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One of the many variables fire managers have to deal with is the weather. Here on the Camp Creek Fire, specialized meteorologists are onsite providing localized fire weather forecasts and conducting fire briefings for crews. They also gather information from Incident Remote Automatic Weather Stations. These portable weather stations provide near real time observational data. The instruments gather relative humidity, average and peak winds, air temperature, fuel temperature, fuel moisture, precipitation, and solar radiation. 

Fire Size: 1,902 acres Containment: 16% Total Personnel: 576 Weather and Fire Behavior: Yesterday’s rainfall has slowed the growth and rate of fire spread. Warmer and drier conditions with little precipitation are expected for the remainder of the week into the weekend. This may increase fire activity in the coming days. Winds will remain light, moving from the west in an easterly direction. 

Printed information, posted in key locations, is an important tool to inform local residents and travelers about a nearby wildfire. Public information officers post new information at these locations each day, in a process they call “running the trapline.” Businesses or organizations give permission for fire information staff to place a display board or leave printed flyers at their location. Information officers spend the morning preparing documents for distribution, then hit the road in the afternoons to drop off or post the new publications.

Understanding fire terminology can be a challenge to those not in the profession. Some terms are technical and difficult to understand. Other phrases are common words with different meanings as they apply to fire. In some instances, they may even sound like housekeeping chores. An example of this is the frequent use of the word “plumbing,” referring to the equipment used to provide water to the fireline. 

Fire Size: 1,902 acres Containment: 11% Total Personnel: 540

Firefighters across the Camp Creek Fire area are taking on the challenge of developing containment line within the densely-forested Bull Run Watershed. In this video, we catch up with a crew of type 1 “hotshot” firefighters doing their part to help create new fireline and stop future progress of the fire.

Weather and Fire Behavior: The weather is getting drier and warmer with temperatures forecasted to reach the low 70s this afternoon along with 50% humidity. A light easterly wind in the early morning may cause smoke to move over the Portland metropolitan area, but wind direction is expected to move towards the northeast in the afternoon.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Temperatures are forecasted to reach 65 degrees this afternoon in the fire area followed by an 80% chance of light showers after 8 p.m. Winds may reach a high of 15 miles per hour and move from the southwest to a northeasterly direction. Weather is expected to get warmer and drier moving into next week with little chance of precipitation.

Fire Size: 1,226 acres Containment: 0% Resources: 3 helicopters, 2 scooper aircraft, 160 total personnel Location: 1.5 miles south of Bull Run Reservoir #1 near the junction of Forest Road 1210 and Forest Road 12

Fire Size: 1,969 acres Containment: 0% Total Personnel: 403 Weather and Fire Behavior: Light rain is forecasted through today, amounting to approximately 0.5 inches with a 50% chance of continued showers tomorrow. Relative humidity continues to be high, ranging from 60-70% through tomorrow. The light westerly wind is expected to continue throughout the week.