Deer Creek Fire
Pictures documenting Deer Creek Fire effects,
August 28, 2005.
A Study Of Succesful Wildfire Suppression, Selma, Oregon, August 25-31, 2005
This website was created August 30, 2005, by Bob Zybach and Josh Meredith for Oregon Websites & Watersheds Project, Inc. (ORWW). The purpose of the website is to provide information to Oregon teachers, students, and interested citizens regarding the Deer Creek Fire.
The Deer Creek Fire started on August 25, 2005, and quickly destroyed several homes and grew to more than 1000 acres in size. Within minutes, crews from the Illinois Valley Fire District and the Oregon Department of Forestry began suppression activities. At its peak the Fire was being fought by more than 1,400 fire fighters, eleven helicopters, dozens of fire trucks, and aerial tankers. With the aid of settling weather patterns, firefighters had the blaze largely contained and under control in a few days time. Total estimated cost of fighting the fire is expected to reach $5 million.
Fire suppression is often given as a major cause of subsequent forest wildfires. The Deer Creek Fire provides and excellent opportunity to study the effects of fire suppression over time. This website is intended to provide baseline data in the forms of news accounts, photographs, maps, and videos for the short- term and long-term study of this event:
Has a catastrophic wildfire been averted or merely postponed? What has the effect been on local wildlife populations? On native grasses and wildflowers? Are fire boundaries more or less fire prone at this time? What will/should landowners do to protect themselves against future wildfire events?
