Updated 9/3/22 12:30 p.m.
The Cedar Creek Fire grew more than 7,000 acres between Friday and Saturday. Saturday's fire update reported the fire to be at 16,303 acres. It remained at 12% containment.
After two days of hot weather fueled more active fire behavior, officials say Saturday morning's lingering clouds will help the fire be less active. Fire activity is expected to increase in the afternoon hours, but fire managers anticipate less growth than what they saw Friday.
Original story 9/3/22 7:00 a.m.:
Increased fire activity has prompted officials to raise evacuation levels to Level 3 -Go Now!- for some areas around the Cedar Creek Fire burning east of Oakridge.
Friday night the Lane County Sheriff’s Office issued the Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuation notices for the following areas:
- Islet Campground, North Waldo Campground and Harralson Horse Camp
- All dispersed camping and recreation in the area east of the Waldo Lake shoreline between the United State Forest Service forest closure to the north, and south to just north of Shadow Bay Campground, and east to the Charlton Lake and Taylor Lake areas. At this time, Shadow Bay Campground is not included in the evacuation notice.
- Forest Service Road 19 (Aufderheide Drive) from milepost 20 (just east of Kiahanie Campground) to milepost 35 (south of Roaring River Campground). This includes the Box Canyon Campground, Box Canyon Staging Area/Horse Camp and Skookum Creek Campground and all surrounding dispersed camping areas.
- Irish and Taylor Lake campgrounds and dispersed camping in the Charlton and Taylor lakes areas and north along the Pacific Crest Trail to Lindick Lake.
- Level 3- Go Now!- evacuation notices are issued when there is immediate and imminent danger and people in the areas identified should evacuate immediately. This means not taking time to gather belongings.
Level 2 (BE SET) is in effect for
- The area between Taylor Lake and Lemish Lake along the Taylor Burn Road, including the Many Lakes and Metolius-Windigo Trailheads. Level 2 means: You must prepare to leave at a moment’s notice, and this may be the only notice that you receive.
The lightning-caused Cedar Creek Fire has scorched 9,199 acres and is 12% contained. More than 700 people are working on the fire which began August 1 when a lightning storm caused 20 to 30 new fires on the Willamette National Forest.
The fire is burning in very steep and difficult to access terrain, including wilderness and roadless areas. Fire managers say crews have been constructing firelines away from the active fire edge, along roads and trails, where they have a better chance of successfully stopping the fire.
Officials say campers, hikers and other people planning to visit forested areas during the holiday weekend are encouraged to make alternate plans, and – at minimum – be aware of the threat of wildfire and lack of communications infrastructure in rural areas.
This story will be updated.
