Puzzle Fire Continues to Grow

The cause of the fire is still unknown. Highway 242 has been opened to all traffic.

File photo courtesy: orsolutions.org

(MARION FORKS) - The Puzzle Fire on the Willamette National Forest, two miles north of Marion Lake, grew to 5,213 acres Wednesday.

Most of the resources assigned to the Cascade Crest Complex will be concentrated on the Puzzle Fire, as northwesterly winds continue to push the Puzzle Fire into the crest of the Cascades, stalling it long enough to allow fire managers an opportunity to directly attack from the northwest.

Firefighters are utilizing existing roads and old firelines to form contingency lines along the west edge of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness and plan to tie those systems together where needed to form stronger barriers.

Another warm and dry day with higher wind speeds will drive fire danger up and increase the potential for extreme fire behavior.

A marine push will bring gusty northwest winds increasing the fire intensity on the Puzzle Fire, however these winds will also slow the fire’s westward advance from Bingham Ridge down into the Puzzle Creek.

Temperatures will be near 80 degrees over most of the complex.

Crews and overhead were assigned to the Puzzle Fire Tuesday to begin scouting for possible containment line to the north in Branch IV.

In Branch III on the south side of the puzzle fire crews are beginning to open up trails and dozer line left over from the B&B Complex fire in 2003 for in indirect line.

A structure protection/evacuation plan has been developed for the Marion Forks, the Fish Hatchery, and the Metolius River drainage, including Camp Sherman.

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.

Puzzle Fire crews have began to construct line in Branch III, (divisions J+K) for possible containment lines near Marion Lake.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

The Cascade Crest Complex includes three fires: Black Crater, Lake George and Puzzle.

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