Pole Creek Fire Update

September 29, 2012

A local Type 3 Incident Management Team, John Erwert Incident Commander, assumed command of the Pole Creek Fire at 7:00 A.M. on Saturday morning. The incident command post will remain at the rodeo grounds east of Sisters.

Firefighters worked on the north end of the fire yesterday, mopping up hot spots and reinforcing existing lines. Crews are rehabilitating the lines on the east side from Three Creek Lake north along Forest Road 16.

Senator Jeff Merkley toured the fire area and the Incident Command Post on Friday.

Plans for Saturday are to continue working on the spots around the Trout Creek Butte and strengthening lines and mopping up.

The area around the fire remains closed to public access for public and firefighter safety. Included in the closure area are the Forest Road 16 (Three Creek Lake), Forest Road 15 (Pole Creek Road), and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). A reroute is in place for that portion of the PCT that is closed. See Inciweb.org/incidents/3244 for further details.

Smoke is expected to settle into low-lying areas around the fire until a season-ending weather event occurs. Citizens should take proper precautions when inversions occur and smoke becomes dense. There is a link to the Department of Environmental Quality website on Inciweb.

Weather over the next few days is forecast to be above normal afternoon temperatures and lower relative humidity values. A weak cold front is expected to push over the fire area on Friday night through Saturday, but little more than a few clouds are anticipated. Westerly winds are predicted to be 4-8 mph with gusts to 16 mph on Saturday afternoon.

Residents are reminded that the fire is not out and they should continue to monitor information sources for fire updates.

Basic Information

Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Unknown-under Investigation
Date of Origin Sunday September 09th, 2012 approx. 10:45 AM
Location 6 miles Southwest of Sisters, OR
Incident Commander John Erwert

Current Situation

Total Personnel 339
Size 26,285 acres
Percent Contained 85%
Estimated Containment

Date Monday October 15th, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved
Timber (litter and understory). Timber and brush.
Fire Behavior
Active burning with group tree torching on western flank of fire.
Significant Events 
Holding active fire on west flank with helicopter bucket drops. Mop-up progressing on fire outside the wilderness. Suppression rehabilitation well under way on the east flank of the fire.

Outlook Planned Actions
Scout open line on western edge of the fire in the wliderness and start handline constuction once scouting is completed. Continue holding, mopping-up, and suppression rehabilitation on remainder of fire.
Growth Potential
Medium
Terrain Difficulty
Medium
Remarks
Wilderness acres = 9,024; non-wilderness = 17,261 acres. 100% National Forest. Transfer of command to Deschutes IMT Type 3 (Erwert) occurred at 0700 hours today, September 29, 2012.

Current Weather

Wind Conditions 20 mph NW
Temperature 76 degrees
Humidity 19%

Unit Information
Deschutes National Forest
U.S. Forest Service
1645 Highway 20 East
Bend, OR 97701
Incident Contacts
Fire Information – Ken Malgren
Phone: 541-549-6935
Hours: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
more contacts »
Recent Articles
Phone Line Back Up
Announcement – 9 hrs. ago
Pole Creek Fire Update 09-29-12
News – 17 hrs. ago

Related Incident Links
Oregon Deq Air Quality Website
Protect Yourself From Wildfire Smoke
Glossary of Firefighting Terms
Firewise Communities – Prevention Planning
Fire Data on The Web and Google Earth
Real Time NOAA Satellite Smoke Imagery
Facebook – Stay Connected
Flickr – Photos and Video
Twitter – The Latest Updates
Temporary Flight Restriction Over Pole Creek
Deschutes County
Chuck Newport – Pole Creek Fire Thank You
Kari Fleegle, Incident Meteorologist 9/24 Weather
Fire Behavior Analyst – Roy Walker – September 22,
Deschutes County Health Services-Pole Creek Fire
Tyler Otterson, Operational Briefing

Incident Cooperators
American Red Cross
Black Butte Ranch Fire Department
City of Sisters
Cloverdale Fire Department
Deschutes County S.a.r.
Deschutes County Sheriff’S Office
Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon Dept of Transportation
Sisters – Camp Sherman Fire District
Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Dept.

REPOST

Source: InciWeb