Santiam Fire

On the morning of August 16, thunderstorms moved across Oregon, starting multiple fires, including the Beachie Creek Fire, the Lionshead Fire, and the P-515 Fire. The Lionshead and P-515 Fires were ignited in the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, near Mount Jefferson, while the Beachie Creek Fire was ignited near Opal Creek, to the west of the other two fires. Initially, the three fires were unremarkable, being relatively small wildfires that smoldered in the rugged terrain of the Opal Creek and Mount Jefferson Wildernesses, within the Willamette National Forest. However, the fires gradually grew in size, since firefighters opted to use only indirect methods and water drops to fight the fires, due to the dangers of directly fighting the fires in the steep, mountainous terrain. State authorities closed off portions of the national forest where the fires were burning, in an attempt to keep the fires boxed in. Fire officials noted the potential for the fires to become active and explosively spread under the right conditions, despite their small size at the time.

On September 7, powerful east winds blew across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, reaching speeds over {{convert|50|mph|km/h}}, causing the fires to explode in size as they raced westward, with the Lionshead Fire burning down portions of Idanha.{{cite web|url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2020/09/12/beachie-creek-fire-growth-oregon-santiam-canyon/3474149001/|title=Oregon Wildfires: How the tiny Beachie Creek Fire blew up and ravaged the Santiam Canyon|author=Zach Urness|publisher=Salem Statesman Journal|date=September 12, 2020|access-date=September 13, 2020}} The winds also blew down power lines around Santiam Canyon, sparking 13 spot fires between Detroit and Mehama, which quickly grew into a large blaze that merged with the Beachie Creek Fire within hours.{{cite web|url=https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7001/55376/|title=Santiam Fire (including the Beachie Creek Fire area) Information Update 9/9|website=inciweb.nwcg.org|publisher=National Wildfire Coordinating Group|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911055246/https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7001/55376/|archive-date=September 11, 2020|url-status=dead}} Due to the rapid spread of the Santiam and Beachie Creek Fires, and the imminent threat they posed to communities to the west, including areas as far west as Salem, mass evacuations were ordered in Marion County. The evacuation orders were suddenly issued near midnight on Tuesday, September 8, sowing plenty of confusion and chaos in the ensuing evacuations.{{cite web|url=https://www.opb.org/article/2020/09/11/oregon-mayor-describes-confusion-terror-of-midnight-evacuation/|title=Oregon mayor describes confusion, terror of midnight evacuation|author=Dave Miller|publisher=OPB|date=September 11, 2020|access-date=September 12, 2020}} Early on September 8, the Lionshead and Beachie Creek Fires merged, probably at a point north of Detroit. The merger created a {{convert|313,110|acre|ha|adj=on}} complex fire, which was referred to as the Santiam Fire,{{cite web|url=https://ktvz.com/news/fire-alert/2020/09/10/oregon-fires-near-900000-acres-riverside-beachie-creek-expected-to-merge/|title=Oregon fires near 900,000 acres; Riverside, Beachie Creek expected to merge|author=Barney Lerten|publisher=KTVZ|date=September 10, 2020|access-date=September 11, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/11/map-two-big-oregon-fires-merge-and-a-third-is-close/|title=Map: Two big Oregon fires merge, and a third is close|publisher=The Mercury News|date=September 12, 2020|access-date=September 12, 2020}} with the name reflecting the fact that the spot fires ignited around Santiam Canyon had been responsible for most of the Beachie Creek Fire's explosive growth. On September 9, the Santiam Fire quickly moved into and destroyed the city of Detroit as it continued its westward spread.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wildfires/oregon-fires-destroy-five-towns-governor-says-many-deaths-feared-idUSKBN26036I|title=Oregon wildfires destroy five towns, as three fatalities confirmed in California|author1=Sharon Bernstein|author2=Andrew Hay|publisher=Reuters|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 12, 2020}} Soon afterward, the Santiam Fire destroyed the city of Gates, and burned into Mill City and parts of Lyons during its westward spread, also threatening the cities of Sublimity, Stayton, and Salem. On September 10, incident command renamed the main component fires to Beachie Creek Fire and Lionshead Fire.{{cite web|url=https://katu.com/news/local/santiam-fire-now-called-beachie-creek-fire-grows-to-182000-acres#:~:text=Santiam%20Fire%20again%20renamed%20Beachie%20Creek%20Fire%2C%20grows%20to%20182%2C000%20acres,-by%20KATU%20Staff&text=MILL%20CITY%2C%20Ore.,acres%2C%20officials%20said%20Thursday%20morning.|title=Santiam Fire again renamed Beachie Creek Fire, grows to 182,000 acres|publisher=Katu.com|date=September 10, 2020|access-date=September 12, 2020}} On the same day, officials feared that the Santiam Fire would merge with the {{convert|120,000|acre|ha|adj=on}} Riverside Fire to the north, which would create an even bigger fire that would pose a much greater threat to the communities near Salem and Portland, while complicating efforts to contain the fires.{{cite web|url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2020/09/11/oregon-wildfires-beachie-creek-and-riverside-megafires-canby-molalla-scotts-mills-silver-falls/3466813001/|title=Oregon wildfires: Sweet Home fire called 'suspicious,' crews worry about Beachie and Riverside combining|author1=Zach Urness|author2=Connor Radnovich|publisher=Salem Statesman Journal|date=September 12, 2020|access-date=September 13, 2020}} However, this fear subsided somewhat on the next day, as firefighters made progress on containing both the Santiam and Riverside Fires, with improved weather conditions. On September 11, the P-515 Fire merged into the eastern portion of the Lionshead Fire, increasing the size of the Santiam Fire to {{convert|322,573|acres|ha|0}}. During the following week, the onshore flow returned, causing the Lionshead Fire to begin spreading eastward. On September 23, the Santiam Fire exceeded {{convert|400,000|acres|ha}} in size.

On December 10, 2020, the entire complex fire was fully contained. {{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

The fires forced large-scale evacuations across Marion County. Many buildings were destroyed during the fires' westward spread, mostly in September, with the Santiam Fire destroying most of the cities of Detroit, and Gates, with Idanha, Mill City, and Lyons suffering anywhere from moderate to extensive amounts of damage.{{cite web|url=https://katu.com/news/wildfire-season-2020/lyons-oregon-family-returns-home-to-find-only-smoldering-ruins|title=Lyons, Oregon family returns home to find only smoldering ruins|website=KATU|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2020|first=Kellee|last=Azar}} The Santiam Fire killed 5 people, and 1 person remains missing.

{{Portal|Oregon}}

• 2020 Oregon wildfires
• 2020 Western United States wildfire season

{{Reflist}}

• [https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7001/ Beachie Creek Fire Incident] - InciWeb
• [https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7049 Lionshead Fire Incident] - InciWeb
• [https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7050 P-515 Incident] - InciWeb

{{Oregon wildfires}}

Category:2020 Oregon wildfires

Category:September 2020 in the United States

Category:Wildfires in Oregon