Puzzle Fire Grows Monday To Over 35-Hundred Acres

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

File photo courtesy: National Interagency Fire Council

(MARION FORKS) - The Puzzle Fire on the Willamette National Forest, two miles north of Marion Lake, which has grown to 3,686 acres, was flown and assessed Monday for tactical action. Crews began constructing line near Marion Lake, utilizing old lines from the B&B fire during 2003.

Improvement of previously constructed dozer lines outside the wilderness on the Puzzle Fire will continue and crews will begin fire suppression activities tying Marion Lake to a lava field south of the fire.

Relative humidity overnight will increase and temperatures will drop to allow for good recovery.

Light winds tomorrow will progress to gusty winds in the afternoon. Smoke will clear out of the Puzzle Fire area, allowing for fire behavior to become more active.

The Willamette and Deschutes National Forests issued closure orders for the areas in and around the Mount Washington Wilderness.

A portion of the Mt. Jefferson wilderness area is closed due to the Puzzle Fire until further notice.

The closed area is bounded by the Woodpecker Trail #3343 to the north, by the Pacific Crest Trail on the east, by the Marion #3436 and Minto Pass #3437 trails to the south, and the wilderness boundary to the west.

Marion and Pamelia Lakes are contained within the closure area.