Canal Creek Fire
Location: 8 miles SW of Detroit, Marion Co. OR
Specific Location: Elk Creek drainage, trib to Canal Creek, trib to Quartzville Creek, Sweet Home RD, Willamette NF, ~Lat 44° 37´ 14″ ~Lon 122° 19´ 04″
Date of Origin: 08/26/2009
Cause: Under Investigation
Situation as of 09/11/2009 11:30 am
Personnel: 117
Size: 283 acres
Percent contained: 96%
Costs to date: $5,385,000
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Situation as of 09/10/2009 2:00 pm
Personnel: 117
Size: 283 acres
Percent contained: 96%
Costs to date: $5,291,000
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Situation as of 09/08/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 189
Size: 283 acres
Percent contained: 95%
Costs to date: $5.1 million (est.)
Quartzville Road (#11) and Kinney Creek Road (#2212) are open.
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Situation as of 09/06/2009 7:00 pm
Personnel: 222
Size: 283 acres
Percent contained: 90%
Costs to date: $4,900,000
Rain over the fire area Saturday and Sunday, further reducing active burning.
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Situation as of 09/05/2009 8:50 am
Personnel: 356
Size: 283 acres
Percent contained: 80%
Costs to date: not reported
The Type 2 Incident Management Team will transistion to a Type 3 Organization today. Rain is expected over the fire area today and tomorrow, further reducing active burning.
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Situation as of 09/04/2009 8:30 am
Personnel: 374
Size: 283 acres
Percent contained: 50%
Costs to date: not reported
Minimal fire behavior was observed yesterday. Crews continue direct containment line construction on the N edge of the fire. Firefighters are monitoring the SE corner of the fire and a spot fire to the E.
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Situation as of 09/03/2009 11:00 am
Personnel: 427
Size: 283 acres
Percent contained: 35%
Yesterday fire crews held the fire against high temperatures, lower relative humidity, steep slopes, and falling snags. One of the challenges was burning material rolling downhill. Today winds from the SW are expected and could hinder air support.
Several closures have been issued for the area of roads bound by Forest Road 11, also known as Quartzville Road, to the south, Forest Road 1131 to the west, Forest Road 1133 to the east and Forest Road 2212, also known as Kinney Creek Road, to the north at Detroit Dam. Recreation is not permitted within the closure area. The public is asked to avoid the fire area due to heavy fire traffic and concerns for public safety.
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Situation as of 09/01/2009 5:00 pm*
Personnel: 473
Size: 283 acres
Percent contained: 25%
*Reports from the NW Interagency Coordination Center have been 24+ hours late all year. Other GACC’s don’t have that problem. Something is amiss at the NWCC. Their contact info is:
NWCC Contact Information
Phone: (503) 808-2720
Admin Fax: (503) 808-2789
Operations Fax: (503) 808-2750
Email: ornwc@dms.nwcg.gov
Please call them and ask them what their main incompetency problem is.
Costs to date: $3,100,000**
**So far the agencies involved have spent more than $1,000 per acre on this small fire that has been burning for a week. It is still only 25% contained. Private and public forest lands are at risk. The appearance of a) incompetence, b) milking the taxpayer, or c) both, cannot be denied.
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Situation as of 09/01/2009 7:30 am
Personnel: 603
Size: 283 acres
Percent contained: 10%
Costs to Date: $2,500,000
Firefighters are working to establish fire lines on the N and W sides of the Canal Creek Fire, while relying more on helicopters on the S and E sides. Some of the fire line is being constructed directly against burned areas, while in very steep areas firefighters are constructing lines along nearby ridges or creeks. Because of the heavy dead and down component and deep-rooted fuels, ignition of the fuels between the lines and the fire will not be initiated at this time.
Special attention is being paid to the spot fires and lines being constructed on the N fire flank due to the threat to private forest land. Also, in anticipation of annual easterly winds experienced in this geographic area, increased effort is being made to secure the W side of the fire.
Approximately 250 firefighters stayed near the fire in “spike camps” last night to minimize driving time from fire camp and to reduce travel exposure along the crowded Quartzville recreation corridor. Some crews and overhead are being demobilized or reassigned to other fires as segments of fire line are being completed.
Recent infrared imagery confirmed that the Canal Creek Fire is 283 acres rather than the larger acreage reported previously.
There is a slight chance of thunderstorms over the fire and the area for which the Incident Management Team has initial attack responsibility, which includes the entire Sweet Home Ranger District.
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Situation as of 08/27/2009 7:30 pm
Personnel: not reported
Size: 100 acres
Percent contained: 0%
Campers recreating in the fire area along Forest Roads 1131 and 101 have been asked to leave due to public safety concerns. A road closure will be placed in effect for Forest Road 11, also known as Quartzville Road, between the intersection of Forest Road 11 with Forest Road 1131 and Forest Road 1133 due to the presence of heavy fire traffic. The public is asked to avoid the fire area; additional closures are forthcoming.
USFS and ODF engaged. Interagency resources including 9 handcrews, 1 helicopter, 3 engines and 1 dozer are responding; additional resources have been ordered to assist with suppression efforts. Smoke is visible from I-5 and towns within the N and S Santiam River corridors.
