8/22/2015 Grizzly Bear Complex

Fire crews continue preparing fire lines and protecting structures threatened by the Grizzly Bear Complex Fire

     Elgin, Oregon – Firefighters and dozers have been constructing direct and indirect fire lines along the perimeter of the 59,150-acre Grizzly Bear Complex Fire. The firefighters are clearing and reducing fuels to be ready for burning out fuels this week if needed.  A “feller-buncher” tree removal machines are working double-shifts to improve roads for use as fire lines on the north and south edges of the fire.

The fire has continued to spread along its south and east perimeters.  Except when smoke reduced visibility and temporarily grounded air support this afternoon, helicopters have been dropping water to slow the fire’s growth where needed. 

Approximately twenty-four structures (5 primary residences and 19 outbuildings) within the fire area have been lost to the fire.  Today one hay barn burned but the adjacent home and garage were successfully protected.  Other homes located at the Grouse Flat, Eden Bench, and Troy remain threatened. Structural protection plans are being developed and a portion of the Oregon State Fire Marshall’s Office’s Green Team fire engines stay on scene as a night shift. 

Northwest of the fire, in an area where it would be unsafe for firefighters to make a direct protective stand, pumps, hose and sprinklers have been installed around several cabins.  Tomorrow, the seasonal cabin owners are being escorted to the area and allowed to remove personal belongings.  If the fire nears, the firefighters will retreat, leaving the sprinklers in place to protect the structures.

Several spike camps have been established near the fire to reduce travel times for firefighters.  A new camp is being set up in Dayton, Wash. that will benefit firefighters working along the northern portion of the fire.

A subsidence inversion tonight with warm temperatures and very low humidity will keep light fuels dry overnight. Tomorrow is expected to be hotter and drier, with humidity in the mid-teens. Although winds should be minimal, a smoke column may rise tomorrow above the fire as heat is released from burning fuels into an unstable atmosphere. Due to the potential for this high-energy fire behavior, there is no change planned in evacuation levels at this time.

Grizzly Bear Complex Fire public meetings will be held Sunday at the Anatone Community Hall in Anatone, Wash., at 3 p.m., and at the Flora School in Flora, Ore., at 6 p.m.