Ochoco WFU Fire Complex/Bridge Creek Fire
Location: 5 Miles S of Mitchell, Wheeler Co., OR
Specific Location: Mt. Pisgah, Lat 44°28′30″, Lon 120°13′24″
Date of Origin: 08/07/2008
Cause: lightning
Situation as of 08/27/2008 6:00 PM
Personnel: 340 (not updated)
Size: 4,891 acres
Percent contained: 100%
Costs to date: not updated, est. $4.4 million
Mop up patrol and rehab.
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Situation as of 08/25/2008 8:00 PM
Personnel: 340
Size: 4,891 acres
Percent contained: 100%
Costs to date: $4,171,782
Local type 3 team will take over the incident at 0600 on 8/26.
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Situation as of 08/24/2008 8:00 PM
Personnel: 489
Size: 4,891 acres
Percent contained: 91%
Costs to date: $3,873,386
Adjusted breakdown of acres by ownership: 2,796 acres on USFS, 1,963 acres on private, and 132 acres on BLM.
Demob of excess resources will occur on 8/25 and 8/26 to downsize to a type 3 organization of approximately 200 personnel.
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Situation as of 08/22/2008 8:00 PM
Personnel: 584
Size: 4,902 acres
Percent contained: 75%
Costs to date: $3,003,876
Line construction is complete, without backburning. Hot spotting in Division E where the fire
burned into the Maxwell Fire (2006). [Maxwell Burn is not "safe black" but is flammable again due to natural regrowth of vegetation. - Ed]
Breakdown of acres by ownership: 2720 acres on USFS, 2048 acres on private, and 134 acres on BLM. A Burn Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) Team has arrived and will begin analysis tomorrow.
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Situation as of 08/21/2008 10:00 PM
Personnel: 595
Size: 4,902 acres
Percent contained: 50%
Costs to date: $2,444,171
Direct line construction in division E. Mop-up in all divisions. Direct line means no 20,000 acre backburns.
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Situation as of 08/20/2008 10:00 PM
Personnel: 572
Size: 4,902 acres
Percent contained: 45%
Costs to date: $1,827,555
Twenty-four hour precipitation has ranged from .05 inches on the east side of the fire to .15 inches on the west side of the fire. Mop-up is continuing in divisions A and B, direct line construction and mopup is continuing in divisions C, D, and E.
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Situation as of 08/19/2008 10:00 PM
Personnel: 519
Size: 4,902 acres
Percent contained: 40%
Costs to date: $1,275,922
Completed control lines on the N portion of the incident.
A meeting was held with local private landowners this morning. Breakdown of acres by owner: 2,463 acres on USFS, 2,291 acres on private, and 147 acres on BLM.
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Situation as of 08/18/2008 10:10 PM
Personnel: 413
Size: 4,902 acres
Percent contained: 35%
Costs to date: $727,226
The fire spread to the northeast overnight on private land. Today the fire received precipitation which significantly diminished fire spread.
Single command with joint delegation of authority between USFS and ODF (OR Dept. Forestry). Firefighter suffered a seizure; no additional report.
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Situation as of 08/17/2008 10:00 PM
Personnel: 185
Size: 3,000 acres
Percent contained: 5%
Costs to date: $650,000
Major fire spread on private land.
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Situation as of 08/17/2008 7:00 AM
Personnel: not reported
Size: 4,000 acres
Percent contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 22,500 acres
First reported at NWCC on 8/16. Ochoco NF Forest Supervisor Jeff Walter’s WFU strategy has blown up. The Bridge Creek Fire Used For Resource Benefit exploded to 4,000 acres overnight, and is no longer “benefiting” resources. The CO2’s (Central Oregon Type 2 IMT - Rapp) have been ordered. Mucho bucks have to be spent now. No word yet on whether the cost of suppression will come out of Walter’s paycheck. Probably not, since the costs will run in the $millions and Walter is not paid all that much. No, the taxpayers will foot the bill for Supe Walter’s glaring incompetence.
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Situation as of 08/16/2008
Personnel: 55
Size: 125 acres
Percent contained: 0%
Maximum desired fire size (MMA): 22,500 acres
Trees torching, fire running. No EIS. 4 fires, largest is Black Canyon WFU Fire
Responsible official: Ochoco NF Forest Supervisor Jeff Walter
Phone Number: (541) 416-6500
