Sunday afternoon update: The Lane County Sheriff has lifted all evacuation notices associated with the Sweet Creek Milepost 2 fire. More info at https://www.lanecounty.org/news/sweetcreekfires
The Sweet Creek Milepost 2 fire near Mapleton is now 80% contained. Fire managers say continued cool, overcast weather has helped containment efforts, but hotter, drier weather is expected early this week.
The fire has scorched 307 acres.
Officials say smoke will be visible in the area for some time as the fire continues to burn in areas of heavy fuels. Rolling debris on the fire’s steep slopes continues to challenge mop up operations and create hazardous driving and working conditions for firefighters. To date, no injuries have been reported on the fire.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Mapleton area from 11:00 am Mon., Sept. 7 through 8:00pm Wed., Sept 9. Hot, dry, and strong easterly winds are expected starting Monday aftternoon.
In a Saturday fire update, officials said Labor Day weekend traffic along Highway 126 through the burn area has been moderate, but officials are still reminding travelers to allow extra time, drive slowly and be cautious of fire traffic.
Copyright 2020, KLCC
