2020 Wildfire Season

[KQ]

train trestle off I-82 between Prosser and Benton City.
Pic courtesy: Brian Stott

Wow, scary night for you. Hope your horses were safe and never under threat. They (and you) could have done without the stress of the fire, I'm sure.

Malden was the very first place I lived as my family was there when I was born. We moved to Tekoa when I was about 6 months and I've never been back but it still strikes a chord that my very first home was likely destroyed yesterday. I need to ask my brother if he knows the outcome. Sad day but not nearly as devastating as what many went through. Tough day.

Small world that you are from Malden. Not a big town and unfortunatley now even smaller. KREM2 report on the fire:

https://www.facebook.com/KREM2/videos/844579906077438


Fire stayed down in the treeline for the most part venturing into wheat stubble that was flanked by a recently planted onion field which helped keep it in check so the barn/horses had a good buffer plus the defensible space that is already around the barn. Still amazed and grateful that it didn't take off and run.

[char_]

Bad things happening up the N Santiam and McKenzie drainages in Oregon.

[The AD]

This guy seen walking towards 410 fire this morning.

Attachment 339331

Is the fire anywhere near your place?

[PNWbrit]

Is the fire anywhere near your place?

It's MP 32 we're at 46. Sounds like they have it under control.

I had someone renting over the weekend and they left at 5.30a.m. to catch a flight from Seatac. Apparently they were the first to call it in.

[puma]

Bad things happening up the N Santiam and McKenzie drainages in Oregon.

Hearing unofficial accounts some of those towns along 22 are destroyed. I hope that is wrong.

[KQ]

Hearing unofficial accounts some of those towns along 22 are destroyed. I hope that is wrong.

This woman seems to have her finger on the collective pulse:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1850443698584838

[puma]

This woman seems to have her finger on the collective pulse:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1850443698584838

Thanks, will check it out. This looks terrible:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1481...30919397226347

Glad to hear you are safe and the property was spared KQ

[char_]

Hearing unofficial accounts some of those towns along 22 are destroyed. I hope that is wrong.

The fire perimeter shown on Inciweb isn't promising. (Zoom in on the Beachie Creek fire when you are on the main page and it will show a shaded perimeter.)

The evac zones on the McKenzie is basically the Springfield city limits at this point.

[puma]

The fire perimeter shown on Inciweb isn't promising. (Zoom in on the Beachie Creek fire when you are on the main page and it will show a shaded perimeter.)

The evac zones on the McKenzie is basically the Springfield city limits at this point.

Not promising at all.

[Norseman]

[KQ]

It's MP 32 we're at 46. Sounds like they have it under control.

I had someone renting over the weekend and they left at 5.30a.m. to catch a flight from Seatac. Apparently they were the first to call it in.

Two fires on 410 - Meyer & Fish. From the FB link I posted above:

Here's a few images our crew shot of the fire that has SR 410 near Enumclaw closed. That highway is also closed due to fire between Sumner and Bonney Lake. This has been an astonishingly challenging past few days for emergency responders and we can't thank them enough for all the work they're doing to help keep everyone safe. Please help them out by staying away from closed areas when possible, giving them room, slowing down and staying alert.

[KQ]

Hearing unofficial accounts some of those towns along 22 are destroyed. I hope that is wrong.

Wildfires in Santiam Canyon: Mandatory evacuation for Mehama, Mill City, Detroit, Scotts Mills

UPDATE at 11:25 a.m.

Multiple wildfires have broken out along Highway 22 in the Santiam Canyon, bringing a level 3 evacuation for everyone from Lyons-Mehama through Idanha, including Mill City and Detroit, emergency officials said.

"Conditions in the Santiam Canyon east of Mehama have become extremely dangerous and all residents who have not yet evacuated need to do so immediately," said Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast in a statement early Tuesday morning.

An evacuation staging area has been established at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem by Marion County Emergency Management and the American Red Cross.

.

[TBS]

Bad things happening up the N Santiam and McKenzie drainages in Oregon.

From what I'm reading the Lionshead fire ran west with yesterday's wind all the way from the Rez to Detroit reservoir. I think that's why the perimeter map on Inciweb is way bigger than teh 500 acres they are reporting for the Beachie fire, while the perimeter for Lionshead hasn't changed despite it adding 13K acres in a day. Evac orders from Detroit down to Silverton and up to Breitenbush!

