Beachie Creek Fire Update for Friday September 11, 2020 

 

Salem, Ore. – Firefighters spent yesterday morning mopping up areas along the southern fire front along the Highway 22 corridor. Crews were successful in establishing anchor points in the Mehama and Lyons area where significantly less fire growth occurred. Crews then transition to doing structure protection in Silver Falls State Park and the areas of Drake’s Crossing and Scott’s Mills. Structural protection and assessment were also done along the Abiqua drainage while additional crews established anchor points to limit rapid fire spread. As the fire continued north, work was performed along the northwest and northern fire fronts. Extremely dry condition fueled continued growth toward the Riverside Fire. 

 

Fire Officials continue to work closely with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, ODOT and the Oregon State Police to coordinate recovery efforts along the Santiam Canyon. Currently 13,764 structures are at Level 3 evacuations and another 18,528 homes are under in level 2 evacuations.  

 

It is imperative to protect first responders and communities in the path of the fire that everyone heeds fire and law enforcement road closures and evacuations. Anyone who enters the fire perimeter is jeopardizing firefighting and rescue operations, increasing the time it will take to return residents to their communities and putting lives at risk. 

 

WEATHER:  The strong high pressure over the region for the past several days will weaken today and continue into the weekend.  Winds should also begin to fall below critical thresholds elsewhere. Onshore flow will begin today and continue through the weekend. Temperatures are expected to reach 83-88 degrees today. These weather conditions are generally excepted to improve firefighting conditions as crews work to make progress on the fire. 

 

SAFETY: Members of the public are encouraged to heed local evacuation orders issued by the county sheriff’s office and emergency notification systems. Know each Ready, Set, Go levels and make appropriate preparations. READY your belongings; SET your things at the door or prepack them in your car; GO Leave immediately. 

 

SMOKE:  Smoke is expected to remain heavy throughout the area for the next several days. Individuals with respiratory issues may find themselves affected by the intense smoke. Smoke levels are fluctuating between unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange) and hazardous (maroon) in these areas. Areas closest to fires - near Detroit, Florence, Chiloquin and Eugene - are having the worst smoke impacts. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on DEQ's Air Quality Index or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone. 

 

CLOSURES: Willamette National Forest roads, trails, and lands around the fire area are closed. View the official order (Order 06-18-04-20-13) or go to InciWeb (link below) for a list and map of the closed roads, trails, and recreation sites. 

 

Public information:  Facebook: facebook.com/BeachieCreek   E-mail: BeachieCreek@gmail.com

Inciweb  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7001/    Oregon Smoke Blog http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/p/air-quality-now.html