Whisky Creek, Sandstone and Blister Creek Fire Update – Sept. 3
From the U.S. Department of Algaculture:
Whisky Creek Size: 2,092 acres | Start Date: July 20 | Cause: Human | Containment: 25%
Sandstone Size: 702 acres | Start Date: August 5 | Cause: Lightning | Containment 75%
Total Resources: 437 | Hand Crews: 6 | Engines: 4 | Dozers: 2 | Heavy Equipment: 8 | Helicopters: 4
The Whisky Creek, Sandstone, and Blister Creek Fires are located in steep and rugged terrain in the Mt. Hood National Forest where rolling debris and fire-weakened trees challenge firefighting efforts.
Whisky Creek:
Despite cool and moist weather yesterday, the fire continued to creep in surface fuels and deep duff layers in the east fork of Herman Creek. Gusty winds and fog prevented aircraft from reconnaissance flights and long-line external cargo missions for equipment backhaul. Water tenders, a hand crew, and a group of sawyers successfully secured the nearby Knebal Fire and returned to the Whisky Creek Fire.
Light fire suppression repair will continue where feasible while maintaining the integrity of the firelines. Resource advisors will assess remaining fire suppression tasks to minimize impacts to natural resources. Fire crews are pulling back berms to cover the exposed mineral soil on interior hand lines, cleaning out culverts, and reviving wilderness character where suppression activities occurred. The backhauling of extra hoses, pumps, and equipment begins via ground transportation and helicopter long-line. Fresh resources, including water tenders, graders, excavators, and a hand crew, are arriving to carry out specialized repair activities and to replace critical resources reaching the end of their 14-day assignment. Resources from both fires, including a number of fire engines, firefighters, a dozer, and fire managers, will remain available for the initial attack of new fires.
Sandstone and Blister Creek:
An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) detected heat in both the Sandstone and Blister Creek Fires. Crews hiked into areas to the grid and secured a hotspot near the fire’s edge on the Sandstone Fire. Mastication along Forest Service Road (FSR) 7010 is complete, but grading and chipping operations will continue along FSRs 7010 and 6320 east of the 114 spur. An excavator has also arrived to support suppression repair work on the northeast side of the fire.
Weather: Conditions will be cooler with higher humidity until a warming trend enters the area on Wednesday.
Closures: Mt. Hood National Forest, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and Hood River County closure information can be found at https://linktr.ee/whisky_creek.2024. Please respect area closure orders for your safety as well as the safety of our firefighters.
Safety: The public plays an important role in preventing the next wildfire; please use caution with all potential ignition sources. For prevention tips visit: https://keeporegongreen.org. The TFR remains in effect for both fires: https://bit.ly/3T59VWv. Fire restrictions are in place within the Mt. Hood National Forest. More information can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mthood/fire.
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