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Grasshopper Fire Update as of 9:30 a.m on August 16

Posted on by mbailey

Containment on the Grasshopper Fire has increased to 38 percent as firefighters strengthen control lines ahead of near-critical fire weather expected Monday and Tuesday.

Officials say the increase in reported acreage to 90,130 is primarily the result of updated mapping and does not reflect a corresponding increase in fire activity.

Rain Friday evening, along with cooler temperatures and higher humidity, helped limit fire activity Saturday and overnight. Those conditions, combined with increased containment, have allowed evacuation levels to decrease along the Highway 35 corridor.

The southeastern flank remained the most active area overnight, where firefighters focused resources on holding and strengthening lines. A spot fire south of Elliott Road was quickly caught and fully lined.

Today, crews will concentrate on the eastern flank, tying together existing lines and adding depth ahead of stronger northwest winds and worsening fire weather. Hotshots, dozers and wildland crews will work south of Elliott Road, while firefighters and structural resources continue protecting homes near Friend Road, Hix Road and Shadybrook Road.

Crews are also conducting mop-up along Forest Road 4421, Sportsman’s Paradise and Logging Gulch. Aircraft will assist when conditions allow.

The southern perimeter remains contained, although some fire continues to burn in steep terrain southwest of the fire. Along the northern edge, crews are continuing mop-up near Fifteenmile Road and fuels mitigation near Eightmile Campground and Dufur Mill Road.

Fire officials say crews are working with urgency while conditions remain favorable, with firefighter and public safety the top priority.

Grasshopper Fire Update as August 15 at 9:30 a.m.

Posted on by mbailey

The 86,974 acre Grasshopper Fire is now 30% contained. Containment increased along the Highway 35 corridor as crews strengthened control lines, while fire activity increased Friday afternoon and evening as the fire consumed unburned pockets of vegetation, including around Shadybrook. Despite increased activity along the eastern and southeastern portions of the fire, impacts to structures did not increase. Firefighters also completed a tactical firing operation near the northwest corner to strengthen the control line, with additional firing planned as conditions allow.

Southern and northern containment lines continue to hold, with mop-up extending 100 feet or more into the fire perimeter. Crews face particularly difficult terrain and heavy fuels on the southwest corner, where aircraft were unable to operate because of poor visibility; heavy equipment is expected to conduct a high-angle operation there in the coming days. Overnight rain along the Highway 35 corridor and northern edge provided some benefit by reducing the chance of rapid ignition in lighter fuels, although heavier fuels remain dry enough to support fire activity when conditions become warmer, drier and windier.

Firefighters are taking advantage of favorable weekend weather to strengthen containment lines before very high to potentially critical fire weather is expected early next week. Crews will continue direct suppression where conditions permit while reinforcing lines and protecting homes and other structures. Dozers and National Guard hand crews are supporting line construction around Friend Road and Shadybrook Road, while structural resources continue patrols and mop-up near Friend Road, Fifteenmile Creek Road, Sportsman’s Paradise, Logging Gulch and Camp Baldwin. Super Scoopers, helicopters and other aircraft will continue supporting ground crews, particularly along the southeastern edge. Planned firing operations and changing weather conditions could lead to increased smoke today.

Eastern Edge Remains Focus For Grasshopper Fire Crews

Posted on by mbailey

Extensive collaborative suppression efforts continue on the Grasshopper Fire today (Friday, August 14), with crews expanding mop-up around homes as structural, wildland, RFPA, heavy equipment and air resources work together to secure and strengthen established control lines.

The eastern edge of the fire, near the Tygh Creek headwaters, remains active. Firefighters are aggressively working to suppress the fire and will build on successful operations from last night. Challenging weather conditions are expected today and throughout the weekend.

In the Shadybrook Road area, structural task forces continue preparing homes and other structures, with assistance from National Guard resources. Crews are expanding structural protection to homes farther southeast of the fire as a precaution while conditions and fire activity evolve.

On the southwest corner, steep terrain and difficult access continue to challenge suppression efforts. Firefighters are planning tethered heavy-equipment operations, using secured cables to safely position equipment in areas conventional machinery cannot reach. The operation will help establish fireline in difficult terrain. Established containment lines continue to hold along the remainder of the southern perimeter.

On the northern perimeter, firefighters will continue direct suppression where conditions allow, while dozers improve established control lines. Extensive mop-up will continue along Forest Road 4421, Logging Gulch and the Sportsman’s Paradise areas.

Firefighters and support resources remain focused on strengthening containment, protecting homes and structures, and limiting fire growth as weather conditions become more challenging.

Community Members Briefed On Grasshopper Fire

Posted on by mbailey

Officials involved in battling the Grasshopper Fire addressed the public at a community meeting on Thursday evening at Dufur School.  Southern Area Blue Team Operations Section Chief Jon Wallace says a major focus of firefighting efforts is to prevent the fire from going into the Tygh Canyon.  He says it’s one of the last pieces of the fire they are very concerned about, because if it moves around, the fire will come out to places they don’t want it to.  Wallace added they will use everything they’ve got to keep it out of the Canyon.  Wallace says line on the northeast section on the fire at Logging Gulch Road is holding, and said a hotshot crew from Texas is working in the Winslow Road area and has made good progress in conjunction with the Petersburg Rural Fire Protection Agency, tying in with local ranchers to tie in line to Friend Road.  He said a tethered logging crew is being brought in to remove snags in the Crane Prairie area, and while Highway 35 is open, there remains danger from falling trees.  Wallace says the Highway 35 corridor is in good shape, as is the northwest and southern edges of the fire.

