Monday Fire Update: 9/4/2023 1030 PDT

The CAMP CREEK FIRE is located in the Mt. Hood National Forest, about 10 miles northeast of Sandy, Oregon, that was sparked by lightning on August 25, 2023.

Fire behavior has been observed as moderate with creeping and smoldering and continues to threaten water infrastructure.

The fire has burned about 1,902 acres of timber, closed timber litter, and brush. There is an 11% containment status.

There are about 540 total personnel with an increase of 20 alongside 13 crews, 21 engines, and four helicopters.

Incident Cooperators include:

  • Great Basin National IMT Team 1
  • USFS
  • OR DOF
  • US DOI
  • Other local, county, State, and Federal resources

Per Fire Officials: South to the southeast of the fire, between the fire’s perimeter and Forest Road 14, firefighters are using large equipment to construct a fireline. In the green pockets between Forest Roads 12 and 14, adjacent to the fire, crews continue firing operations where conditions are favorable. Firing operations refers to firefighters burning off small pockets of vegetation to reduce the amount of available fuel along the fire’s perimeter.

In addition to firing operations, crews are limbing and thinning trees and improving old logging roads. This work will create a fuel break and reduce ladder fuels. Ladder fuels refer to smaller trees and the lower limbs of trees, lichen, moss, and shrubs. Removing these ladder fuels reduces the chance of fire climbing into the canopies of the larger trees.

Along Forest Road 12, firefighters used chainsaws and chipped “slash,” cut brush and woody material, to remove vegetation. Firefighters are also using large chippers to reduce this material to wood chips. They then move these burnable materials into the “green” or unburned side of the control line, distributing it
outside of the fire area where it’s unlikely to ignite. A secure fireline will have no burnable vegetation adjacent to it so a ground fire cannot cross it.

Today, fire information officers will be stationed at Hoodland Thriftway in Welches, OR., from 1 – 6 p.m., Country Market in Corbett, OR, from 12 – 2 p.m., and Aims Community Church in Aims, OR, from 3 – 6 p.m. to provide fire information and answer questions in-person.

Closures and Evacuations: Barlow Wayside Park and the Sandy Ridge Recreation Site are temporarily closed due to fire activity. To receive critical emergency messaging via email, phone call, or text, Clackamas County residents can by sign up at https://www.clackamas.us/dm/publicalerts

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): There is a TFR over the fire area, which includes public drone use. If you fly, we can’t – illegal drone use in a TFR area can halt critical air resource support and may result in high fines to the user.

CTD: $7 Million Dollars.

Photo Credit: Camp Creek Fire Facebook Page

(c) 2023 NW Fire Blog