Central Oregon Fire Management afternoon update Aug. 12

Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center

1605 SE Ochoco Way

Redmond, Oregon 97756

Contact:  Media Desk:  541-316-7711           Email:  Centralorfireinfo@gmail.com

Twitter:  @CentralORfire                              Blog: CentralORfireinfo.blogspot.com

FIRE NEWS--Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center

For Immediate Release: 08/12/2017

Central Oregon Fire Management afternoon update Aug. 12

Redmond, Ore. – Firefighters again worked through the night last night suppressing multiple lightning-caused fires across Central Oregon. An abundance of lightning struck the higher elevations of the Cascades last night, then moved north across the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and to points eastward this morning.

During the last 48 hours, the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center has responded to 89 new incidents, 61 of which have been wildfires.

A Red Flag Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for most of Central and Eastern Oregon today and will remain in effect until 11 pm this evening. The forecast calls for more lightning activity and gusty outflow winds today with breezy conditions tomorrow.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an Air Quality Alert for Crook, Deschutes, Wheeler, Jefferson, Grant and Wasco counties for yesterday and this morning, but expects increased wind activity this afternoon to help clear the skies and improve air quality today.

Firefighters are engaged in suppression of a new fire today 8 miles west of Grass Valley on BLM land near the Deschutes River. Aerial resources are fighting this fire estimated at 200 to 300 acres about one mile west of Macks Canyon campground.

Multiple engines continue working on a lightning-caused fire about 4 miles northeast of Post now estimated at 250 acres. The fire is 70 percent lined with mostly interior heat reported today.

A lightning-caused fire reported yesterday between the Three Rivers subdivision and Lake Billy Chinook is now called the Yucca fire. It is holding at 25 acres as firefighters continue working to secure dozer line around the perimeter.

And a lightning start discovered yesterday within Mill Creek Wilderness on the Ochoco National Forest is now estimated at 54 acres. The fire is burning in steep terrain surrounded by abundant dead trees. Aerial retardant drops have been ordered to reduce fire behavior and give firefighters a better opportunity to hike into and suppress the fire.

All Forest Service and BLM lands entered a complete campfire ban today that will continue as long as current fuel and weather conditions remain.

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