PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Although progress has been made battling two massive wildfires spanning over 57,000 acres in the Willamette National Forest, officials say crews have more work ahead as they work to contain the fires.
The Lookout Fire, which started by lightning on August 5, spans 25,467 acres as of Monday, the United States Forest Service announced. The fire grew from Wednesday’s 24,596 acres and remains 50% contained after shutting down Oregon’s scenic Blue Pool, officials report.
On Sunday, firefighters held containment lines as helicopter and air tanker crews dropped water on the fire’s north perimeter, the Forest Service said. According to InciWeb, there are over 760 personnel battling the blaze.
Cooler weather on Monday is expected to “moderate” fire activity through the week, officials said. Even though the fire will be less active, crews are still busy mopping up, removing woody debris and working containment lines, officials posted on InciWeb.
“The post-suppression operations are essential to restoring the area to a natural state before seasonal rain and snow arrive to prevent roads from washing out, reduce future fuel loading and provide protection for waterways,” officials said.
Meanwhile, the Bedrock Fire, which started July 22 near Bedrock Campground is burning 31,590 acres with over 100 personnel fighting the fire, according to the Forest Service.
Officials say the cause of the fire remains undetermined.
Despite the fire being 98% contained, officials say crews still have a “significant” amount of work ahead of them, noting some resources are devoted to stabilizing hazardous areas — including the Fall Creek area which features a steep, inaccessible terrain and has seen four large wildfires over the last 20 years.
Officials say road systems in the area remain unsafe.
While firefighters battle the wildfires, the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning on Monday in Pendleton and the Kittitas Lower Columbia Basin until 8 p.m. due to low relative humidity and breezy conditions — including wind speeds between 15-25 miles per hour and gusts up to 35 miles per hour.
According to the NWS, the combined winds and low relative humidity may “result in rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior.”
Tuesday’s weather will bring increased cloud cover, decreased temperatures in the mid-70s and lower relative humidities, officials said – noting there’s a chance for precipitation in the fire area on Wednesday and Thursday along with below average temps and high relative humidities into the weekend.
