Lightning strike starts fires

Lightning ignites first (small) fires of the season

 Sunday night lightning has resulted in approximately 12 fires across the Willamette National Forest.  One of the fires is already out and another is almost so. Crews are staffing nearly all of the remaining fires; the few that are not yet staffed are in cliffs and firefighters are looking for the safest access.  The fires range in size from a single tree to two fires that are 2-3 acres; none threaten communities or roads.

The largest fire is three acres; it is on the McKenzie River Ranger District just above a portion of the Olallie Trail (3529). A one mile section of the Olallie trail will be temporarily closed. The Olallie trail is closed south from its junction with the O’Leary trail (3321) to its ‘triple junction’ with the Saddle (3326) and Horsepasture (4347) trails. (See map)

“We had over a 100 lightning strikes last night and more are possible today. Fortunately, conditions are still relatively wet. We are flying over the forest to identify any more fires and assess conditions. We will be vigilant and keep the public informed,” stated Holly Jewkes, Deputy Forest Supervisor.

For updates, visit www.fs.usda.gov/willamette/ or Twitter and Facebook @willamettenf

McKenzie River Reflections