2021 Oregon wildfires

2021 wildfire season in the U.S. state of Oregon

2021 Oregon wildfires

The fire in Ponina on April 18, 2021

Date(s)|
May 15, 2021 – January 12, 2022
Statistics
Total fires| 1,661
Total area| 827,596 acres (334,916 ha)
Impacts
Deaths| 1[1]
Season

← 2020

2022 →

The 2021 Oregon wildfire season began in May 2021.[2] More than 1,000 fires had burned at least 518,303 acres (209,750 ha) across the state as of July 21, 2021.[3][4][5] As of August 1, it was expected that the fires might not be contained for months.[6]

The wildfire season in Oregon experienced an early start due to an abnormally dry spring coupled with low snowpack levels amid an ongoing drought.[7] The 2021 season has been outpacing the destructive previous season, with nearly 10 times as many acres have burned as of July 20 compared to the previous year through that date, according to the NIFC's Northwest Coordination Center.[3]

## Background

[edit]

Oregon has been experiencing increasingly large fire seasons over the last few decades, with the preceding 2020 wildfire season being one of the most destructive in the state's history.[8] As with much of the rest of the Western United States,[9] fire officials were predicting another above-average season in 2021 due to expected low precipitation and high temperatures.[8][10] The state's declaration of the start of wildfire season in mid-May marked the earliest start to a fire season in the state in over 40 years.[2][7] In preparation for the wildfire season, forest officials performed prescribed burns[10] and state lawmakers worked on wildfire-mitigation legislation designed to create wildfire risk maps, update building codes, and create new rules related to defensible space around homes in the wildland–urban interface.[5]

## List of wildfires

[edit]

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

Name  | County  | Acres  | Start date  | Containment date  | Notes  | Ref

|
|
|
|
|
|

Ponina  | Klamath | 1,641 | April 18 | April 23 | Lightning-sparked | [11][12]
Dry Creek  | Wallowa | 1,564 | June 4 | June 30 | Lightning-sparked | [13][14]
Joseph Canyon | Wallowa, Asotin (WA) | 7,610 | June 4 | July 15 | Lightning-sparked | [15][16]
S-503  | Wasco | 6,822 | June 18 | August 18 | Unknown cause, 3 injuries | [17][16]
Cutoff  | Klamath | 1,288 | June 19 | June 30 | Unknown cause, 22 structures destroyed, 1 injury | [18][19][16][20]
Wrentham Market  | Wasco | 7,222 | June 29 | July 3 | Unknown cause, 2 structures destroyed | [21][16][22]
Rattlesnake  | Wasco, Jefferson | 5,479 | June 30 | August 4 | Unknown cause | [16][23]
Ryegrass 0444 RS  | Crook | 1,102 | June 30 | July 4 | Lightning-sparked | [16][24]
Upton  | Harney | 1,500 | July 1 | July 3 | Lightning-sparked | [16][14]
Jack | Douglas | 24,165 | July 5 | November 29 | Human-caused, 18 injuries | [25][26][16]
Bootleg | Klamath, Lake | 413,717 | July 6 | August 14 | Lightning-sparked, merged with the Log Fire on July 19, 408 structures destroyed, 342 vehicles destroyed,[27] 20 injuries. It was the largest wildfire in the United States in the 2021 wildfire season, until it was overtaken by the Dixie Fire in Northern California in early August. | [16][25][28][29][30]
Grandview  | Jefferson, Deschutes | 6,032 | July 11 | July 25 | Unknown cause, 3 injuries | [16][31][32]
Log  | Lake, Klamath | 16,337 | July 12 | August 14 | Unknown cause, merged with the Bootleg Fire on July 19 | [16]
Elbow Creek  | Wallowa | 22,960 | July 15 | September 24 | Unknown cause, 6 structures destroyed, 8 injuries | [16][33][34]
Deep Creek 0685 RN  | Wasco | 1,250 | July 29 | August 3 | Lightning-sparked | [16][35]
Middle Fork Complex  | Lane | 30,928 | July 29 | January 12 | Unknown cause, 2 injuries, 1 firefighter fatality.[1] The complex consists of 12 individual fires, of which the largest are the Gales Creek Fire and the Kwis Fire. | [16][36]
Rough Patch Complex  | Lane | 50,563 | July 29 | November 29 | Lightning-sparked. The complex consists of 19 individual fires, of which the largest is the Chaos Fire. | [16][37]
Skyline Ridge Complex  | Douglas | 5,760 | August 1 | August 30 | Lightning-sparked. The complex consists of numerous individual fires, of which the largest are the Poole Fire and the Dismal Creek 210 Fire Fire. | [16][38]
Bull Complex  | Marion | 24,894 | August 2 | November 19 | Lightning-sparked, 1 structure destroyed. Formerly referred to as the Janus Complex. The complex consists of 5 individual fires, of which the largest are the Janus Fire, the Ridge Fire, and the Kola Fire. | [16][39]
Black Butte  | Grant | 22,445 | August 3 | September 27 | Lightning-sparked, 6 injuries | [16][40][41]
Devil's Knob Complex  | Douglas | 70,110 | August 3 | October 19 | Lightning-sparked, 1 structure destroyed. The complex consists of 52 individual fires. | [16][42]
Fox Complex  | Lake | 9,754 | August 13 | September 1 | Lightning-sparked, 4 structures destroyed. The complex consists of the Patton Meadow Fire and the Willow Valley Fire. | [16][43][14]
Cougar Peak  | Lake | 91,810 | September 7 | October 21 | Unknown cause, 10 structures destroyed, 9 injuries | [16][44]
Big Meadow  | Harney | 2,643 | September 9 | September 26 | Lightning-sparked, 3 injuries | [16]

