Gusty winds Monday night fanned the Lionshead Fire and officials on Tuesday warned the fire was “very active” as it pushed toward the communities of Breitenbush and Detroit.
Both of those communities are under Level 3 (GO!) evacuation orders.
Officials said the fire burning on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation ran four miles in less than two hours as it grew to more than 27,000 acres and spread onto the Willamette National Forest in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Sunday’s spot fires on the northwest flank burned into the main fire. As a strong cold front approached and passed through the vicinity, winds became gusty and shifted to coming from the east. The winds, smoke, and blowing dust grounded aircraft mid-day.
The winds aligned with the terrain and pushed the northwest edge of the fire through a band of heavier fuels north of Mt. Jefferson, south of Shitike Creek.
More work was completed on the J-100, J-173, P-400, and P-500 roads, preparing them as potential control lines. Work was nearly finished on the roads between the south end of the fire and the Warm Springs Reservation boundary.
Due to the strong east winds and continued low humidity, the fire is expected to spread further to the west on Tuesday.
Firefighters will be shifted as needed to areas where they can safely and effectively work to slow the fire’s spread. Some fire personnel will continue to prepare indirect control lines to the south and north of the fire. Aircraft operations may be restricted by the wind and poor visibility.
Here are some convenient ways to stay informed:
•Willamette Valley Communications Center (WVCC) primarily covers the cities of Salem and Keizer; however, they also cover areas served by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. To register for alerts, visit: https://www.cityofsalem.net/Pages/get-community-alerts.aspx
•METCOM covers Aumsville, Aurora, Butteville, Detroit, Donald, Drakes Crossing, Gates, Gervais, Hubbard, Idanha, Jefferson, Lyons, Mill City, Mt. Angel, Monitor, Scotts Mills, Silverton, St. Paul, Stayton, Sublimity, Turner, and Woodburn. To register for alerts, visit: https://www.metcom911.com/citizen-alert-.
•Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is used by federal, state, and local authorities to share critical public alerts and warnings. IPAWS is a robust program that allows messages from several sources including the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), weather, and more. IPAWS notifications are sent by area and to cell phones within the alert area. You do not need to register to receive IPAWS alerts; however, you must have emergency alerts enabled on your phone to receive IPAWS messages on your mobile device.
•Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a system that’s been in place for many years and disseminates information over cable television systems, satellite digital audio radio service, direct broadcast satellite, and wireline video service providers. There is no registration required for this service. If an alert is issued, it will automatically broadcast to television and radio stations.
•FlashAlert is used by many local police and fire agencies, as well as schools and other community/government organizations, to send emergency messages via FlashAlert. You can register to receive news releases and emergency notifications. You choose the agencies you wish to hear from. To register, visit: https://www.flashalert.net/.
•Marion County emergency alerts can be found on the Marion County website on the “Alerts & Emergencies” web page. https://www.co.marion.or.us/PW/EmergencyManagement/Pages/alerts.aspx
