Wildfire west of Waldo Lake grows.Byline: The Register-Guard Fires from last week's lightning storm continue to sprout in the Willamette National Forest The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of Oregon, US.[1] It contains 1,675,407 acres (2,618 mi², 6,780 km²) making it one of the largest national forests. , with one blaze near Waldo Lake Waldo Lake is a lake in the Cascade Mountains of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the second largest lake in Oregon with more than 10 square miles (26 km²) of water and a maximum depth of 420 feet. growing to 28 acres. The Waldo Mountain Fire was 2 1/2 miles west of Waldo Lake and was expected to burn for several days in high-elevation pine and fir forest, according to Willamette National Forest spokeswoman Judith McHugh. Forest officials have closed trails and forest roads in the area. The closure maps can be found on the Web at www.fs.fed.us/r6/willamette. The lightning storm caused more than 50 fires, most of which have been extinguished, McHugh said. However, fires that weren't immediately visible after the lightning strikes have started in recent days. To the northeast, the Lake George Fire west of Sisters has grown, causing state Department of Transportation officials to close Highway 242 for the second time this summer. Forest officials also closed part of the Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (also known as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail) is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail that runs from the United States border with Mexico to its border with Canada and follows the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and in the Mount Washington Wilderness along with other area recreation facilities. The fire has now burned 2,000 acres, is 5 percent contained and remains more than six miles from the Black Butte Ranch resort and 13 miles west of Sisters. More than 650 firefighters are battling the blaze, which is burning toward the east. Forest officials said the fire has a high growth potential. For information about trail and road closures from the Lake George Fire, go to www.inciweb.org/incident/ 410/. Meanwhile, crews will continue mopping up the Herman Complex Fire east of Cottage Grove through the end of this week. The 44-acre fire isn't expected to grow much more, according to officials with the Umpqua National Forest Umpqua National Forest, in southern Oregon's Cascade mountains, covers an area of one-million acres (4,000 km²), and borders Crater Lake National Park. External links
Forest officials expected smoke to rise periodically from the fire area until the first rain, but they will continue to monitor the site. To the north, a pair of fires continue to burn on the slopes of Mount Hood, closing numerous campsites and trails as well as parts of Highway 35 for safety reasons. The two largest fires are the Bluegrass bluegrass, any species of the large and widely distributed genus Poa, chiefly range and pasture grasses of economic importance in temperate and cool regions. In general, bluegrasses are perennial with fine-leaved foliage that is bluish green in some species. Fire in the Mount Hood Wilderness The Mount Hood Wilderness is a protected wilderness area inside the Mount Hood National Forest which is located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The area, about 47,000 acres (190 km²), includes the peak of Mount Hood and its upper slopes, and ranges from temperate rain forests at the and the Gumjuwac Fire in the Badger Creek Wilderness The Badger Creek Wilderness is located on the southern side of Mount Hood in the northwestern Cascades of Oregon, U.S., within Mount Hood National Forest. . The pair of blazes has burned 700 acres and are 15 percent contained with 598 firefighters taking part in the effort, according to the Northwest Oregon Interagency Team. Crews made good progress Monday digging lines around the larger Bluegrass Fire, with help from helicopters dropping fire retardant re·tar·dant adj. Acting or tending to retard. Often used in combination: flame-retardant pajamas for children; a fire-retardant security chest. . Meanwhile in north-central Washington, about 550 soldiers from Fort Lewis were sent Monday to fight two fires burning 83,436 acres between Winthrop and Conconully in the remote Chewuch Valley, The Associated Press reported. A shortage of local firefighting crews and unfavorable weather forecasts prompted the National Interagency Fire Center The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho, is the physical facility that is home to the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC), and the National Multi-Agency Coordination group (NMAC or MAC). in Boise to request help last week. Soldiers are expected be deployed for about two months, said Army Maj. Cathy Wilkinson, a 1st Corps plans and operations officer. |
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