MITCHELL, Ore. – Firefighters took a moment this morning during briefing to reflect on lives lost as a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
Firelines on the Shoe Fly Fire were tested Tuesday by steady winds. Lines held and the fire remained in the existing footprint. Increased acreage today is not due to perimeter growth, but is the result of better mapping, data collection and burning inside the fireline. Hard work put in by firefighters and landowners has increased containment to 41%.
Mop up continues across all areas of the fire. In the northwest portion of the incident, crews have reached 300 feet into the interior of the fire and are mitigating hazard trees and patrolling the area. In the southeast, mop up has progressed to 200 feet. In the northeast and southwest parts of the fire, where fire had been active most recently, mop up ranges from 50 feet to 100 feet.
Crews are completing suppression repair to mitigate erosion and water quality impacts, installing water bars to divert water into green vegetation for filtering sediment.
Rain is expected to arrive across the incident today, with the potential to have more than a tenth of an inch fall on the fire. Firefighters will use this rain to their advantage, exposing ash pits and allowing the moisture to penetrate and cool hotspots.
With the arrival of the rain, winds may push in all directions, however fire behavior is expected to be minimal. Light fuels such as grass are not likely to carry fuel with the increased moisture. Firefighters will be focused on breaking up larger fuels and areas where tree roots are burning under the surface.
Evacuation notices for residents around the fire remain unchanged and continue to be evaluated by the Wheeler County Sheriff, Wheeler County Fire Defense Board Chief, and Team 1 Operations personnel. More information on current evacuations is available at https://tinyurl.com/RAPTOR-Evacuation-Info
With increased containment on the fire, some resources are being released to return home for rest or are being reassigned to other incidents in the area.