 

Fire Behavior Analyst John Cook told attendees that the dryness of the fuels in combination with strong winds is the biggest challenge.  Cook says it leads to a high potential of spotting, adding wind is like water, flowing faster downhill.  He says the warm air and smoke goes up in the daytime at the higher elevations, but when it cools off at night the warm air comes down and pushes out.  Cook says they have been seeing cooler temperatures and lower wind speeds the last couple of evenings, so firefighters are able to make progress.

 

Temps & Low Humidity Moderate Grasshopper Fire

Posted on by mbailey

Cooler temperatures and increased humidity helped moderate fire activity across portions of the Grasshopper Fire Wednesday, and control lines continued to hold along the southeast and southern edges.  Fire officials say gusty winds continued to drive active fire behavior along the northeast and eastern edges, as the fire size moved to 85,114 acres, and containment stays at 20%.  Near Rail Hollow, crews completed handline and conducted strategic firing operations overnight to address unburned pockets of fuel and reduce the potential for continued fire spread.  Along the eastern edge, structural resources continued mopping up and securing areas around structures along Friend Road and in the Elliott Road area.  In the Camp Baldwin area, installed handline has been plumbed with hoseline.  Tactical patrols into Shadybrook continued to develop structural protection plans ahead of the fire area as a precaution should conditions change.  Crews today will continue strengthening control lines on the east side of the fire, including installing dozer line in the Elliott Road area and tying together existing portions of handline.  Aircraft will remain available to support ground operations.  Structural resources will expand mop-up operations around structures today, working up to 100 feet from homes impacted by the fire to identify and eliminate hot spots and reduce the potential for rekindling.  A community meeting on the fire is set for 6 p.m. at Dufur School, and it will be livestreamed on the Grasshopper Fire Facebook page.

Wasco Youth Livestock Auction Moved To Hood River County Fairgrounds

Posted on by mbailey

The Wasco County Youth Livestock Auction is being relocated to Odell following the cancellation of the Wasco County Fair and Rodeo due to the Grasshopper Fire.  The auction will now take place Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Hood River County Fairgrounds.  Community members are encouraged to come out and support local 4-H and FFA livestock exhibitors, who have spent months raising and preparing their market animals for auction.  Organizers say the community’s support helps recognize the hard work of these young exhibitors and contributes to their future projects, education and goals.  Showing of 4-H and FFA animals will take place all day Friday and Saturday, all at the Hood River County Fairgrounds.  A buyers’ dinner, provided by Cobblestone Catering, will follow the auction.

OSP Gives Detail On Fatal I-84 Crash Near Arlington

Posted on by mbailey

The Oregon State Police have released more details on the three-vehicle crash on Interstate 84 in Gilliam County Tuesday afternoon that left one man dead and an Oregon Department of Transportation employee seriously injured.  State police say a westbound SUV pulling a trailer driven by 77-year-old James Thomas Raugust of Ocean Shores, Washington had pulled onto the right shoulder near milepost 123 after getting a flat tire.  An ODOT maintenance truck, driven by Roger Vincent Birkeland of Arlington, had stopped behind the SUV to assist, blocking the right lane and with a large electronic message board warning approaching drivers to move over.  Police say a westbound SUV, driven by 48-year-old Burke Lloyd Oneal of Vancouver, Washington, struck the rear of the ODOT truck.  It then lost control and struck Raugust and Birkeland as they were changing the flat tire.  Raugust was pronounced dead at the scene, and Birkeland was seriously injured and flown by Life Flight to an area hospital.  An 80-year-old passenger in the Land Rover, Melodie Marie Raugust of Ocean Shores, reported minor injuries. Oneal also reported minor injuries.  The crash remains under investigation by the Oregon State Police.

Carmody Honored By State Marine Board

Posted on by mbailey

The Oregon State Marine Board has recognized retired Hood River County Sheriff’s Office Marine Deputy Joel Carmody for his work promoting boating safety.  Carmody received the Marine Board’s Service Excellence Award during the board’s recent quarterly meeting in Madras.  Marine Board officials say Carmody went above and beyond in youth education, community outreach and public engagement, making a lasting impact on recreational boating safety in the Hood River area.  Carmody served with the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office for more than 20 years, including four years as a Marine Deputy.  He quickly advanced from a beginner in boat operations to a Marine Board instructor, helping train marine law enforcement officers.  Officials also praised Carmody for connecting with Hood River’s windsports community, local businesses, schools, clubs and nonprofits.  Even after retiring, Carmody continues volunteering with local youth water programs.

Six Homes & 15 Outbuildings Known Lost To Fire

Posted on by mbailey

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office says six primary residences and 15 outbuildings are known to have been lost in the Grasshopper Fire.  In a statement Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office did not offer further details on the buildings lost, adding while they recognize that information about structural damage is important to the community, damage assessments take a secondary priority while firefighters remain actively engaged in suppressing the fire and reducing immediate threats.  Resources across the region, including within Wasco County, remain stretched thin as crews continue responding to the fire and protecting communities.  Wasco County Emergency Management Services Manager Sheridan McClellan says 291 homes are currently under a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation advisory, 1,561 are in Level 2 “Be Set,” and 145 at Level 1 “Be Ready.”

Highway 35 Reopens After Hazard Trees Removed

Posted on by mbailey

The Oregon Department of Transportation reopened Highway 35 this afternoon between Hood River and Highway 26 after closing it again this morning to deal with hazard trees along the roadway.  Southern Area Incident Management Team 2 Operations Section Chief Jon Wallace says they removed dead snags to make sure trees wouldn’t be falling across the highway on a regular basis.  Wallace did ask motorists using Highway 35 to be careful as some crews are still working on the side of the roadway.  In addition, some smoke and flame will be visible in a few places, but Wallace says crews are working on those locations.

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