Residents of western Lane County are on evacuation status because of multiple wildfires that authorities tied to an arson suspect who was arrested Tuesday.
The Sweet Creek Milepost 2 Fire is a cluster of fires burning on private forestland 1 mile southeast of Mapleton.
Lane County Sheriff’s Department and Oregon State Police arrested Elias Pendergrass, 44, of Mapleton, charging him with first-degree arson.
The Oregon Department of Forestry had estimated the Sweet Creek Milepost 2 Fire to be burning at 513 acres as of Tuesday. It revised that estimate to 382 acres in a press release Wednesday.
The fire has prompted Level 3 evacuations, meaning go now, in Hadsall Creek. Sweet Creek Road was at Level 2, which means be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice, as of Tuesday. Bernhardt Creek road and Duncan Island road were at Level 1, which means be ready or prepared to evacuate.
Firefighting crews work against the clock to contain the Sweet Creek Milepost 2 Fire southeast of Mapleton, Ore., before the return of hot and dry temperatures.
Marcus Kauffman / Marcus Kauffman, Oregon Department of Forestry
It’s one of nine larger wildfires throughout the state of Oregon that have crews working against the clock to contain. Starting Tuesday, Oregon faces extremely hot temperatures for the next few weeks, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. That could make containing fires more difficult.
Oregon Department of Forestry’s public information officer Jamie Knight said fire crews worked through the night on the Sweet Creek Complex and were able to create a perimeter around the fire. Fire crews removed available fuels along handlines they created and used roads and the Siuslaw River as pre-existing fire breaks, but the fire remained at 0% contained as of Tuesday.
“A lot of the work that was done overnight was continuing to construct lines, improve lines that were built yesterday and on Sunday and just improving the overall situation,” she said.
Knight said so far, any forward movement of the fire has been checked and contained, but warmer, drier weather and gusty winds could test fire lines.
“Typically, before we show containment, we like to have a little buffer between the fire and unburned fuels,” she said.
Knight expects the containment number to go up.
Central Oregon wildfires
On the Willamette National Forest’s Opal Creek Wilderness, the Beachie Creek Fire was still at 0% containment Tuesday and doubled in acres burned. Cooler, more humid weather has helped firefighters the past several days to keep the fire down. But as the weather is predicted to be drier and warmer over the next several days, there may be an increase in smoke in the area.
Several Willamette National Forest roads, trails and lands around the fire area are still closed.
The Frog Fire, which is 8 miles south of Post, was 95% contained Tuesday and had burned 4,020 acres. Crews are working to achieve full containment this week.
The White River Fire, 20 miles west of Wamic, was 10% contained Tuesday and had burned 15,411 acres. The fire, which was started by lightning, may see an increase in fire activity as hotter and drier weather is forecast this week.
Fire crews will continue to construct control lines and improve existing containment lines, which are physical barriers, like a strip on the soil created with hand tools that leave no vegetation or an existing road, that are built around the fires.
On the Warm Springs Reservation, the Lionshead fire was 25% contained Tuesday. On Monday, the fire expanded to the southeast and crews are working on containing those fire spots. Fire crews are also extending fire lines on the southwestern corner and looking for ways to engage the fire directly. The other fire in the area is the P-515 Fire, which was 85% contained Tuesday.
Twelve miles northwest of Sisters, the Green Ridge fire was 85% contained and fire crews expected full containment by the end of the day Tuesday.
Eastern and Southern Oregon fires
The Indian Creek Fire burning 9 miles east of Juntura was 85% contained Tuesday and had burned 48,128 acres. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Meacham Complex Fire 10 miles north of La Grande was 80% contained and had burned 753 acres. Some burning and smoldering in heavier fuels remain, particularly in the northeast corner where crews will continue to work. The fire line is complete and suppression repair work continues. The cause of the fire is also under investigation.
The Crane Fire was 95% contained and had burned 2,993 acres.