Residential and Wildland Fire Awareness

This residential and wildland fire awareness page provides resources to encourage residents to be aware of the inherent danger of living in a beautiful PNW forest which, while very wet during the winter, can quickly become tinder-dry during summer and fall.

The information about the LWC Incident Command System (ICS) and the series of Table Top Exercises (TTX) we are conducting provides context for what our community as a whole is doing to prepare for and manage possible emergency situations, including fires.

The widespread 2020 wildfires throughout Oregon and, specifically the devastating Echo Mountain Complex Fire just a few miles northeast of Lincoln City cited below, reinforce the fact that we are vulnerable to fast moving wildfires.

Read this interesting account of the “Great Depoe Bay Fire” of 1936 with old-timey photos.

Please refer to our list of fire related supplies and equipment for your household.

LWC Incident Command System (ICS)

& Table Top Exercises (TTX)

Little Whale Cove has adopted a modified FEMA Incident Command System (ICS) to manage emergency events in our community. The LWC ICS conducted the 4th in a series of Table Top Exercises Wednesday, July 23rd. Led by resident and career Fire Captain David Dumas, we discussed strategies involved in various residential and local wildland fire scenarios, and developed protocols to help us prepare for and manage situations that may occur during the wildfire season.

Labor Day 2020, Echo Mountain Complex Fire

Reflecting on the Echo Mountain Complex Fire

Oregon Wildfire Spotlight 2020

After Action Report (AAR) Hazard Tree and Debris Removal Operations – 2020 Labor Day Wildfires

After Action Report (AAR) Echo Mountain Complex Fire

LWC Safety Committee Debriefing of Labor Day 2020 Storm and Wildfire

The Labor Day 2020, Echo Mountain Complex Fire devastated the community of Otis just a few miles northeast of Lincoln City. It burned more than 2,500 acres, causing evacuations, power outages, road closures, and the destruction of 288 homes and 339 structures. The wildfire was driven by 50 mph dry winds coming from the east off the Cascades rather than the moisture-laden west winds from the ocean that this area usually experiences.

Coupled with record high temperatures, extremely low humidity and high fuel volume following a dry summer, the east winds caused wildfires to burn throughout much of Oregon. A total of 5,000 homes and businesses and 1.2 million acres were burned in wildfires in September.

Local Wildfire Awareness Resources

LWC Forest Management Committee

In Part II of the (5) part LWC Forest, Cove and Wetland Management Plan, the Forest Management Committee lists its plan for wildfire protection including strategies for fire mitigation and risk reduction.

Lincoln County Emergency Management

Wildfire Preparedness video outlines Oregon’s evacuation protocol:

Level 1 – Be Ready; Level 2 – Be Set; Level 3 – Go NOW!

It recommends that families be prepared to take the following items with them if they need to evacuate: emergency contact info and important documents, personal ID, flashlights, food and water, and the supplies for their pets.

It also recommends the following:

• Sign up for emergency alerts from Lincoln Alert and OR-Alert.
• Understand Oregon’s 3-level evacuation system, so you’re prepared to leave if conditions become unsafe!
• Check InciWeb for real-time wildfire updates
• Check AirNow to determine air quality before and during your trip.
  

• Use Tripcheck to check road conditions before you travel.
• For breaking news and information, follow the Twitter accounts and Facebook pages for Lincoln County Emergency Management, Oregon State Parks, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department of Transportation, and Oregon Department of Emergency Management.

Also from Lincoln County Emergency Management:

Wildfire Awareness – A series of (7) videos

• Finance and Business Preparedness
• Animals – Pets and Livestock
• Property Protection by Understanding Wildfire Risk

• Emergency Notifications and Evacuations

• Sheltering with the American Red Cross and Medically Fragile People
• Air Quality Considerations

• Local Fire District Restrictions and Precautions (North Lincoln Fire)

Situational Awareness

WildfireSafe App – developed by the US Forest Service (USFS) this free app provides a map of current wildfires, and a (7) day forecast of how temperature, precipitation and wind patterns-along with fuels, topography and other environmental factors may affect a wildfire’s trajectory.

Weather Underground for Depoe Bay weather, wind direction and speed

Windy – wind map and weather forecast

Inciweb – Real time wildfire updates

AirNow – Check air quality of where you live or area you plan to travel

TripCheck – Check traffic conditions, road closures and weather

Frontline Wildfire Defense – interactive Oregon wildfire map and wildfire tracker

Oregon Wildfire Information – hosted by Oregon’s Travel Industry

Please let us know if you have additional sites to recommend.

Regional Wildfire Updates:

• Central Oregon
• Mt. Hood/Columbia River Gorge
• Oregon Coast
• Portland
• Southern Oregon
• Willamette Valley

Wildfire Updates in Neighboring States

• California
• Washington
• Idaho

Apps (some are free) for various devices and operating systems

Watch Duty: Wildfire Maps and Alerts – free app for iPhone and iPad