8/2/2014 7:24 am Haystack Complex Update

Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 1 John Buckman, Incident Commander  Haystack Complex Morning Update August 2, 2014, 8:00 a.m.

Fire at a Glance

Today’s goal is to establish and reinforce a control line around the School House fire.  The fire was detected yesterday and is now mapped at 73 acres.  Three crews, three engines and a water tender are assigned to the fire for a total of 70 personnel. Mop up continues on the Haystack, Steet, and Hog Ridge fires.  Work on the Hog Ridge fire will be aided by “helicopterable water tanks” also known as a blivit.  When these tanks are combined with a small pump and hose it makes a very efficient way to deliver water to the firefighter for mop up.  On the Haystack Fire Night Operations Chief, John Flannigan, reported that the infrared cameras “found the fires still hot, with most of the smokes under big junipers”.  About 20 of these smokes were reported and all were extinguished by the night shift.  Meeting mop up standards is anticipated within 24 hours. The remaining objectives of the Complex are completing the suppression work on existing fires and being ready to support the local District with initial attack of new fires. A recognition of the current fire situation was shared by Incident Commander, John Buckman at the morning briefing “how soon can we complete our job here and be ready to move on.”  Buckman also emphasized safety and asked everyone not to take it for granted, on the fire, driving, and at the Incident Command Post in Spray.  To date there have been no reportable accidents. The fires of the Haystack Complex are; the Haystack Fire, located three miles northeast of Spray and mapped at 1,155 acres; Throop Fire located about three miles northeast of Dayville is mapped at 490 acres; Steet Fire located seven miles northeast of Monument is mapped at 50 acres; Hog Ridge fire located nine miles northwest of Dayville mapped at 55 acres; and the Schoolhouse Fire located six miles east of Monument, mapped at 73 acres. Cooperators on the fires are: Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Spray Volunteer Fire Department, Fossil Volunteer Fire Department, Oregon Department of Corrections, Oregon Department of Transportation, United States Forest Service, United States Bureau of Land Management

Size: 1,740 acres (3 fires) Location: Spray, Oregon Containment: 80% Cause: Lightning Fuels: Grass, brush, timber Personnel: 498 Crews: 18 Engines:  17 Dozers: 6 Water Tenders: 3 Air Tankers: 1 (available) Helicopters: 6 (available) Estimated Cost: $1,006,600 Evacuations: None Structures: 0 Closures/Restrictions: None Announcements: None For More Information: 503-758-8253