Metolius Basin in the Camp Sherman area. The departments will continue to work with fire managers to ensure public safety and prevent conflicts between citizens and fire operations.
The Deschutes National Forest also issued a fire closure order yesterday to minimize public entry into the fire area as well as reduce the amount of traffic on roads with increased fire vehicles. The closure extends from the east side of the FS 14 Road on the western edge, to the FS 1154 Road to the north, east of the FS 1129 Road on the eastern edge of the fire and the FS 1126 Road on the south. A complete description of the closure and a map can be found under the Announcement tab on the Green Ridge Fire page in Inciweb at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7012/
For the safety of the public and wildland fire personnel, all fire personnel are expected to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for preventing the spread of COVID-19. This includes limiting public access to the Incident Command Post (ICP) at Sisters Middle School and establishing alternate methods of public communication such as virtual public meetings and conference calls with cooperators. While COVID-19 circumstances are rapidly evolving, and federal agency guidance continues to adapt with the situation, NW Team 10 is prepared for wildland fire activity during this time.
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