Single Publication

Bingham Fire containment increases to 65%

Daily Update: October 10, 2024

Fire Information Phone: 503-854-3366 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 

Email: 2024.Bingham@firenet.gov 

Acres: 199      Containment: 65%

Location: Areas of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, east of Marion Forks.

Start Date: September 30,2024             Personnel:   356                 

Resources: 12 crews | 2 engines | 1 bulldozer | 3 water tenders | 1 masticator

Highlights: Light rain fell Wednesday, Oct. 9, over the Bingham Fire as crews had another productive day on the fire line. The fire remained within its existing perimeter at 199 acres, while containment rose to 65 percent.  

The delivery of portable water pumps and cooler temperatures in mid-50s to lower 60s allowed crews to extinguish a number of isolated heat sources off the perimeter, widening containment lines up to 100 feet in a number of areas. Firefighters will continue patrolling containment lines and extinguishing hot spots, while also monitoring a wind shift forecast out of the east. 

Evacuations: LEVEL 3: GO NOW! Evacuation alerts have been issued by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office for a large area of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. Additionally, LEVEL 2: GET SET evacuation alerts have been issued for the area around Marion Forks Campground and Marion Forks Fish Hatchery. The Level 2 evacuation area also extends along Highway 22, to a ½-mile west of Highway 22, from Pamelia Road (NFS Road 2246) south to Parrish Lake Road (NFS Road 2266). Please refer to the Linn County Wildfire Map for more information: https://tinyurl.com/LinnCoFireMap. Highway 22 remains open. 

The Willamette National Forest issued a closure order Oct. 4 within the same footprint as the Level 3 evacuation zone. Details of the closure order can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/26jpr9a6. The Pacific Crest Trail through the Mount Jefferson Wilderness is expected to remain open. Trails and roads west of the highway are closed from Pamelia to the Big Meadows Loop/Turpentine Loop area. With hunting season started, Forest Service staff will work with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office to reduce closure areas as soon as it is safe to do so.

Weather: A forecast wind shift out of the east today will mark a change from the predominantly westerly winds that have blown since the fire’s start Sept. 30. Wind speeds are expected to be minimal—5 to 10 miles an hour—with gusts likely no greater than 15 miles an hour. Temperatures should remain in the upper 50s to lower 60s for the next few days.