Report on the Holiday Farm fire in McKenzie drainage is that the Holiday Farms Resort burnt to the ground last night. My parents had a home on the north side of the river about two miles from there. Fire went from nothing to 5K acres in about a day after the wind knocked down a power pole. Evac orders in place from the McKenzie RS down to Leaburg.

Road notice at west end of Sisters says highways 242, 126 and 22 are closed. Hwy 20 through Sweethome was open as of two hours ago

My phone's been blowing up with Emergency notices, mostly to get the hell out of the Mt Jefferson Wilderness now.

Yesterday's air quality approximated this at La Ponderita

Today is clear and cool.

KQ glad you came out OK

[char_]

I believe Beachie Creek ran/ is running to Lyons and Silver Creek Falls State Park and ran to Idanha/Detroit and Hwy 22 and is probably in the process of running into the Middle Santiam Wilderness and backside of Beachie Fire.

The perimeter map for Lionhead in Inciweb is old, the Beachie Creek one was updated this morning and mist be done independently from the rest of the text updates.

[neufox47]

Air is awful in CA. Huge swaths with AQI of >400. No massive fires reported I’ve seen but the Cal map of “Fire Detections” is scary as shit. Apparently there are hundreds of fires detected by satellite that don’t have confirmation? WTF? Anyone else able to explain this? Is the whole state about to ignite or what?


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[TBS]

I believe Beachie Creek ran/ is running to Lyons and Silver Creek Falls State Park and ran to Idanha/Detroit and Hwy 22 and is probably in the process of running into the Middle Santiam Wilderness and backside of Beachie Fire.

The perimeter map for Lionhead in Inciweb is old, the Beachie Creek one was updated this morning and mist be done independently from the rest of the text updates.

Hard to know what the hell is going on right now. I was looking at this https://www.statesmanjournal.com/sto...ts/5737812002/

Meanwhile, the Lionshead Fire spread rapidly west, burning all the way from Mount Jefferson to Highway 22 just outside Detroit, according fire spokesman Mark Enty.

That's a long run - at least 20 miles as the crow flies.

[Meadow Skipper]

Air is awful in CA. Huge swaths with AQI of >400. No massive fires reported I’ve seen but the Cal map of “Fire Detections” is scary as shit. Apparently there are hundreds of fires detected by satellite that don’t have confirmation? WTF? Anyone else able to explain this? Is the whole state about to ignite or what?

I just shot a text to a California friend that has a lot of experience with remote sensing for fires. I’ll pass on what he says.

I don’t know much about the satellite data, but ground-based IR detectors often get false positives from metal reflecting sun and such.

[char_]

Hard to know what the hell is going on right now. I was looking at this https://www.statesmanjournal.com/sto...ts/5737812002/



That's a long run - at least 20 miles as the crow flies.

I think Lionhead was already over the crest and into the head of Breitenbush/Jefferson Park area before the wind, so like 7 miles. Still, scary fast.

They put the Highway 20 corridor east of Cascadia on a level 2 evac, so it must still be rolling. Highway 20, 22 and 126 are all closed.

[Meadow Skipper]

This is bad. 15 firefighters deployed shelters on the Los Padres NF in California, sort of near the Big Sur coast. Injuries: one critical, one serious.
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/55234

Dolan Fire – September 8, 2020, 12:00pm

This is an evolving situation, and we want to share as much information as possible right now. While we work to get your questions answered as quickly as possible, here is what we can confirm right now: A shelter deployment involving fifteen firefighters from the Dolan Fire occurred approximately at 0831 on Tuesday, Sept 8, 2020, in the vicinity of Nacimiento Station. These dedicated firefighters received injuries including burns and smoke inhalation while defending the Nacimiento Station on Dolan Fire on the Los Padres National Forest in California. Nacimiento Station was destroyed. I can confirm that one injury is critical and one serious. Medical care is on scene and both patients are being transported to Community Regional Hospital in Fresno by Life Flight for assessment and care. An evacuation WARNING is in place for OES Monterrey zone 24. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured firefighters, their family, friends and co-workers. We have procedures in place for emergencies such as this and are being assisted by local officials as part of that plan. We will have additional information available as we are able to confirm it.

[puma]

Hard to know what the hell is going on right now. I was looking at this https://www.statesmanjournal.com/sto...ts/5737812002/



That's a long run - at least 20 miles as the crow flies.

