As additional portions of line are secured each day, more resources are focusing on removing hazard trees and slash, removing equipment from the fire line and conducting suppression repair work.
“Little things add up to big successes in terms of our tactical and strategic goals for the fire,” said John Spencer, operations chief trainee.
Planning is under way to escort residents of the Stahlman Cabins and Sportsman Club into the area to retrieve belongings. In other work, Resource Advisors (READs) coordinated with engineers to develop a plan that will allow loggers to retrieve equipment from three harvest plots located in the interior of the fire.
Tuesday, crews finished clearing hazard trees and fire debris from around Detroit’s water treatment site and the intake from Breitenbush Creek, making it safe for work to resume.
Two helicopters dropped 72,000 gallons of water on Mt. Bruno and in the fire finger to the north. READs from Mt. Hood National Forest conducted a survey of Bull trout – which are listed as a threatened species — along Pinhead Creek.
As resources move around the fire to work in different areas, firefighters take care to prevent the transfer of non-native or potentially invasive species. For example, crews take care to clean their boots and pressure wash the undercarriages of equipment and vehicles to remove plants and seeds. Pumps, hoses and fish screens are also sanitized. Helicopter buckets are cleaned and sanitized before they begin dipping out of a new water source.
Weather: Winds are expected to pick up today and also change from a southeast-west trajectory to a southwest-west path. Temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s, then start tapering off to the low 50s by Saturday. Significant rain is expected west of the Cascade Crest, with typically lighter rainfall on the east side of the fire zone.
Closures: Most fire area closures remain in effect, but the vast majority of public lands managed by the USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management that were closed as a precautionary action during the period of high potential for fire starts and rapid growth have reopened.
Hunters can visit https://myodfw.com/articles/2020-wildfires-impact-hunting-fishing-wildlife for information about hunt status, unit accessibility and more.
Weather: Winds are expected to pick up today and also change from a southeast-west trajectory to a southwest-west path. Temperatures will be in the 80s, then start tapering off to the low 50s by Saturday.
Evacuations: Evacuation levels remain unchanged for the communities on the west side of the fire. More information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7049/
