Around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24, a lightning strike sparked a wildfire in the Bull Run Watershed. The current approximate size of the Camp Creek Fire is 35 acres. The fire is located on US Forest Service land on Forest Service Road 1210, just over 3 miles away from the Water Bureau’s Headworks treatment facility. The U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), and local fire response agencies are on the scene and have activated a ground crew, a helicopter and plane to combat the fire.
The U.S. Forest Service is the lead agency in fighting this fire. The Portland Water Bureau does not have a direct firefighting role but provides critical information about the watershed, our facilities and operations to help guide the Forest Service in their response in the area.
Gabriel Solmer, Portland Water Bureau Director, says the strong partnership with the forest service is critical to the protection of our drinking water supply.
“The Portland Water Bureau is grateful that U.S. Forest Service has prioritized protection of the Bull Run Watershed among the many concerns caused by the fire. We’ll continue to do everything we can to support the fire response agencies and coordinate with them to protect our water supply and facilities in the watershed and to keep our staff safe.”
The U.S. Forest Service prepares and updates a Fire Protection Plan for the Bull Run Management Unit in consultation with the Portland Water Bureau and the Oregon Department of Forestry.
What You Can Do
While the fire does not immediately threaten our water supply, it is important to stay informed, be prepared for emergencies and stay clear of the area to ensure access for emergency responders.
Follow the Water Bureau on X (Twitter) and Facebook, and our website, Portland.gov/water, for the latest information about water quality and supply and updates related to this incident and other Water-related news.
Information about emergency water storage is available in multiple languages on the Regional Water Providers Consortium website.
Water Bureau will continue to rely on two water sources
On Thursday, Aug. 24, we activated our groundwater supply to augment the Bull Run during this extended hot and dry summer. At this time, the bureau will continue to rely on a blend of water from the Bull Run Watershed and our groundwater source, the Columbia South Shore Well Field.