From earlier this morning, and from southern Oregon nws, but:

OREGON FIRE UPDATE FOR 8 AM 9/8

Just wow!

What I feared would happen did. The already established fires have blown up.....and we have numerous new ones that have developed.

First, the 242 Fire in Klamath County. Well, there's good news. The winds have pushed it right into Upper Klamath Lake. The bad news is, the winds are stll blowing like mad over there. Spot fires could begin anywhere. Highways 97 and 62 are closed by the fire. You can see the heat and fire area map of it in image 1.

We have two new fires in Douglas County. One is near Glide and is called the French Creek Fire. At last report it was 300 acres in size. There are level 3 GO NOW!! evacuations out for it. Then to the right of that we have a new fire near Steamboat. I do not have a name for it yet, but sources advise it has jumped Highway 138. They also report Highway 138 is closed near Steamboat. Trip chek is not showing that. Image 2 shows those fires.

And then, there is the horrific situation to the north.

We have a fire that began late yesterday just ripping down the McKenzie River Canyon and the Highway 126 area east of Springfield. This is the Holiday Farm Fire. It is exploding in size. Level 3 GO NOW!! evacuations are up. Highway 126 is closed east of Springfield. I do not even have a size estimate on it. Thousands of acres is safe to say. That is image 3.

And now, the true nightmare scenario......we have a mega fire forming in the Cascades east of Salem.

The Lionshead Fire did exactly what I thought it would do last night. It came racing right over the crest of the Cascades. At the same time, the Beachie Creek Fire exploded in size...and then yet another fire started just to the south of the Beachie Creek Fire. That is the Mad Hatter Fire. The Beachie Creek Fire and Mad Hatter Fire have merged. The Lionshead Fire is pushing towards them. There is a major spot fire off the Lionshead Fire that has become established betweem it and the Beachie Creek Fire. With the winds up there, expect the Lionshead Fire to merge into the Beachie Creek Fire. Once that happens, you will have a mega fire that looks to be somewhere in the 50,000 to 60,000 acre range. And that fire is racing to the west. You can see the details I just outlined in images 4 and 5. Image 5 is red due to Red Flag Warnings in effect in the fire area. Those go until tomorrow. There are Level 3 GO NOW!! evacuations up for these fires in both Linn and Marion Counties. Highway 22 is now closed until further notice from Santiam Pass to just east of Stayton.

[old goat]

Fort Collins on Monday and on Tuesday

[LongShortLong]

Satellites seem to be overdetecting, at least in some areas. Cross-referencing the satellite detections with live webcams, I find one cam "surrounded by fire" from space, in a green forest from cam. Sorry I still can't upload screenshots , depending when you look, the camera could become crispy/melty/on fire - that's happened at other fires this year.

A map with satellite overlay. There's a fire cam near Auberry, currently SW region of Creek fire, near the 4-lane up to Shaver Lake (-119.426, 37.065) . To find it, go into the overlay menu (top right) and select webcams. There's also several satellite IR overlays.
https://napsg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/w....4982%2C102100

Cam. On the above overlay it appears as a narrow arrowhead icon, turn off satellites to find it easier. I assume Calfire controls the cams, as they usually face fires and move/zoom occasionally.
http://www.alertwildfire.org/sierra/...akes&v=81e002f

The main "fire" satellites pass overhead twice per day. There's 3 of them (Aqua, Terra, Suomi), though one has an issue currently (they are old, give 'em a break). The shiny new GOES-17 weather satellite also has a fire detection product, but there's some technical issues (cooling) that happen to be especially bad this time of year. GOES is geostationary, and updates every 5-15 minutes. Unfortunately, due to its issues, the fire product isn't released, though some maps have do it as an overlay.

[Norseman]

Yeah I believe that the VIIRS and MODIS detections are sometimes smoke/embers, not necessarily fire but usually.

GOES 17 has a nice refresh rate but lacks the resolution. It's "live" true color imagery is really striking when the smoke plumes are pumping.

Like this, now:

[Norseman]

info on MODIS measurements from Terra and Aqua satellites:

https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dataprod/mod14.php

[Hood26]

Mt. Hood Meadows adjusted their camera at the top of Vista to get the full scope of the Beachy Creek fire today.

https://www.skihood.com/the-mountain...am-live-stream