Tumblebug Complex Fires
Location: 23 miles SE of Oakridge, Douglas Co., OR
Specific Location: Willamette NF, Tumblebug Creek, Lat 43° 25´ 53″, Lon 122° 14´ 28″
Date of Origin: 09/12/2009
Cause: Lightning
Situation as of 10/04/2009 5:00 pm
Personnel: 211
Size: 14,560 acres
Percent contained: 45%
Costs to Date: $11,914,000
Stumps and heavy fuels will continue to smolder and burn out. Progress is being made with chipping and backhauling of slash along major forest roads. Rehabilitation of fire lines will continue where safe and effective. The BAER team will begin assessing natural resource needs on Monday.
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Situation as of 10/01/2009 5:00 pm
Personnel: 232
Size: 14,374 acres
Percent contained: 40%
Costs to Date: $11,215,000
Due to the modified suppression strategy, the fire will not be controlled until a season ending weather event occurs over the area. Recent showers have slowed the fires growth and fire behavior. Stumps and heavy fuels will continue to smolder and burn out. Progress is being made with chipping and backhauling of slash along major forest roads. Rehabilitation of fire lines continues.
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Situation as of 09/28/2009 5:00 pm
Personnel: 724
Size: 13,000 acres
Percent contained: 25%
Costs to Date: $10,600,000
Last night the fire grew to the south toward Road 2143308. Additional acreage from last night’s fire growth is not calculated in the current acreage.
Heavy smoke in the lower regions has restricted the use of aircraft.
Spike camps have been demobilized in anticipation of the forecasted cool and showery weather, anticipation of transition with Type 3 organization on Wednesday at 0600.
Observed Fire Behavior: Running fire with group and single tree torching moderate range
spotting up to a mile.
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Situation as of 09/27/2009 5:00 pm
Personnel: 1,002
Size: 12,000 acres
Percent contained: 18%
Costs to Date: $9,700,000
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Situation as of 09/23/2009 5:00 pm
Personnel: 1,136
Size: 7,000 acres
Percent contained: 5%
Costs to Date: $4,900,000
The fire behavior was again very active this afternoon, under a Haines of 6, with hot and dry weather, and especially active on the S and E perimeter with running fire, group tree torching, with long range spotting up to 1 mile. Probability of ignition is 95%.
Planned Actions: Use night operations for private land protection and burn out. Initial attack all new starts in the IA area and assist the local forest in the IA on new starts outside of the IA area. Continue with patrol and mop up on the successfully suppressed fires in the complex. If the weather allows, re-engage with more direct suppression action on all open perimeter on the Incident, otherwise continue with contigency containment line planning and improvement. Continue to use the helicopters for bucket work in support of the suppression effort and for reconnaisance. The overall highest priority is to keep the fire from spreading N and W.
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Situation as of 09/22/2009 5:00 pm
Personnel: 828
Size: 3,500 acres
Percent contained: 5%
Costs to Date: $3,850,000
The size of the road and area closure was increased substantially today to accomodate the increasing size of the Incident. There are multiple recreationists camping within the new closure area that are being displaced. A Branch 3 staffed mainly by the Oregon Department of Forestry has been added to incident to assist in the protection of the private land.
Night operations began yesterday evening in a limited capacity, full night operations are planned for tonight. Overnight IR mapped the incident at 2240 acres, after yesterday’s significant run, much of the north, west, and south perimeter is now open. The incident will likely again be doubled in size with tomorrows IR, based upon this afternoons fire activity.
Extreme fire behavior observed again this afternoon with running fire, group tree torching and short to long range spotting. The incident was much more active earlier today than yesterday.
