Camp Sherman, Ore. – With the Green Ridge Fire showing little sign of activity, Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team is preparing to hand the fire back to local resources. Incident Commander Link Smith and his team will transfer the fire to a Type 4 organization Wednesday, September 2. The 4,338-acre fire is now 75 percent contained.
Of concern to firefighter safety, crews observed a private drone flying over the fire area yesterday afternoon. While fire activity has diminished, aircraft is still being used to support ground operations. Even a tiny drone can cause a serious or fatal accident if it collides with firefighting aircraft. In most situations, if drones are spotted near a wildfire, firefighting aircraft must land due to safety concerns. Per the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 43 CFR 9212.1(f), it is illegal to resist or interfere with the efforts of firefighter(s) to extinguish a fire.Doing so can result in a significant fine and/or a mandatory court appearance. So, be smart and just don’t fly your drone anywhere near a wildfire. No amount of video or photos are worth the consequences.
Fire crews will be blessed with favorable weather for today’s mop-up operations. Low clouds with a possibility of sprinkles will hover over the fire area this morning. Clouds will slowly dissipate this afternoon with temperatures in the high 70’s.
The Deschutes National Forest Area Closure remains in place while FS Road 14 and associated campgrounds remain open. Visit inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7012/ for additional fire and Forest Area Closures information.
