Willamette National Forest
U.S. Forest Service
Oregon
Springfield, OR 97477
Fire Information
Email: 2022.potter@firenet.gov
Phone: 206-473-8645
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.
Current as of | |
Incident Type | Wildfire |
Cause | Lightning |
Date of Origin | Sunday July 31st, 2022 approx. 09:00 AM |
Location | Potter Mountain |
Incident Commander | Shawn Sheldon, NW IMT 6 |
Incident Description | Wildfire |
Coordinates | 43.375 latitude, -122.343 longitude |
Total Personnel | 329 |
Size | 345 Acres |
Estimated Containment Date | Sunday October 30th, 2022 approx. 12:00 AM |
Fuels Involved | Timber (Litter and Understory) Medium Logging Slash Closed Timber Litter Timber litter and timber understory, (TL5, TU5). Duff and downed logs. Herbaceous and woody live material beginning to cure to the point where they can independently carry fire. |
Significant Events | Active Wind driven Runs Torching Spotting Wind and slope driven runs and short to mid range spotting observed, particularly in stands where moss and lichen is abundant in the canopy. Rollout on steep slopes contributing to suppression difficulty. Interior island consumption. |
Planned Actions | The IMT has responded to 25 Initial attacks (IA) within the TFR and will continue to identify and suppress any additional IA with available resources. Many of these IA fires are now lined and being mopped up. Type 1 handcrews are being utilized in suppression actions in challenging terrain and are involved in several potential and ongoing strategic firing operations. Continuing actions include indirect line prep on the Potter Fire to support future strategic firing operations and gridding/mop-up of the Shelter Fire. Crews are planning for the initiation of a strategic firing operation to contain the Potter Fire using Type 1 crews, UAS modules, and other resources.
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Projected Incident Activity | 12 hours: Moderate overnight humidity recovery to 70. Continued movement where containment lines are indirect. No holding issues expected unless in the vicinity of outflow winds. Big Swamp and Potter subject to rollout. 24 hours: Cooler temperatures, stabilizing airmass, and good overnight humidity recovery provide some relief today. Conditions are good for moderate intensity firing operations through the period. Live fuels continue to cure, adding to fine and coarse woody fuels as a spread agent. 48 Hours: Interior islands continue to consume. Moderate fire behavior characteristics with primarily surface fire potential. No movement expected on Windigo, moderate intensity surface fire with short duration torching runs from rollout are possible on Potter and Big Swamp. 72 hours: Interior islands continue to consume. Moderate fire behavior characteristics with primarily surface fire potential. No movement expected on Windigo, moderate intensity surface fire with short duration torching runs from rollout are possible on Potter and Big Swamp. Anticipated after 72 hours: Continued drying of live and larger diameter fuels continue high fire behavior |
Weather Concerns | Fairly uneventful weather across the area fires on Thursday. Temperatures were in the upper 70s and to around 80 in the steeper canyon bottoms. Humidity bottomed out around 25 percent at the area weather stations. As of 1600 hrs, wind is currently terrain driven at 2-6 mph with peak gusts 10-15 mph. Expect winds will favor coming from the northwest along the ridges for the early evening hours and still maintain 10-15 mph gusts before decreasing after sunset. |