Beachie Creek Fire
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.
After the Fire
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Findings
Learn from scientists' analysis of post-fire landscape changes and hazards.
Vegetation Mortality Basal Area Loss
Explore the severity and geography of fire's impact in the Vegetation Mortality Basal Area Loss generated by scientists on the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team.