Yesterday’s work made sufficient progress to increase confidence that the fire will stay within its current perimeter. After consultation with fire officials, that confidence led to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office reducing all Level 3 evacuation levels to Level 2—Be Set. Cherry Grove community members returning to their homes should remain vigilant and maintain readiness for future evacuations, should fire conditions significantly change. Deputies and law enforcement partners demobilized with the reduction of immediate threat to the community.
Yesterday, the last two structural firefighting task forces made available through the Department of State Fire Marshal demobilized and returned to their home units for much needed rest. Structural firefighters’ diligence around homes and structures, and work with wildland firefighters on the fire line kept Cherry Grove homes and structures safe.
“Strong coordination between wildland firefighting resources, structural firefighting agencies, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office has kept the Cherry Grove community safe during this incident,” said Neal Bond, Incident Commander of the Lee Falls Fire. “Multiple emergency response agencies working together led to no loss or damage to homes or other structures.”
Ground crews with air support from one remaining helicopter on the incident will continue working over the next several days to increase containment and return the Lee Falls Fire to the local Forest Grove District of ODF. Hazard removal continues, caution is urged for any residents returning to areas recently removed from Level 3 evacuations.
Mop up, the process of cooling the perimeter of the fire to reduce the chance of spot fires or heat from escaping the perimeter, continues today with crews working to achieve 100 feet of cold burned ground from the fire’s edge, 50 feet or more has already been achieved in several areas of the fire perimeter. As mop up progresses, containment percentage of the fire will increase.
This will be the last joint update issued by Gaston Fire District, Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon Department of Forestry. ODF will continue sending media updates as containment increases.
The Lee Falls Fire was reported Thursday, August 8, around 11 a.m. and is estimated to be approximately 290 acres after more accurate mapping, there was no increase in growth of the fire perimeter. The fire is 100% lined, and 25% contained. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Since the fire’s inception, deputies have diligently conducted active patrols in the affected areas to monitor the situation and provide necessary assistance. The safety and well-being of residents and the community remain top priority.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office urges the public to continue preparedness with reduced evacuation levels, and respect the remaining designated perimeters to facilitate the effective operations of the responding teams.
Evacuation Updates
After consultation with fire officials, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office has reduced all Level 3 evacuations to Level 2—Be Set in the Cherry Grove area.
Thank you for your continued patience as crews continue work to make the area safe. It is crucial for the public to maintain awareness of evacuation directives and stay out of the remaining active fire area to ensure the roads remain clear and accessible for fire apparatuses and other essential responders.
The latest evacuation levels can be found on the Sheriff’s Facebook page or look up your address and check your evacuation status.