August’s forecast is prime fire weather: hot, dry and windy.
Ed Hiatt, the Pacific Northwest Assistant Fire Director for the US Forest Service, said there’s also a chance over the next week that dry lightning could spark more fires.
“We already have a lot of fires on the landscape,” he said. “Most of our resources that are available are out working on fires and so any new fires, we will work at it, but it will probably mean pulling firefighters from other fires to go to the new ones.”
Hiatt says some relief should be arriving soon, in the form of firefighters from Australia and the Oregon National Guard.
He said in the meantime, anyone who lives in a fire-prone area should clear defensible space around their home and be ready to evacuate.
“Be prepared to act,” he said. “If you are in an evacuation area don’t hesitate, have your go bag and follow the directions of the folks who are asking you to leave.”
He said anyone who has a camping trip or hike planned should also look up forest and park closures ahead of time. Some natural areas and parks are in active fire zones and others are closed in anticipation of fire risk.
Fire officials say crews did make headway on several significant fires, in part thanks to a few days of cooler temperatures and light rains.
Several fires in the Oakridge Lightning complex, which is a group of seven fires that covers more than 8,000 acres between Chalk Creek and Coffee Creek in the Willamette National forest, have reached higher containment levels.
The Chalk Fire, which is 3,655 acres, was 40% contained as of Thursday. The smallest fires in the complex, Tire Mountain Fire and 217 Fire, which were a few dozen acres each, are both 100% contained.
The Pyramid Fire burning in Linn County in the East of Middle Santiam Wilderness and the Slate Fire burning near Detroit have also seen progress.
The Slate Fire, which is about 91 acres, is 77% contained. The Pyramid Fire, which is nearly 1,200 acres, is 13% contained.
The Ore Fire, which is burning seven miles northeast of Blue River, is now 29% contained. The fire is a little over 1,500 acres and has burned across steep, difficult terrain.
According to an update Thursday, crews are now patrolling to ensure no rolling debris breaches the fire line.