Central Oregon Fire Update, 7/8

Central Oregon Fire Update

PRINEVILLE, Ore. – Several new wildfires dotted the Central Oregon landscape this afternoon. The most active incident, #368 near the junction of Highway 97 and 197, has grown to approximately 3,000 acres after being reported late this afternoon. A 20-person hand crew, four engines, an air tanker, two SEATs (Single Engine Air Tankers), a bulldozer, and helicopters are responding. The fire is burning on private land with the potential of entering BLM land. Due to the proximity of the fire with camping areas, the South Junction and Wingdam campgrounds are under Level 2 evacuations at this time, meaning campers need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Road closures are in place for South Junction Road and a section of Highway 97 from the Hwy 97/197 junction south to the rest area. This fire is being managed as a Type 3 incident and the cause is undetermined.

Five other incidents scattered across Central Oregon are being engaged by firefighters this evening. Incident #373 in Steelhead Falls, east of Crooked River Ranch on the Deschutes River; incident #371 immediately north of Suttle Lake, #372 two miles north of Suttle Lake, and #367 south of Diamond Peak are all on the Deschutes National Forest and incidents #369 and #370, east of the Oregon Badlands have all been held to 1/10 to ½ acre by firefighters. All of these fires were caused by recent lightning storms with the exception of #371, which is undetermined at this time.

The Corner Creek Fire grew slightly to 28,766 acres yesterday. The moderate weather conditions on the fire allowed crews to continue strengthening the fire lines along the perimeter. The Corner Creek Fire stayed within established containment lines. Helicopter water drops successfully checked the spread of the fire along unlined fire edge. The fire is burning on public lands managed by the Ochoco National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management – Prineville District, with some private lands within or near to the burned area. The fire started June 29 from a lightning strike in the Black Canyon Wilderness.

As a reminder, several closures are still in place for the Corner Creek Fire including an Ochoco National Forest area closure and the South Fork Road/Co. Rd. 42 which is closed to the general public from near Dayville to south of the US Forest Service 58 Road junction due to fire activity. To read the entire closure order and view a map of the area closure, please visit the Ochoco National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/ochoco/alerts-notices

Information about the Sugarloaf and Corner Creek Fires, managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry Team 1, can be found at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

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