Springfield, Ore. – The Holiday Farm Fire stayed put over the last 24 hours with no additional growth. The fire stands at 173,094 acres and is now 27 percent contained.
Elevated winds that are expected to arrive in the area early this afternoon will be the first test of containment lines since last week’s thunderstorms. Ridgetops throughout the fire have already undergone significant drying and will be exposed to sustained winds out of the south-southwest up to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Firefighters have been spending the majority of their time preparing for today’s weather event by strengthening hand and dozer lines and mopping up at least 25 feet into the interior.
Because there are several pockets of unburned vegetation within the perimeter of the fire, residents can expect to see smoke and some torching of trees within the footprint of the fire. Please refrain from calling 911 on these smokes. Up to seven helicopters will be available again to support firefighters on the ground.
Hazards along Highway 126 still exist. Road crews from ODOT and fire personnel continue to make progress cutting hazard trees and removing large debris from the road surface with heavy equipment. The McKenzie Highway remains closed from milepost 28 east to milepost 40. For more information regarding road closures and delays, visit https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Pages/Wildfire.aspx or www.tripcheck.com.
Level 1 and 2 evacuation notifications remain in effect for several communities within and bordering the fire area. For more information on current evacuation levels, visit www.lanecounty.org/mckenziefire for Lane County and www.linnsheriff.org/fire_live_updates_sept_2020/ for Linn County. Please continue to monitor cell phones, landlines, local media and official information sources for evacuation updates. Fire managers request that the public please avoid the area.
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