## Response

[edit]

At the end of July 2021, Governor Kate Brown signed a bill to invest $220 million in wildfire prevention, preparedness, and response.[45]

## See also

[edit]

* Oregon portal

* 2021 Western North America heat wave
* List of Oregon wildfires

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Krauss, Louis (August 25, 2021). "Updated: Firefighter killed working Gales Fire first to die in Oregon wildfire season". The Register-Guard. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
2. ^ a b "Fire season begins Saturday for some parts of Oregon". opb. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
3. ^ a b Goldwasser, Max (July 20, 2021). "'We haven't peaked yet': Oregon already outpacing historic, devastating 2020 wildfire season". KTVZ. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
4. ^ Stites, Sam; Samayoa, Monica (July 20, 2021). "'This is not going to return to normal anytime soon': Lightning could further fuel Oregon's active fire season". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
5. ^ a b Stites, Sam (June 25, 2021). "Oregon takes an ambitious swing at addressing wildfire with proposed $190 million investment". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
6. ^ Jones, Dustin (August 1, 2021). "Western Wildfires May Take Weeks To Months To Contain". NPR.org. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
7. ^ a b "Oregon Dept. of Forestry's C.O. District to declare fire season Saturday; earliest start in over 40 years". KTVZ. May 13, 2021. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
8. ^ a b Bull, Brian (May 7, 2021). "Decades Of Increasing Wildfire Destruction Finds Oregon On Brink Of Another Intense Season". KLCC (FM). Retrieved July 21, 2021.
9. ^ "Western states brace for 'very active wildfire season' following warm, dry winter". NBC News. April 2, 2021. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
10. ^ a b Bull, Brian (May 19, 2021). "2021's Wildfire Forecast Shows Steadily Rising Risk Level From May Into August". KLCC (FM). Retrieved July 21, 2021.
11. ^ "Ponina Fire near Klamath Falls, Oregon - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map | Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center". FireWeatherAvalanche.org. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
12. ^ Gailey, Brian (April 23, 2021). "Full containment expected later today on Ponina Fire". Klamath Falls News. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
13. ^ "Dry Creek Fire Information". InciWeb. June 11, 2021. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
14. ^ a b c "2021 Large Incidents Year-to-Date (ICS-209)" (PDF). Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. July 6, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
15. ^ "Joseph Canyon Fire Information". InciWeb. June 11, 2021. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "State of Oregon Fires and Hotspots Dashboard". June 30, 2021. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
17. ^ "S-503 Information". InciWeb. May 22, 2021. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
18. ^ "Cutoff Fire Information". InciWeb. June 3, 2021. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
19. ^ "Update from the Cutoff Fire for June 26, 2021". InciWeb. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
20. ^ "National Interagency Coordination Center Incident Management Situation Report Thursday, July 1, 2021– 0730 MDT National Preparedness Level 4" (PDF). nifc.gov. July 1, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
21. ^ "Wrentham Market Fire grows to 10K acres, Gov. Brown invokes Emergency Conflagration Act". KATU. June 30, 2021. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
22. ^ "Wrentham Market Fire Information". InciWeb. July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
23. ^ "Rattlesnake Fire Information". InciWeb. July 3, 2021. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
24. ^ "National Interagency Coordination Center Incident Management Situation Report Monday, July 5, 2021– 0730 MDT National Preparedness Level 4" (PDF). nifc.gov. July 5, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
25. ^ a b "Evacuations called due to 1,500-acre fire east of Roseburg; new 3,000-acre fire on Fremont-Winema Forest". KTVZ. Associated Press. July 6, 2021. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
26. ^ "Jack Fire Information". InciWeb. July 6, 2021. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
27. ^ "Western wildfires calm down in cool weather, but losses grow". Associated Press. July 27, 2021. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
28. ^ "Bootleg Fire Information". InciWeb. July 18, 2021. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
29. ^ "Dixie Fire (CA) Information". InciWeb. August 6, 2021. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
30. ^ "National Interagency Coordination Center Incident Management Situation Report Sunday, August 15, 2021– 0730 MDT National Preparedness Level 5" (PDF). nifc.gov. August 15, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
31. ^ "Grandview Fire Information". InciWeb. July 12, 2021. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
32. ^ "National Interagency Coordination Center Incident Management Situation Report Monday, July 26, 2021– 0730 MDT National Preparedness Level 5" (PDF). nifc.gov. July 26, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
33. ^ "Elbow Creek Fire Information". InciWeb. July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
34. ^ "National Interagency Coordination Center Incident Management Situation Report Thursday, August 12, 2021– 0730 MDT National Preparedness Level 5" (PDF). nifc.gov. August 12, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
35. ^ "Deep Creek Fire Information". InciWeb. August 1, 2021. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
36. ^ "Middle Fork Complex Fire Information". InciWeb. August 4, 2021. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
37. ^ "Rough Patch Complex Fire Information". InciWeb. August 6, 2021. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
38. ^ "Skyline Ridge Complex Fire Information". InciWeb. August 6, 2021. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
39. ^ "Bull Complex Fire Information". InciWeb. August 14, 2021. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
40. ^ "Black Butte Fire Information". InciWeb. August 6, 2021. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
41. ^ "National Interagency Coordination Center Incident Management Situation Report Wednesday, September 1, 2021– 0730 MDT National Preparedness Level 5" (PDF). nifc.gov. September 1, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
42. ^ "Devil's Knob Complex Fire Information". InciWeb. August 7, 2021. Archived from the original on August 7, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
43. ^ "Fox Complex Fire Information". InciWeb. August 15, 2021. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
44. ^ "Cougar Peak Fire Information". InciWeb. September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
45. ^ O'Connor, Lydia (July 30, 2021). "Oregon Investing $220 Million To Handle Growing Wildfire Problem". HuffPost. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to 2021 wildfires in Oregon at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Oregon wildfires

