Beachie Creek Fire Update, September 27

Acres: 192,838 acres                                                                                     Percent Containment: 56% 

Start Date: August 16, 2020                                                                        Cause: Under Investigation 

Origin Location: Opal Creek Wilderness:                                                  Fuels: Timber and logging slash 

two miles south of Jawbone Flats, six                                                       Flights: Temporary Flight 

miles north of Detroit, Oregon                                                                                 Restriction on east side    

Resources: 628                                                                                         

Firefighters transition to rehabilitation tasks, monitoring – but mission not over 

Residents Advised that Wind Shift Results in More Smoke 

Salem, Ore. – Sunday’s weather brings much drier air and pushes winds from the north to the south. This means residents just returning to their homes along the Highway 22 corridor will see and smell more smoke. This is not new fire; it’s a shift of wind direction. There is no need to call 911; each call takes firefighters away from their work. There has been no new fire growth from the current footprint, only interior tree stumps are smoldering. Creeping and smoldering will continue; smoke will continue, but communities are protected.  

With the Beachie Creek fire 55 percent contained – especially around communities – firefighters turn attention Sunday to monitoring the fire edge and ensuring any hot spots are destroyed. Rehabilitation on federal lands includes crews removing hose and pumps and clearing debris. Excavators and other types of heavy equipment are being used to finish direct and indirect lines, with a focus east of the Silver Falls State Park.  On private and state lands, the Oregon Department of Forestry conducts repairs which entail water bars and fixing fences cut during suppression. Engines will be used to patrol and mop up areas of heat and hazard trees adjacent to private property and associated infrastructure. 

In the coming weeks, warmer weather, low humidity, and winds will dry small sticks and organic material which, if next to burning tree stumps, could ignite and creep inside of the fire’s boundary in the northeast, towards the Bull of the Woods Wilderness. These heat sources will continue to smolder, and smoke will remain within the perimeter for weeks, but not affecting the perimeter. 

There is a lot of work going on around the Beachie Creek fire and property owners are repopulating the area. It is imperative to drive slowly and defensibly.   

The Marion and Linn County Sherriff Offices continue to evaluate and lower evacuation levels; check updates on their websites:   

• Marion County Sherriff’s website / evacuation maps: https://marioncounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5202b602f99647b9a16d488c545113b5 
• Linn County Sheriff’s website here:https://linngis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=56668b1f57cf4bec9be88420a37e1183 

The Willamette National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and State lands around the fire remain closed to the public. Go to InciWeb.gov for more information about closures in the area.