Oregon State Police - Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal Black Crater Fire Conflagration Situation Report #2

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Oregon State Police - Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal

Black Crater Fire Conflagration Situation Report #2

OREGON STATE FIRE MARSHAL (OSFM) INCIDENT SITUATION REPORT

1330 hours 28 July 2006

Prepared by Donna Disch

OSFM REPORT
TYPE OF INCIDENT:
Conflagration

INCIDENT NAME: Black Crater

DATE AND TIME FIRE STARTED: 23 July 2006 @ 1900

For Conflagration: DATE AND TIME CONFLAGRATION DECLARED: 27 July 2006 at 1545 hours by Governor Theodore Kulongoski and requested by Deschutes County Fire Defense Board Chief Taylor Robertson.

LOCATION: Deschutes County Three Sisters Wilderness, SW of Sisters. At 1000 hours on 28 July 2006 the fire was reported to be 1 mile from the Tollgate subdivision evacuation trigger and 2 miles from the town of Sisters.

SIZE: 2684 acres

CAUSE: Lightning

STATUS: Fire behavior is extreme and is 0 percent contained, has a high growth potential in steep terrain and temperatures of about 80 degrees with SW winds. Haines Index is 5 and the most severe. Fire behavior expected to become more severe this afternoon. Winds are 15-20 miles per hour with gusts of 25. Temperatures are expected to cool. Observed fire behavior includes short upslope runs with some crown fire and individual tree torching visible from Sisters and Black Butte Ranch area and points along Highway 20.

Structural fire task forces from Clackamas, Lane, Linn and Benton counties worked throughout the night to protect structures and rested in the morning, going back to fires around structures during the afternoon when the fire behavior becomes more extreme. Four Central Oregon Task Forces and a Marion County Strike Team protected homes from fires in the evacuated Crossroads subdivision and residences on Edgington Road.

Road and area closure prohibits public access on approximately 70,000 acres around the incident. The purpose of the closure is to protect public health and safety and provide for safe firefighting. The closure will remain in effect until further notice.

Fire managers are protecting private property east of the fire perimeter and are maintaining and enforcing road and area closure for firefighter and public safety. Air operations will continue when air resources are available. They are keeping the public informed of the status of this highly visible fire.

RESIDENCES THREATENED: 250 residences currently threatened.

A plan identified a fire perimeter trigger point for residents to receive notification for a possible evacuation and a second trigger point for residents to be asked to evacuate. The plan applied to 9 identified subdivisions in the Sisters area.

STRUCTURES THREATENED: Various outbuildings, Ponderosa Land and Cattle Company Property, Linfield College Cabin, Trout Creek Butte Lookout.

RESIDENCES EVACUATED:
On 27 July 2006 Deschutes County Sheriff and Emergency Services safely evacuated 496 residents from 204 homes of the Crossroads subdivision and Edgington Road. The Crossroads subdivision has 175 homes and 423 residents while Edgington Road has 29 homes and 73 residents. Tollgate subdivision is on notices with 403 homes and 1033 residents. The town of Sisters has 856 homes and 2140 residents.

The Greater Sisters Community Wildfire Protection Plan identified the structural vulnerable of the Crossroads subdivision as high to extreme for structural ignitability.

RESIDENCES LOST: 1 – cabin in unprotected area

OTHER STRUCTURES LOST:

COMMUNITY MEETINGS:
Date: 29 July 2006
Time: 1000 hours
Place: High School in Sisters

Date: 28 July 2006
Time: 1930 hours
Place: High School in Sisters

DONE:
Date: 28 July 2006
Time: 1000 hours
Place: High School in Sisters
Comments: Attended by about 100 citizens.

Date: 27 July 2006
Time: Evening
Place: High School in Sisters
Comments: 400-500 attending

INJURIES/FATALITIES: None known

SPECIAL CONDITIONS: Fire threatens private lands including timberlands, campgrounds and spotted owl habitat.

Limited access, dead standing timber and continuous downed fuels, continued hot and dry weather, minimal air resources.

AGENCIES INVOLVED IN SUPPRESSION:

INCIDENT COMMANDER: --WILDLAND OR OTHER (STATE WHICH TYPE): Type 2 Northwest Oregon Incident Management Team: Joint letter of delegation with Oregon Department of Forestry as a signatory issued to IC Carl West on 26 July 2006.

STRUCTURAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: Ted Kunz

COOPERATING AND ASSISTING AGENCIES: Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Department of Forestry, City of Sisters, Deschutes County Sheriff, Sisters School District, Sisters/Camp Sherman/Black Butte fire districts.

