Rain improves air quality in Oregon, prompts flash flood watch

Rain has returned to Oregon, helping alleviate poor air quality and raising concerns over debris flows and flash flooding in areas burned by wildfires.

The National Weather Service has cautioned Oregonians about possible flash flooding and debris flows in the areas of the Riverside, Beachie Creek and Lionshead fires in Clackamas and Marion counties.

The agency’s flash flood watch covers the northern Oregon Cascades and foothills. It lasts through Friday evening.

Loose rocks and other debris will likely tumble down hillsides during bouts of heavy rain, according to the weather service.

Flash flooding and debris flows also may block roads including the Oregon 22 corridor between Mehama and Marion Forks and the Oregon 224 corridor between Estacada and Ripplebrook.

Meanwhile, the rain is expected to help improve poor air quality that has plagued the region amid its spate of wildland blazes.

Parts of the Oregon coast continued to have good air quality early Friday, and one pocket of good conditions pushed east past Roseburg. Part of southeastern Oregon also had good air quality.

Here is the latest on Oregon’s wildfires. This report will be updated throughout the day Friday.

Marion County fires

A woman who survived the Beachie Creek fire, which killed her son and mother, remains hospitalized in Portland.

Angela Mosso is in serious condition at Legacy Oregon Burn Center, a spokesman for the hospital system confirmed Thursday. She was initially in critical condition.

Her 13-year-old son, Wyatt Tofte, and her 71-year-old mother, Peggy Mosso, died in the wildfire that burned the family’s home near Lyons Sept. 7.

Two other people, Cathy Cook, 71, and her son Travis Cook, 41, were also killed by the blaze.

Relatives of both families said the victims had little warning to escape the flames.

The Beachie Creek fire now covers 191,661 acres and is 20% contained.

The Lionshead fire, also in Marion County, has grown to 192,719 acres and is 10% contained.

Clackamas County

Firefighters continue to make progress on the Riverside fire, which is now 10% contained. The blaze has grown 2,341 acres to a total of 137,865 acres, according to new figures released Friday.

Lane County

State officials on Wednesday said more than 500 homes and other buildings have been destroyed by the Holiday Farm fire, which swept through rural communities along the McKenzie River east of Eugene and Springfield.

Crews have so far assessed 770 structures in the burn area of the blaze, whose 260-mile perimeter, roughly the length of Portland to Medford, stretches into Lane and Linn counties.

On Thursday, some Level 3 evacuations in the McKenzie Bridge area were lowered to Level 2.

Firefighters have contained 10% of the 172,510-acre blaze.

Lake County

The Brattain fire is 44,800 acres and 30% contained.

Paisley, population 270, is among the areas under a mandatory evacuation order.

Douglas County

The Archie Creek fire east of Roseburg has grown over 2,400 acres to a total of 130,429 acres. It’s now 25% contained.

Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, also said Thursday that he remains concerned with the Thielsen fire near Diamond Lake.

The blaze has grown 1,350 acres to a cumulative 9,995 acres. It’s now 15% contained.

Grafe said the Thielsen fire area is tough to access and is mainly being handled by hand crews.

Jackson County

The South Obenchain fire near Medford has grown only 19 acres. It now covers 32,833 acres and is 35% contained.

Josephine County

The Slater fire, which burned into Oregon from northern California, now covers 143,092 acres and remains 10% contained.

Klamath County

Firefighters have increased containment of the 14,473-acre Two Four Two fire at Chiloquin to 37%. The blaze has not grown.

“My hope is that holds over the next 24 to 48 hours and we can put that one behind us,” Grafe said Thursday.

Lincoln County

Some firefighting resources were beginning to be demobilized Thursday from the Echo Mountain Complex, which remains 2,552 acres and is now 53% contained, fire officials said.

Crews on Thursday were continuing to identify and mitigate hazardous trees, focusing on ones that might threaten structures, infrastructure and travel routes, according to fire officials.

Authorities have also reduced evacuation levels for some areas to Level 2.

NEWS UPDATES

7:30 a.m.: Many schools, parks and government buildings have been closed for much of the last week due to hazardous wildfire smoke. Some of those began to reopen Friday as air quality improved, but some were still closed.

Meal services at the Parkrose and Longview school districts were on hold and all schools in the Lincoln County School District were still closed on Friday. Residents should check with their individual school districts for closure information.