Pre-2000|

* Yacolt (1902)
* Tillamook (1933–1951)

2000–2015|

* Biscuit (2002)
* B&B (2003)
* Tumblebug (2009)
* Lava (2012)
* Long Draw (2012)
* Barry Point (2013)

2017|

* Chetco Bar
* Cinder Butte
* Eagle Creek
* High Cascades Complex
* Milli
* Nash
* Whitewater

2018|

* Boxcar
* Graham
* Jack Knife
* Klamathon
* Klondike
* Long Hollow
* Miles
* South Valley
* Substation

Post-2018|

* 2020
* Holiday Farm
* Santiam
* Slater
* 2021
* Bootleg
* Jack
* 2022
* Cedar Creek
* 2023
* Alder Creek
* Devils Butte
* Flat
* Golden
* 2024
* Durkee
* Little Yamsay
* 2025
* Rowena

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Wildfires in 2021

Africa|

* Algeria
* South Africa (Cape Town)

Asia|

* India
* Dzüko Valley
* Simlipal forest
* Israel
* Russia
* Turkey

Europe|

* Cyprus
* Arakapas
* France
* Greece
* Italy

North America|

* Canada
* British Columbia
* Lytton
* White Rock Lake
* Mexico
* Nuevo León
* United States
* Arizona
* Clifton
* Globe
* Copper Canyon
* Mescal
* Payson
* Perkinsville
* Prescott National Forest
* Safford
* Superior
* Wickenburg
* California
* Colorado
* Boulder County
* Idaho
* Riggins
* Snake River
* Kansas
* Minnesota
* Arrowhead
* New Mexico
* Oregon
* Texas
* Washington

South America|

* Argentine Patagonia
* Chilean Patagonia

Oceania|

* Australia
* 2020–21
* Wooroloo
* 2021-22
* Beechina

* ◀ 2020
* 2022 ▶

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