Fire Update: 5 Oct

Warm Springs, OR October 5, 2020

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Lionshead Fire Update
Monday, Oct. 5

REDMOND, Ore. – Fire officials and representatives of the Stahlman Cabins community are discussing plans for residents’ reentry and crews are working with Mt. Hood National Forest personnel to make repairs and winterize the Olallie Lake Cabins.

On the reservation, firefighters are working to leave the homeland in the best condition possible when the fire is returned to local control. An archaeologist is being brought in to conduct a cultural survey of the 53 miles of dozer line and 10 miles of handline dug during the suppression effort before line rehabilitation begins. Water tenders assigned to the fire will be helping the tribe with road repair and grading work.

Sunday, monitoring crews hiked out to assess fire activity within islands of unburned vegetation in the northeastern corner of the fire, reporting it is at least 3,000 feet within the black — a fire term for previously burned ground. Areas of active burning are also being monitored in the “finger” to the north.

Helicopters dropped water on several visible smokes to the southeast of Mt. Bruno, but had to stop when afternoon shadows made it too dark to fly safely. Smoke columns large and tall enough to see from a distance signify active burning. In inaccessible areas, water drops are used to cool the fire, slowing its progressing and reducing its intensity. That work will resume this morning.

Aviation also provided a Burned Area Emergency Response reconnaissance flight and is coordinating with various power companies conducting infrastructure assessments.

Suppression repair is ongoing across the fire footprint. One example is the installation of water bars on sloping fire lines and roads to help control erosion. Another is opening up the earthen berms created when bulldozers cut fire line and ensuring there are no live coals buried in them. Seeding equipment has been ordered to further stabilize soils on now-exposed ground.

Other work includes removing thousands of tons of downed trees and slash – branches, brush and other woody debris – along roads and rights-of-way. Once cleared, grading and repairing or replacing damaged culverts is needed in many areas. Hundreds of pumps, tools and other equipment must be gathered and returned to camp and accounted for. Aluminized structure wrapping must be removed and miscellaneous garbage is collected and disposed of.

Safety: Evacuees returning to their communities should remain alert, as many hazards remain. Soils may be unstable; ash can camouflage trip holes and trip hazards; hot embers may still be smoldering in stumps, roots and holes; and trees and branches weakened by fire can fall at any time.

Weather: Temperatures will be in 60s and 70s today, climbing higher into the 70s through Wednesday. A front is expected to bring cooler temperatures, higher humidity and potentially significant precipitation next weekend.

Evacuations: Evacuation levels remain unchanged for the communities on the west side of the fire. More information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7049/

Lionshead Fire
Pacific Northwest IMT #13
Public Information Phone: 971-277-5075
Media Inquiries: 541-904-0542
Incident E-mail: 2020.lionshead@firenet.gov
Incident Website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7049
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHSR6_yJRQkHyGjvvqX99gw
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LionsheadFire

AQ Report 10.5.20
PIO_archCland_20201004B_Lionshead_ORWSA000077_ArcMap_10_7
TRIBAL Lionshead update 10052020

###