Pole Creek Fire Update 9/23/2012
Incident: Pole Creek Wildfire
Released: 9/23/2012
A community fire information update is planned for Sunday, September 23 at 4:00 pm at the Sisters Elementary School, on 611 East Cascades Avenue. The briefing will provide an in-depth update on the Pole Creek fire.
No lightning was reported near the Pole Creek Fire, but winds caused the fire to spot over the line on the west side of Trout Creek Butte. A Surge Task Force, consisting of two Hotshot Crews and one other crew, was utilized to help contain spotting. The fire experienced growth to 25,886 acres on Saturday, about 300 acres, along the west side of Trout Creek Butte. The fire received some precipitation overnight that will help firefighters with direct attack on the spot fires. Wind is expected throughout Sunday that will likely dry out fuels in the fire area.
Containment of the spot fires is the primary goal for Sunday, then firefighters will return to mopping-up and patrolling for hotspots inside the fire containment lines. Some resources are being used to rehabilitate fire lines.
Secondary containment lines are in place beyond the primary lines as a precaution for spot fires that may occur. A number of the secondary containment lines have been prepared for burnout should the need arise.
ALL major routes remain open to tourist destinations like Sisters and other central Oregon communities. For information on smoke tips, visit the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) at http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/burning/wildfires/index.htm, or call (503) 229-6397.
Residents in the Crossroads and Edgington/Remuda areas remain under a Level 2, pre-evacuation alert (west of the 16 Road and South of Highway 20 in the vicinity of Sisters). Public safety agencies will keep the public updated about when to leave and which routes to take. In addition, agencies will notify residents when the alert is lifted. In the event that there is a need for evacuation, citizens in affected areas will receive a call from 911 Dispatch with a recorded message with specific evacuation information. To receive these messages on cell phones, citizens are encouraged to visit http://www.deschutes.org/citizenalerts and register their numbers with the Citizen Alert program. At this time, there are no towns, subdivisions or structures under evacuation.
For firefighter and public safety, the current closure area includes the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) between Trail #3531 and the PCT Trailhead on Highway 242. PCT hikers have a reroute option using the Scott Trail traveling west to Highway 242. The closure still includes Forest Roads 15 (Pole Ck RD) & 16 (Three Creeks Rd) south to FS 4601 Road. Maps and descriptions are available at Forest Service offices and at http://inciweb.org/incident/3244/.
