Quick Facts: Bachelor Complex
Size: 11,742 acres Start Date: September 8, 2024 Location: 20 miles SW Bend, OR
Personnel: 140 Containment: 50%
Forest Service Road (FSR) 40 will be reopened to the public today at 5:00pm. The FSR 45 closure points will be at the FSR 45 and FSR 40 junction and the FSR 45 and Cascade Lakes Highway junction.
This will be the last written daily update for the Bachelor Complex Incident. Future updates will be produced intermittently as needed. Information of significance on the Bachelor Complex fires will continue to be shared on the Deschutes National Forest Facebook page, Central Oregon Fire Information X/Twitter, Central Oregon Fire Information website, and Inciweb.
Bachelor Complex:
Yesterday, a cold front moved through the fire area with sustained winds of 10 to 20 mph and gusts between 25 to 40 mph out of the southwest. This brought increased smoke from the Bachelor Complex into the surrounding areas. The front seemed to have very little effect on the Little Lava Fire with minimal growth observed on the uncontrolled northern edge. Only a small amount of rain was reported on the far western edge of the fire.
With the high winds yesterday bringing significant risk to firefighter safety, resources were pulled off the line at 11:00am. Prior to the wind event, aviation resources were used to assist firefighters in controlling pockets of interior heat adjacent to the line in the southwest corner of the Little Lava Fire. Around 1:00pm the wind shifted direction and there were reports of trees coming down in the interior of the fire due to the strong winds.
Today, mop-up efforts will continue on the southern edge of the fire and firefighters will start to prepare FSRs 4525 and 4529 in the southwestern area of the fire as containment features. Firefighters will monitor and patrol the lines in the northeast area of the fire as the objectives in that area have been met. Suppression repair efforts on the east side of the fire will begin in the next couple of days.
Weather and Fire Behavior:
Mild and dry conditions will prevail over the fire area today with temperatures in the 60s-70s. Light terrain driven wind will shift to a light west wind in the afternoon. Mild and dry conditions will persist through the weekend.
Closures: While evacuations have been lifted, there is still a temporary emergency fire closure in place on the Deschutes National Forest for the Bachelor Complex. To view the closure order and map, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/deschutes/alerts-notices.
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ordef-bachelor-complex-fires
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CentralOregonFireInfo?app=desktop
Fire Information Line: (541) 249-9829, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Smoke & Air Quality Information: fire.airnow.gov
