Firefighters Attack New Fire Starts

Multiple recreational events continue today throughout the area. All campgrounds are open, the air is good, and the water is cool.

Steeple Rock Fires - A view from helicopter of the fires around Steeple Rock. Credit: Chad Calderwood willamettenf's photostream

(SALEM) - Thunderstorms on Saturday brought five new fires to the Middle Fork District. These additional fires have been added to the Buckhead Complex and are being managed by the Type 3 South Cascade Interagency Management Team. Three of the new fires are located north of Steeple Rock, one is near the North Fork of Indian Creek, and one is near the headwaters of Packard Creek.

Firefighters assigned to the Buckhead Complex were able to respond quickly to these new starts. Crews contained three of the fires, holding them under an acre in size. Two of the fires near Steeple Rock had grown to two acres and seven acres respectively by Saturday evening. Today, firefighters will focus their efforts on constructing containment lines on these two fires.

Meanwhile, on the Buckhead, Evangeline, and Bobby fires, crews will continue to secure the control lines and perform mop-up as they work towards full containment. Cooler temperatures and a more stable air mass should produce favorable conditions for the firefighters to continue their progress. Resources for initial attack will again be available today to respond to any new fires should they occur.

Multiple recreational events continue today throughout the area. All campgrounds are open, the air is good, and the water is cool. The public is encouraged to enjoy the outdoors and engage in their favorite activity. Visitors are reminded to exercise caution due to fire traffic in the area, and to check on current fire conditions as they may change.

The Buckhead complex is managed under a multi-agency management team. The Type 3 South Cascade Interagency Management Team is comprised of the United States Forest Service, the United States Bureau of Land Management, and the Oregon Department of Forestry.

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