National Wildfire Coordinating Group
Current Weather
Fire Growth Potential
Fire Weather Forecast
Incident Overview
Inciweb information was updated: 11 months ago
The Chilcoot Fire was started by lightning on August 24,2023 at 9:14 PM. The fire is located on the western edge of the Umpqua National Forest boundary, Bureau of Land Management land, and private timber land. It is about five miles north of the Steamboat Creek junction at Highway 138. It is burning in steep terrain in the Chilcoot Ridge area and headwaters of Hipower Creek.
Northwest Incident Management Team 6 assumed command of the Chilcoot and Ridge Fires on September 12, 2023 and will now be managing the Brice Creek, Dinner, and Grizzly Fires as Branch I and the Chilcoot and Ridge Fires as Branch II. The team will continue to implement their strategic approach to managing these full-suppression fires with current operational staff, equipment, and aircraft.
Basic Incident Details
Incident Commander Tyson Albrecht
Deputy Incident Commander- Adam Veale
Current Situation
Timber (Litter and Understory)
Closed Timber Litter
Brush (2 feet)
Fuels consist of timber litter. In mature stands, duff, snags and heavy loading of larger logs and down woody debris exists with areas of shrub and herbaceous fuels. Also, in mature stands, abundant moss and lichen fuels are present. Moss and lichen are also present in older second growth stands, along with duff, needle litter and a moderate loading of 100hr and 1000hr fuels. Scattered shrub layer is also present in these stands. In younger second growth stands, fuels consist of needle litter with scattered jackpots of down woody debris. Moss and lichen fuels are scattered and less abundant in younger stands.
Minimal
Creeping
Smoldering
Warming and drying trend is slowly increasing fuel availability in unburned pockets inside the fire perimeter. Larger diameter fuels continue to consume along with low intensity burning in the duff. Minimal perimeter growth observed interior to control lines. Fire behavior is primarily creeping and smoldering.
Planned Outlook
12 hours: As the cloud cover burns off in the afternoon humidity will decrease to around 50
24 hours: As the marine influence gradually recedes, resulting in clearing skies with daytime temperatures increasing slightly as the humidity drops allowing for continued fire activity. Overnight there is a potential for a thermal belt to develop and allow some fire activity to continue in the affected areas. The heavier fuels and burning stump holes will continue to produce smoke until consumed or extinguished resulting in areas of smoldering and creeping. During the peak burn period there may be some active backing and flanking in interior green islands or dirty burn areas, particularly those areas exposed to the sun.
48 hours: Developing moderate high pressure increasing warmer temperatures and lower humidity. This will allow for hot dry conditions increasing the availability of fuels and fire activity. The heavier fuels and burning stump holes will continue to produce smoke until consumed or extinguished. There could be areas of smoldering and creeping. During the peak burn period there may be some active backing and flanking in interior green islands or dirty burn areas.
72 hours: The high pressure will provide warmer temperatures and lower humidity.
Burning activities may begin on Division DD 72+ hours from now.
