Breaking News Limited travel with pilot cars has been in place for several weeks. Since many businesses and other facilities were damaged or destroyed by the fires, there are limited services available throughout the Santiam Canyon. Lyons, Ore. – The Santiam Park Fire, reported Tuesday afternoon near the North Santiam State Recreational Area off Highway 22, is currently 80 percent lined, with some evacuation levels lowered. "I know from experience — I was a firefighter for 20 years — when you have a chaotic situation like this, communications are always a problem," he said. ODF is working with the Lyons Fire Department and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office on the fire. Strong east winds caused the fire to jump the Santiam River. ... directing them east over Santiam Pass … Video from the scene shows flames and smoke on Highway 126 near Santiam Junction. North Fork Road, Pioneer Road East and Gates Hill Road will also stay closed because of hazardous conditions. Marion County Sheriff's Office spokesman Deputy Ethan Griffith pointed to many obstacles during the evacuations. In addition to the ongoing work zones, hazards to travelers include damaged guardrail, roadside log decks and slash piles from the hazard tree removal, as well as the potential for falling rocks. Nobody expected this. SANTIAM PASS — A wildland fire that started about 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon about five miles west of the Santiam Pass on Highway 20 has grown to about 50 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service. “The fire weather forecasted is extremely rare and occurs only a few times a century,” said Eric Johnson, deputy fire staff for Northwest Oregon Fire Management in a news release issued on Sunday, Sept 6, before the blowup. Even so, Kesterson said more knowledge about the critical fire conditions would have helped her pay close attention that evening. Hazard trees are dead, dying or leaning trees that were damaged by the wildfires, and would likely come down on the highway, posing a risk to travelers. But when she opened the front door, she saw bright red in the sky and was hit by a wall of smoke and ash. But perhaps because Oregon has no history with such long-distance fire spread — which is more common in California — most residents figured they were safe down in the Santiam Canyon. With fall and winter rains beginning, slides and debris flows are a particular concern, especially in areas where the vegetation, tree roots and underbrush have been stripped away. 25 miles SW of Santiam Pass Elevation: 1450 ft: Andrews Experimental Forest, Flood Cam, 7 miles NE of Blue River on ORE 126 (McKenzie Hwy), 24 miles SW of Santiam Pass Elevation: 1500 ft: Andrews Experimental Forest, Road 130 Tower Cam, 7 miles NE of Blue River on ORE 126 (McKenzie Hwy), 24 miles SW of Santiam Pass, looking east Elevation: 1960 ft But the thing is, I wish there was a little more communication.”. Check out our current live radar and weather forecasts for Santiam Pass, Oregon to help plan your day ... Fire Center. But Lemke was able to stop in town Tuesday and found his house, the school, his church, the mills and many other homes still standing. ODOT estimates that over 30,000 hazard trees have been removed along a 40-mile stretch of OR 22 that was heavily impacted by the winds and wildfires. If she had known, for example, the Beachie Creek and Lionshead Fires were projected to grow on high winds, she would have been on higher alert heading into the night. He said cell service was spotty in some areas in the Santiam Canyon and power lines were down. Daily Weather Forecast A helicopter is grounded in a smoky field near the incident command center for the Santiam Fire near Gates, Ore., Sept. 9, 2020. Remains of a burned home and vehicles in Gates, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2020. The alert was intended to warn Salem residents of cyanotoxins in the water system. At that moment, she knew it was time to escape. Entertainment Fire officials anticipated what they called an “east wind event,” pushing the fire out of the high ridges and into the canyons. Residents between Gates Hill Road and Brietenbush Road SE, including the city of Detroit, were set to be placed on Level 2 the next day, on Tuesday. Deputies went by homes in the North Fork Road area and Elkhorn Community around 9 a.m. on Monday and notified residents of the Level 2 evacuation status. Fire Weather; User Defined Area; Click Map For Forecast Disclaimer. Concerned that people were not getting evacuations alerts, deputies went door-to-door alerting people to leave immediately. Evacuation approaches can vary county-to-county and a statewide alert system has yet to be widely implemented for evacuations like the ones seen earlier this week. The confusion and lack of notification weren't surprising, he said. For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth. The charred remains of the Gates Elementary School, which was being used as a staging ground by firefighters, are seen after the passage of the Santiam Fire in Gates, Oregon, on September 10, 2020. There was no communication until it was pretty late. It’s never a 100% deal.". The fire complex began as two separate wildfires; both were caused by lightning striking in early August. Fire Information: Wildfire activity on the Willamette National Forest ranging from fire danger levels, public use restrictions, and official closures. "We just knew there was a good chance it was going to come over the hill and into the North Santiam Canyon," Lemke said. And, officials have stressed that the lower half of what’s become the Santiam/Beachie Creek Fire, was started by downed power lines. Those who saw it up close remember the speed and fury, and a smoke plume that rose 35,000 feet above Santiam Pass west of Sisters. "So I just said, 'We don’t need an evacuation notice, we’re just going to go'. Residents were forced to evacuate. The Oregon State Fire Marshal said the Santiam Park Fire is a reminder for people to protect their homes from wildfires. Truck crash sets forest on fire near Santiam Pass; check for delays. We were both in total shock.”. Travis Hansen of Gates said he was aware of the wildfires fairly early, but couldn’t get answers on whether to evacuate. Hall of Fame Photos. Check out our current live radar and weather forecasts for Santiam Pass, Oregon to help plan your day. "It spread so rapidly that we couldn’t get to everybody door to door," Griffith said. Sections of the highway have been closed to traffic or controlled with pilot cars since Sept. 7, when a wind storm and series of wildfires caused devastating damage to communities and created a series of hazards for travelers. Santiam Pass is a 4,817-foot (1,468 m) mountain pass in the Cascade Range in central Oregon in the United States.It is located on the border between Linn and Jefferson counties, about 18 mi (29 km) northwest of Sisters, between the prominent volcanic horns of Three Fingered Jack to the north and Mount Washington to the south. The same release, from the Forest Service, said: “Over these next few days, the combination of high winds at 15-30 mph from the east with gusts up to 50 mph, low humidity, and dry fuels could cause rapid fire spread (to the west).”. Looking back, Kesterson said she wished she knew more about the possibility of the fires spreading long distances. US20 at Santiam Pass. Significant work continues in the canyon, and travelers should expect delays throughout the burn area. The TripCheck website provides roadside camera images and detailed information about Oregon road traffic congestion, incidents, weather conditions, services and commercial vehicle restrictions and registration. Santiam Pass and Willamette Pass are the main winter recreation areas for winter sports on the forest. “It jumped to Level 3 almost immediately in some areas because of how rapidly the fire was spreading," Griffin said. Current Forecast | Willamette Pass & Hwy 58 | Southern Oregon Interstate 5 Passes | Closures & Delays. "It would have changed the entire scope of our thinking. Stories of confusion and chaos have become commonplace from Mill City and Gates residents forced to flee as the Beachie Creek/Santiam Fire torched down the canyon at breathtaking speed. Later, it roared south and west, seriously endangering both Hoodoo Ski Area and Lost Lake campground. 4970 ft) Last Update: 8:04 pm PST Jan 27, 2021. Severe Weather No motorized cross country travel. 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