Wednesday, July 30 evening update

Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center

4550 SW Airport Way

Prineville, OR  97754

Contact:  Media Desk:  541-416-6811           NEW! Email:   Centralorfireinfo@gmail.com

Twitter:  @CentralORfire                              For more information visit: CentralORfireinfo.blogspot.com

FIRE NEWS--Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center

For Immediate Release:  July 30, 2014 8 p.m.

Wednesday, July 30 evening update

PRINEVILLE, Ore.—Fire crews on Wednesday continued to respond to smoke reports and new starts throughout Central Oregon that originated with Tuesday’s thunderstorms and lightning.

Firefighters have a large number of resources available locally and have been able to use them effectively in responding to calls as they come in. 

A wind-driven grass fire west of Condon has been reported at 12,000 acres. The fire originated on private land west of town before moving south across private and BLM land, possibly threatening homes in the Thirtymile Canyon area. Two air tankers are deployed and two more are en route to drop retardant along the fire's eastern flank to prevent it from crossing Highway 19. 

More than 40 new starts from Tuesday’s storm have occurred on the Deschutes National Forest, mostly south and west of Bend. Most starts are less than a quarter-acre and were contained on initial attack.  

Firefighters used helicopters making bucket dips in Crane Prairie Reservoir today to fight multiple small wildfires in the vicinity.  One fire, Incident 590, grew to about 25 acres in steep, sloping timber about 4 miles northeast of Crane Prairie Reservoir before it was significantly curtailed by fire retardant drops from an air tanker.

In all, crews responded to 22 lightning starts within a 10-mile radius of the reservoir.

 At the time of this report, a new thunderstorm has begun moving north and several new lightning starts have been reported on the Crescent Ranger District of Deschutes National Forest. Two small fires are near Windigo Pass and one is just west of Crescent Lake. Smokejumpers are responding to these fires.

Several small starts have also been reported near Three Creeks Road outside of Sisters. Around 10 other starts had been reported by 8 p.m. across the Bend/Ft. Rock Ranger District. Initial size up information is not currently available. 

The National Weather Service in Pendleton has issued a Red Flag Warning for thunderstorms producing abundant lightning. The warning will be in effect through 11 p.m. Saturday, August 2, with daily lightning strikes expected.