Beachie Creek Fire Story & Data

The Beachie Creek Fire began Aug. 16, 2020, at 11:15 am approximately two miles south of Jawbone Flats on the Willamette National Forest. A historic windstorm on Monday, Sept. 7 caused rapid spread west through the Willamette and Mt. Hood National Forests, and adjacent private lands and communities.

The Beachie Creek Fire heavily impacted several communities in the North Fork Santiam River and Little North Fork River drainage including Jawbone Flats, Elkhorn, Gates, Mill City, and Lyons/Mehama. Highly valued natural and cultural resources were also threatened or damaged.

The fire includes areas on the Detroit Ranger District on the Willamette National Forest and a small portion of the Clackamas River Ranger District on the Mt. Hood National Forest. The fire (as of Oct. 12) encompassed 193,556 acres. Vegetation consists of mixed conifer, grass and shrub fields with numerous snags and heavy dead and down fuels. Private lands have various aged conifer plantations, and U.S. Forest Service lands at upper elevations transition to mature Douglas fir with a significant snag component.

See and Hear the Fire Story

Ariel view of Beachie Creek Fire

Explore an interactive multimedia timeline of the 2020 Beachie Creek Fire. Read narrative about the fire and response, explore maps, and view photographs.

Smoke plume over the Willamette National Forest

View photos from the fire and response efforts.

Fire Facts, Maps, and Data

Beachie Creek inciweb screenshot

Browse more original documents on the Beachie Creek Fire Inciweb page, which served as the official source of information while the incident was active. 

You can always search for active fire information on Inciweb.

Screenshot of the BAER report for Beachie Creek

Learn from scientists' analysis of post-fire landscape changes and hazards in the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) findings (pdf).

Beachie Creek BAER Vegetation Mortality report screenshot

Explore the severity and geography of fire's impact in the Vegetation Mortality Basal Area Loss (pdf) generated by scientists on the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team.

Beachie Burn severity map from BAER team

Explore the severity and geography of fire's impact in the Soil Burn Severity Map generated by scientists on the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to view other wildfires on the Willamette: Holiday Farm Fire | Lionshead Fire | 2020 Wildfires Homepage | Danger Tree Removal