The bracken ferns already have come back strong, along with the wild irises and ground-hugging thimbleberries. But all around them are charred stumps and trees so badly scorched by last fall’s wildfire, known as the 36 Pit Fire, that they are dying.
The fire, which broke out Sept. 13, 2014, at the old 36 Pit quarry, spread quickly through steep terrain on both sides of the Clackamas River, about eight miles southeast of Estacada. Before it stopped advancing, the fire burned 5,524 acres, drawing a total of 967 firefighters to the battle. Several areas were safely evacuated. Only one firefighter was injured.
On Friday, the Oregon State University Extension Service, Northwest Fire Science Consortium and Oregon Forest Resources Institute led a tour of the burned area, discussing the unique set of circumstances that let the fire grow so rapidly, as well as lessons learned in the fire.
But first, said Mike Moore, fire management officer for the Mount Hood National Forest’s Clackamas and Zigzag ranger districts, firefighters don’t consider the 36 Pit fire officially “out.” “It’s still not called out,” Moore said. “We were hoping for a heavy snow load this year, but we all know what happened.”
Moore said the U.S. Forest Service will make an aerial survey this summer, using infrared cameras at night to look for any lingering hidden hotspots.
From Oregon Live: https://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2015/05/forestry_experts_say_commercia.html