Containment of Tyee Ridge Complex Increases to 48%, Mop Up Work Continues

Containment of the Tyee Ridge Complex has continued to increase and is now up to 48%. The Cougar Creek Fire is up to 6,472 acres now and has increased in size by just 7 acres in the past 24 hours. None of the other fires has shown any increase in size. There are now 1,214 personnel working on the fires, 8 helicopters and there still has not been one structure lost to these fires. The following is the the Sept 11th morning update from incident command: "Crews this morning took a moment of silence in remembrance of September 11, 2001, the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil. Firefighters and emergency services are a community that sacrifice for their roles, and 22 years ago today, many paid the ultimate price for their service. “Two things come to mind fighting fires,” said Dave Brown, Operations Planning Section Chief trainee. “The glory of honor and achievement in protecting lives and property, and pride in a job well done. There’s been great progress in building containment lines, let’s not get complacent and stay diligent in getting this fire under control.” Weather and fire behavior over the next few days will give crews a chance to strengthen containment lines and mop up perimeters. Higher temperatures and lower relative humidity are anticipated later this week, which will test those lines. Focus on the fire is transitioning from suppression efforts to mop up. Crews continue mopping up 200 feet into burnt areas around the fire perimeter and up to 300 feet into burnt areas around structures. These distances are subject to terrain, fuel types, fuel conditions, and predicted weather. Handheld and drone infrared cameras verify mop-up operations to ensure no hot spots remain near structures or along control lines. Night infrared missions on the Cougar Creek fire are being used to prioritize day-shift operations. Good progress was made Sunday on hazard tree removal—standing dead trees that pose hazards to firefighters—increasing safety conditions for firefighting personnel. Safety is the top priority and risks continue to be reviewed and mitigated. Hubbard Creek Road is open to local residents and fire vehicles only. Be mindful of suppression activities and fire vehicle traffic. Local residents may experience traffic delays. Oregon Department of Forestry Team 3 Eric Perkins, Incident Commander trainee Chris Cline, Incident Commander Helicopter photo via incident command