PORTLAND, Ore. — Multiple wildfires are burning throughout the Portland metro and surrounding areas. Two huge fires, the Beachie Creek Fire in Marion County and the Riverside Fire in Clackamas County, have burned more than 324,000 acres as of Tuesday morning, according to InciWeb.
Officials said early this week the two fires remain about one mile apart and merger of the two is not imminent.
Last week, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said more than 40,000 Oregonians had evacuated their communities and an estimated 500,000 people statewide were under some level of evacuation orders because of wildfires.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 37 active wildfires had burned about 1 million acres, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
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There have been 8 confirmed deaths, according to OEM. At least 16 people were still missing in the fires, as of Tuesday.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Fires burning in Oregon and Washington
Clackamas County
Clackamas County remains under a state of emergency as the Riverside Fire continues to spread.
On Monday, the sheriff’s office reduced more evacuation levels.
A Level 3 evacuation order remains in place for Estacada and other areas in and around the fire. On Monday, officials said there were still 16,776 structures at Level 3 evacuation levels and another 18,528 homes at Level 2 evacuation levels.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Evacuation orders in Clackamas County
The Riverside Fire, which has burned more than 134,000 acres and is 0% contained, remained about half a mile from Estacada as of Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Improving weather patterns and newly arrived backup from state and federal agencies allowed firefighters in Clackamas County to pivot from defense mode to offense against the Riverside Fire over last weekend.
Wildfire perimeter map from Google Earth:
Your pics through a smoky lens: September 15, 2020
Marion County
Two large fires, the Beachie Creek and Lionshead fires, have burned more than 373,000 acres as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the OEM Fires and Hotspots Dashboard. Four people have died in the Beachie Creek Fire. Two of them were identified Tuesday as Lyons residents Justin Cook, 41, and Cathy Cook, 71.
On Monday, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said that one person remained missing, down from the initial report of 10 missing people.
Both fires prompted Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation orders for residents in the area. Evacuation shelters were established at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, the Polk County Fairgrounds and Volcanoes Stadium. Impacted residents can call 503-391-7294 for more information. On Tuesday, Level 3 evacuation notices were downgraded to Level 2 "Be Set" for portions of the Mehama and Lyons communities.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Evacuation orders in Marion County
On Tuesday, The Oregonian reported that Breitenbush Hot Springs, one of Oregon's most beloved resorts, is still standing, though the surrounding forest and about half of the resort's buildings were burned to the ground in the Beachie Creek Fire.
The Lionshead Fire, located between Detroit and Warm Springs, had burned more than 183,000 acres and was 5% contained as of Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Beachie Creek Fire, located in the Santiam Canyon west of Detroit, had burned more than 190,000 acres and was 15% contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to OEM.
The Beachie Creek Fire in Marion County and Riverside Fire in Clackamas County remain about one mile apart. The Riverside Fire has burned more than 134,000 acres as of Tuesday morning, according to InciWeb.
Officials said a merger of the two fires is not imminent.
For information on Linn County evacuations, click here. You can also call 541-812-2260 for questions regarding current evacuation levels, resource availability, volunteer needs and other question pertaining to the fires.
Due to dangerous conditions in the Santiam Canyon, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said it was limiting access to the area to fire and law enforcement only. Displaced residents can call the sheriff's office to have a deputy check on their homes in Detroit and Idanha only. People can call 503-798-6823 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The sheriff's office said to leave a name, address, phone number, anyone missing from the location and any animals at the location.
Washington County
Two fires burning in Washington County, the Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak Fire north of Newberg and the Powerline Fire near Hagg Lake, were 100% contained by Tuesday.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) reported that all Level 3 evacuations for the Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak Fire were lifted. Forest Grove Fire & Rescue said firefighters were able to protect homes, but three barns burned.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Evacuation orders for Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak Fire
The Powerline Fire burned about 120 acres. No structures were lost. All evacuation orders were lifted at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Hagg Lake and all recreational areas remained closed.
Lane County
The Holiday Farm Fire started Sept. 7 and burned homes in towns and communities along the McKenzie River, east of Eugene. According to InciWeb, the fire had burned more than 166,000 acres and was 6% contained as of Tuesday morning.
One person was found dead within the fire perimeter on Friday, according to the Lane County Sheriff's Office.
The Register-Guard reports that Blue River suffered catastrophic damage and lives have likely been lost. On Wed. Sept. 9, Gov. Brown said the communities of Vida and Blue River were "substantially destroyed."
Lincoln County
The Echo Mountain Complex Fire had burned more than 2,400 acres and was 33% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to InciWeb. It destroyed 100 homes and prompted Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation notices for some residents in Lincoln City and Rose Lodge.
An evacuation site was set up for residents affected by fires in Lincoln County, at the Newport Recreation Center located at 225 SE Avery Street.
On Monday, North Lincoln Fire and Rescue said the area is still not safe for the public to return. There are still trees falling down and the roads need to be clear for the official agencies working to clear the area. Officials hope in another 4-5 days that they can start letting people in, but in the meantime, if you want information on the status of your home, you can call the county's call center at 541-265-0621 and the sheriff's deputy will go out and check on it.
Check tripcheck.com for the latest information on road closures.
Southern Oregon
The Almeda Fire started in Ashland and then burned through Talent and Phoenix. At least four people died in the fire, according to OEM, and dozens remain unaccounted for. Police have opened a criminal investigation into how the fire started.
The Slater/Devil fires that started in California were threatening the Illinois Valley. The fires had burned more than 136,000 acres and were 10% contained as of Tuesday.
The South Obenchain Fire, burning near Eagle Point, a town about 12 miles northwest of Medford, had burned more than 32,000 acres and was 20% contained as of Tuesday.
Douglas County
Douglas County is battling a number of wildfires, the largest being the Archie Creek Fire, which prompted evacuation orders for the entire county.
The Archie Creek Fire had burned more than 121,000 acres was 15% contained as of Monday morning, according to InciWeb. It had destroyed 109 homes, according to OEM.
A shelter was available for evacuated residents at the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 2110 Frear Street, Roseburg.
Southwest Washington
The Big Hollow Fire is burning near Cougar, Washington. As of Tuesday morning, it had burned about 21,000 acres and was 10% contained, according to InciWeb.
The 42 cabins at Government Mineral Springs were placed under a Level 3 evacuation order, according to officials. Some other areas are under Level 1 (Be Ready) and Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation orders. See the evacuation map here.