Central Oregon Fire Update, 8/20

Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center

4550 SW Airport Way

Prineville, OR  97754

Contact:  Media Desk:  541-416-6811           

NEW! NEW! NEW!!! Email:   Centralorfireinfo@gmail.com

Twitter:  @CentralORfire                               

For more information visit: CentralORfireinfo.blogspot.com

FIRE NEWS--Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center

For Immediate Release:  August 20, 2014 9:00 a.m.

Central Oregon Fire Update

Central Oregon – Firefighters on the Ferguson Springs Fire, located approximately 9 miles SE of Prineville Reservoir, are mopping up and holding the dozer lines around the fire.  Very little to no smoke has been detected this morning after the work done over the past two days.  This fire is now 80% contained and will be transferred to Type 4 command this afternoon.  The cause of this fire has been determined to be lightning. 

Yesterday afternoon, an approximately 6-acre fire was reported 3 miles north of Rager Ranger Station.  Crews have been able to maintain it at this size with no perimeter growth and will continue to work this fire throughout the day today.

No growth has occurred on the 2.25 acre fire in the Mt Jefferson Wilderness as smokejumpers continue to make progress on this fire.  Resources continue to be available to respond to any new reports that come in as fire danger is still high for Central Oregon.   

Public use restrictions as well as an Industrial Fire Precaution Level III (IFPL III) are still in place for Federal lands in Central Oregon.  The public use restriction currently prohibits open fires, including charcoal fires, except in designated campgrounds.  IFPL III means that personal and commercial woodcutters are prohibited from operating power saws.  Public use restrictions and the IFPL III apply to the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, Crooked River National Grassland, and the BLM Prineville District.  For details on these specific restrictions, please contact the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center at 541-416-6811. 

The South Fork Complex is located 5 miles south of Dayville around the south fork of the John Day River.  The fire is burning in a mix of private, BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife managed lands. Currently, the South Fork Complex is 83% contained with an estimated containment date of September 1, 2014.  There are continued closures in place due to fire activity.  The fire information number for this incident is 866-347-0636 or find the most recent closures and announcements at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4042/. 

-END-