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Potter Fire

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Unit Information

Oregon 
Springfield, 
Oregon 
97477 
Oregon 
Springfield, 
Oregon 
97477 

Incident Contacts

Fire Information
Email: 2022.potter@firenet.gov
Phone: 541-625-0687
Hours: M-S 8am-7pm

The Potter Fire was reported at 9:00am, Sunday, July 31, 2022.  It is near Potter Mountain on the Middle Fork Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest. Its size was originally estimated at 60 acres, as of mid August it is about 500 acres. Fire crews are used burn out operations to safely bring fire to established fire lines. Mop up of hot spots along firelines is being completed and fire suppression repair has begun.

Basic Information
Current as of Fri, 09/09/2022 - 19:11
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Lightning
Date of Origin
Location Potter Mountain
Incident Commander Tyson Albrecht
Incident Description Wildfire
Coordinates 43° 22' 30'' Latitude
-122° 20'
33
'' Longitude
Current Situation
Total Personnel: 67
Size 632 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained 99%
Estimated Containment Date 2022-10-30 00:00:00
Fuels Involved

Closed Timber Litter
Timber (Litter and Understory)
Medium Logging Slash

Narrative:
Fuel model 10: Primary surface fuels are duff and litter, larger branch wood, and in some stands, grass and brush from previous fire activity.

Fuel model 8 contains mixed conifer with timber litter, duff, timber and understory.

Significant Events

Minimal
Backing
Creeping
isolated torching

Interior unburned islands continue to creep and back with occasional single tree torching.

Outlook
Planned Actions

Continue to patrol and secure fire activity that poses a threat to containment lines.

Continue fire suppression repair on alternate lines and road systems.

Projected Incident Activity

12 hours: Poor overnight humidity recovery. Expect continued interior creeping and backing through the night.

24 hours: With strong winds and very dry humidity, expect unburned islands to pick up in intensity with single tree torching. Potential for some spotting across containment lines.

48 hours: With strong winds and very dry humidity, expect unburned islands to pick up in intensity with single tree torching. Potential for some spotting across containment lines.

72 hours: Backing of fire in unburned islands.

Anticipated after 72 hours: Continued backing of fire in interior unburned islands.

Current Weather
Weather Concerns

Ridgetop and gap winds increases to 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph overnight, while relative humidities remained around 20%. Cinnamon and Emigrant RAWS gusted up to 20 mph overnight, with much lighter winds in the deeper/protected valleys. Today winds have continued to increase across the aligned midslope valleys and ridgetop/gaps with localized gusts in the 20 to 30 mph range. Cinnamon has gusted to 28 mph and Emigrant to 27 mph, while relative humidity values have fallen into the single digits and lower teens. Temperatures are warming quickly into the 80s under mostly sunny skies this afternoon.

A Red Flag Warning continues until 10 AM Saturday for breezy east winds and critically low relative humidites, including very poor recoveries. Breezy ridgetop and gap winds will prevail overnight, but quickly decrease on by Saturday afternoon. Localized gusts 20 to 30 mph are possible, but winds decrease to 10 to 15 mph by evening, with much lighter winds in protected valleys. Much above normal temperatures continue with readings in the upper 80s to mid 90s. Very poor relative humidities are expected overnight and critically low again on Saturday, with moderately unstable conditions. Cooler temperatures, lighter terrain driven winds, and intervals of clouds are expected for Sunday into early next week, along with higher relative humidity values.