2018 Oregon wildfires
2018 wildfire season in the U.S. state of Oregon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wildfires in the U.S. state of Oregon in 2018 include the Boxcar Fire, Graham Fire, and Jack Knife Fire.[3]
| 2018 Oregon wildfires | |
|---|---|
Thunderstorms over the weekend of July 14-15 brought thousands of lightning strikes to the state of Oregon, starting 150 wildfires. Fires on the Umpqua, Rogue River, Winema, and Siskiyou National Forests are seen in this July 18, 2018, NASA satellite photo. | |
| Statistics[1][2] | |
| Total fires | 2,019 |
| Total area | 897,263 acres (3,631.09 km2) |
| Season | |
← 2017 | |
In July, one person was killed by the Substation Fire,[4] which also destroyed the Charles E. Nelson House.
Background
"Fire season" in Oregon typically begins in mid-May and ends with the first rains that normally begins in late September. Drought, snowpack levels, and local weather conditions play a role in Oregon's fire season, particularly in Eastern and Southwest Oregon. During peak fire season from July to September, most wildfires are caused by lightning, while ignitions in the early and later parts of the season are related to humans. Warm, dry conditions in summer heighten the wildfire risk. After over 100 years of fire suppression and prevention of all fires, there is now an abundance of fuel. Climate change is leading to a reduced snowpack with an earlier and reduced snowmelt, so there is a higher risk for areas that receive wildfires.[5]
Wildfires
The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres, or produced significant structural damage or loss of life.
| Name | County | Acres | Start date | Containment date[a] | Status | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxcar | Wasco | 100,207 | June 21, 2018 | July 6, 2018 | Contained | Lightning-caused. Portions of U.S. Route 197 closed and evacuations issued for Maupin | [7][8] |
| Graham | Jefferson | 2,175 | June 21, 2018 | July 4, 2018 | Contained | Lightning-caused. Threatened structures and burned near Lake Billy Chinook. | [9][10] |
| Jack Knife | Sherman | 15,676 | June 22, 2018 | July 6, 2018 | Contained | Lightning-caused. Burned east of Maupin near John Day River. | [11][12] |
| Klondike | Josephine | 175,258 | July 15, 2018 | November 6, 2018 | Contained | Lightning-caused. Burned near the Illinois River and evacuations issued for Galice, Merlin, and communities along U.S. Route 199. | [13][14] |
| Taylor Creek | Josephine | 52,839 | July 15, 2018 | Contained | Lightning-caused. Evacuations near Rogue River and Grants Pass. Portion of Rogue River closed. | [15][16] | |
| Garner Complex | Josephine | 8,886 | July 15, 2018 | August 14, 2018 | Contained | Included Grave Fires, Pleasant Creek Fire, and Spencer Fires. Burned north of Rogue River with evacuations for Wimer. | [17][18] |
| Hendrix | Jackson | 1,082 | July 15, 2018 | August 14, 2018 | Contained | Lightning-caused. Burned in Little Applegate River area southwest of Ashland. Evacuations for Ruch. | [19][18] |
| Miles | Jackson, Douglas | 54,334 | July 15, 2018 | Contained | Sugar Pine, South Umpqua Complex and Miles fire merged | [20][21] | |
| Timber Crater 6 | Klamath | 3,126 | July 15, 2018 | August 16, 2018 | Contained | Lightning-caused. Burned in northeast corner of Crater Lake National Park. | [22][23] |
| Substation | Wasco | 78,425 | July 17, 2018 | August 2, 2018 | Contained | Possibly human-caused. Burned close to The Dalles. Evacuations near Moro and Grass Valley. Killed one person and destroyed the Charles E. Nelson House. | [24][25] |
| Long Hollow | Wasco | 33,451 | July 26, 2018 | August 14, 2018 | Contained | Caused by farming equipment. Evacuations along the Deschutes River. | [26][27] |
| Lake Wallula | Umatilla | 12,462 | July 29, 2018 | July 30, 2018 | Contained | Unknown cause. Burned along U.S. Route 730. | [28][29] |
| South Valley | Wasco | 20,026 | August 1, 2018 | August 10, 2018 | Contained | Human-caused. Evacuations for 500 people south of Dufur. Closed portion of U.S. Route 197 closed. | [30][31] |
| Watson | Lake | 16,227 | August 15, 2018 | Contained | Started from a vehicle conducting maintenance on Paradise Creek allotment. Burned in Fremont-Winema National Forest. | [32][33] | |
Notes
- Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[6]