OSFM RESOURCES –

Task Force/Strike Team	# of Personnel	# of Equipment	Fire Departments
Clackamas County Task Force #1	1	Support	Boring
Clackamas County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Lake Oswego
Clackamas County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Boring
Clackamas County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Clackamas
Clackamas County Task Force #1	2	Type II Tender	Estacada
Clackamas County Task Force #1	3	Type III Engine	Sandy
Clackamas County Task Force #1	2	Command	Canby
	20
Linn County Task Force #1	1	Command	Albany
Linn County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Albany
Linn County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Albany
Linn County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Sweet Home
Linn County Task Force #1	2	Type II Tender	Tangent
Linn County Task Force #1	3	Type III Engine	Lebanon
	18
Lane County Task Force #1	2	Command	Coberg
Lane County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Lane County
Lane County Task Force #1	3	Type I Engine	Springfield Fire
Lane County Task Force #1	2	Type II Engine	South Lane County
Lane County Task Force #1	3	Type III Engine	Lane RFPD
Lane County Task Force #1	2	Type III Engine	McKenzie
	16
Benton County Task Force #1	2	Command	Corvallis
Benton County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Alsea
Benton County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Corvallis
Benton County Task Force #1	4	Type I Engine	Philomath
Benton County Task Force #1	3	Type III Engine	Corvallis
Benton County Task Force #1	2	Type II Tender	Corvallis
	19
Marion County Strike Team #1	1	Command	Salem
Marion County Strike Team #1	2	Tender	Hubbard
Marion County Strike Team #1	2	Tender	Stayton
Marion County Strike Team #1	2	Tender	Jefferson
Marion County Strike Team #1	2	Tender	Marion County
Marion County Strike Team #1	2	Tender	Silverton
Marion County Strike Team #1	1	Tender	Salem
Marion County Strike Team #1	1	Support	Marion County
Marion County Strike Team #1	1	Support	Salem
Marion County Strike Team #1	14
Total task force participants for Black Crater Conflagration	87

Task force: one task force leader with command vehicle, capability to refill own water tanks, three type I or II engines with off-pavement capability, one type III engine and one tender.

OSFM INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM: Green Team

Position	Name	Fire Service
Administrator	State Fire Marshal Nancy Orr	OSFM
Agency Representative	Chief Deputy Randy Simpson	OSFM
IC	Ted Kunze	Canby Fire
Deputy IC	John Ingrao	Clackamas
IIO	Colleen Olson	OSFM
Safety Officer	Marc Rogelstad	Boardman
Planning	Jim Whelan	Stanfield
Deputy Planning	Dennis Ross	Hillsboro
Resource Unit Leader	Paul Nees	OSFM
Logistics	Dave Fields/Glen Eisner	OSFM/Portland
Finance	Keith Brown	OSFM
Ops Chief	Dana Burwell	Springfield Fire & Rescue
Deputy Ops	Bruce Weimer	La Grande
Div/Grp Supervisors	Perry Palmer/Kevin Anderson/Ray Brunton/Wes Hively	Lebanon/Albany/Springfield/McKenzie
Communications Unit	Bruce Bjerke/Jim Taylor**	Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue/Redmond
Communications Techs	Jeff Klupenger/Drew Holmes	Sisuslaw Valley/Redmond

** Communications Unit is made up of representatives from ARESMAT: Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) Mutual Assistance Teams (MAT)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

OSFM Black Crater Conflagration information: http://egov.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/Conflag_Black_Crater.shtml
Visit the Northwest Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team website: http://www.nworegonimt.com/standby.htm
Total costs to date: $320,000.
The Red Cross has set up assistance center at the high school in Sisters.
Residents needing assistance to shelter animals may call 541-923-0882.
Staging area is the ODOT yard off Highway 20 in Sisters, Oregon.
The incident command post is located at the Sisters Middle School in Sisters, Oregon
Wildfire…Evacuation Readiness http://egov.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/docs/Comm_Ed/WUI/wildfire_evac.doc
After the Wildfire… http://egov.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/docs/Comm_Ed/WUI/After_a_wildfire.doc
More information is available at OSFM website: http://egov.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM under Wildland Urban Interface and Emergency Mobilization and http://egov.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/docs/Comm_Ed/WUI/WUIR_1_Conflagration_Impact.pdf

PRESS RELEASES:
27 July 2006: Black Crater Fire near Sisters declared as Oregon's second conflagration

OTHER RESOURCES:
Oregon Department of Forestry
http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/OPS/daily.shtml

Pacific Northwest Fire Situation Report (NW Interagency Coordination Center):
http://www.nwccweb.us/information/fire_info.asp

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