Rye Fire Success Due In Part To Interagency Resources

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NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Jamie Knight, (541) 786-0501

RYE FIRE SUCCESS DUE IN PART TO INTERAGENCY RESOURCES

Progress has been made on the Rye Fire.  The fire is burning in grass and brush near the Oregon/Washington border in Joseph Canyon.  Joseph Canyon is known for steep terrain and difficult firefighting.  The fire has burned on private lands protected the Oregon Department of Forestry, including Nez Perce Precious Lands.  The fire is currently 763 acres.  The decrease in size is due to more accurate mapping by crews on the ground.  The fire is currently 30% contained.

The successful firefighting effort on this fire are in part due to the interagency relationships between the Oregon Department of Forestry and the United States Forest Service.  “We just work well together.  We’re able to come together as a team and meet the objectives for the managing agency, whether it is ODF or USFS.”  Jess Bohnsack, Incident Commander.

Cooler, yet breezy conditions are expected over the fire area today.  Firefighters are working on securing the perimeter and continue to hold the line through the day.  Aircraft are supporting these activities as necessary.  Due to the terrain, most of the firefighting activity is being conducted using hand crews with some support from engines.

A fire camp has been established near Flora, Oregon to help support firefighters and limit the amount of traffic on area roads.  The public is reminded to use caution on area roads as there is a potential for slower moving fire-fighting traffic to be present.    

Contact a local Oregon Department of Forestry office for more complete information on ODF Restrictions.

         La Grande Unit              (541)963-3168

         Baker City Sub-Unit      (541)523-5831

         Wallowa Unit                (541) 886-2881

         Pendleton Unit               (541)276-3491

Please check with your local National Forest for public use restrictions on National Forest land. You can visit the Umatilla NF website at www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla  or the Wallowa-Whitman NF at www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman or contact them by phone at Umatilla 541-278-3716; Wallowa-Whitman 541-523-6391.

http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/ is your spot for current fire information in the Blue Mountains. 

To report a fire, call Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch at (541)963-7171 or dial 9-1-1. 

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Type 1 Helicopter Working Rye Fire

Photo Courtesy: Jana Peterson, ODF