Cougar Peak Fire morning update for September 10, 2021.

A pyro-cumulonimbus cloud over the Cougar Peak Fire, September 9, 2021. (Image: Paisley Volunteer Fire Department)

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COUGAR PEAK FIRE DETAILS

Cause:
Under investigation

Size:
83,339 Acres (estimated)

Containment: 0%

Resources
Personnel: 412
Type 1 Hand Crews: 1
Type 2 IA Hand Crews: 3
Type 2 Hand Crews: 3
Helicopters: 3
Engines: 36
Dozers: 3
Tenders: 11
Masticator: 1

Location:
15 Miles NW of Lakeview

Date of Origin:
September 7, 2021
1:45 PM

LAKEVIEW, Ore. – After significant fire activity yesterday along the northeast perimeter, the wetting rains over the fire early this morning considerably moderated fire behavior.

Today will be a favorable day for firefighters, as the rain has cooled the fire’s edge and will allow for more direct operations along the perimeter. An infrared reconnaissance flight last night provided a more accurate fire acreage.

Yesterday began with extreme fire behavior, including a pyro-cumulonimbus development pushing out 10-11 miles along the northern boundary of the fire. Firefighters focused efforts to keep ahead of the fire to provide structure and property protection. Contingency lines were constructed at the northeast side to provide structure protection to Valley Falls. At dark, when the winds dropped, the fire reached the flats just south of the Chewaucan Marsh and checked the forward movement. There was very little lateral growth on the east and west flanks of the fire due to the growth being wind-driven. Dozer line work continues on the southern edge in an effort to create an anchor point for resources.

Today, crews will focus work on the eastern flank of the fire. The precipitation received will allow dozers and hand crews to use a direct tactic and build a containment line next to the fire’s edge.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s mobilized additional incident management staff and four more taskforces yesterday, bringing the total of structural protection taskforces to ten.

Structural firefighters will capitalize on morning precipitation to access areas of the fire that were previously inaccessible due to active fire behavior. Focuses for today will be evaluating and protecting structures and engaging directly with fire lines that threatened homes.

Behavior
Anticipated fire spread will be minimal today, due to the moderate weather. As the temperatures ease back into seasonal norms, fire behavior will likely increase over the weekend.

Command
Northwest Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander Kevin Stock, in unified command with Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Incident Management Blue Team, Scott Magers Incident Commander, is managing the Cougar Peak Fire. The incident command post is located at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeview.

Weather
The Red Flag Warning remains in effect through 5 p.m. today, for strong, gusty winds with low relative humidity and abundant lightning on dry fuels. Later today, the focus for showers and thunderstorms shifts northeast with dry conditions returning tonight and lasting into next week.

The maximum temperature forecast for today will be in the upper 60s. Southwest winds 3-6 mph with gusts up to 10 mph will become westerly 4-7 mph with gusts up to 12 mph in the afternoon. Erratic and gusty winds up to 20 mph can be expected near thunderstorms.

Evacuations
For the latest evacuation orders and map, click here.

Cougar Peak Fire Infrared Map, for September 10, 2021. Click to enlarge. Download PDF.

Additional Information

Klamath Falls News & Cascade Firewatch’s coverage of the 2021 Wildfire Season is brought to you by Ace Towing.

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