Wildfires and the Captain of the Port: Lessons learned from the Eagle Creek fire

On September 2, 2017, a fire was reported in the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area near Cascade Locks, Oregon. Just three days later, this fire, called the Eagle Creek Fire, had grown to more than 20,000 acres and jumped the Columbia River into Washington, starting the Archer Mountain Fire. Working closely with the Eagle Creek Incident Command staff, the captain of the port (COTP) determined that the fire posed a very real threat of igniting passing vessels, since hot ash and embers were flying across miles of the Columbia River. As a result of these conditions, on September 6 the COTP issued a safety zone barring all vessel traffic from passing between river mile 154 and 158 unless they had permission from the Captain of the Port. The rapidly changing fire prompted an expansion of the safety zone, resetting it for river miles 126 to 185. The lessons learned from this incident included: the importance of quickly embedding liaison officers into the incident command post; case-by-case permission for tug and barge traffic to proceed through the no-traffic area in order to minimize economic impacts; coordination with tribes and local government agencies about fishery use; and creating a safety zone around aircraft conducting bucket drops to prevent kite surfers from interfering with firefighting efforts. If faced with a wildfire or other situation that impacts navigation, it is imperative for Coast Guard personnel to embed themselves in the response organization and truly understand the needs of the incident commander, waterway stakeholders, and the safety risks associated with vessel transits.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/Proceedings%20Magazine/Archive/2018/Vol75_No2_Fall2018.pdf
• Authors:
  • Griffitts, Tom
  • Springer, Laura
• Publication Date: 2018

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Photos; References;
• Pagination: pp 69-71
• Serial:
  • Coast Guard Journal of Safety & Security at Sea, Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council
  • Volume: 75
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: U.S. Coast Guard
  • Serial URL: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Disasters and emergency operations; Emergency management; Fire fighting; Forest fires; Military personnel; Vessel traffic control
• Identifier Terms: Eagle Creek Fire, 2017; United States Coast Guard
• Geographic Terms: Columbia River
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01690419
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 31 2018 9:07AM