Baker County Emergency Management Fire Update

Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2015, 9:00 AM

Fire Information: (541) 523-1267

Evacuation Information: (541)-523-2905

Conflagration declared for Stices Gulch

The Cornet Fire in the Bowen Valley area of Stices Gulch was declared a conflagration by Governor Brown early this morning. The declaration authorizes the State Fire Marshal to mobilize the Incident Management Team as well as three Task Forces to assist local resources battling the fire.

In addition to the Cornet Fire, which is burning 16 miles south of Baker City, there were two additional fires in the area including the Windy Ridge fire located 13 miles southeast of Baker and the Eagle Complex burning 10 miles east of Medical Springs.

Yesterday’s Operations: Fires showed extreme fire activity. Fire managers were challenged with limited resources, strong winds and extremely dry conditions. A Type II incident management team took command of the Cornet Fire yesterday at 6:00 p.m. Level III evacuation notices were issued by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office to Stices Gulch associated with the Cornet Fire, and Ebell Creek and Alder Creek areas associated with the Windy Ridge fire. Level II evacuation notices were issued to Black Mountain, Rancheria Creek and Denny Creek areas associated with the Cornet fire. Level 1 evacuation notices were issued to Sutton Creek and Beaver Creek associated with Windy Ridge fire and Eagle Creek area associated with the Eagle Complex Fire. Forest Service Road 77 in the Eagle Complex is open to local residents needing access to their property. A Red Cross Shelter and

Reception Center was established at the Baker High School.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Continued hot, dry and gusty wind conditions combined with difficult terrain and dry fuels will contribute to today’s fire behavior. A red flag warning has been issued for the area with the potential for lightning late this afternoon through tomorrow morning.
Today’s Operations: The Cornet fire is being managed by a Type II team. The Windy Ridge fire is being managed by Bureau of Land Management in cooperation with Oregon Department of Forestry.

A Type I team will be in briefed on both fires at 14:00 today.

Fire acreages include:
Coronet Fire – 12,600 acres
Windy Ridge Fire – 6,000 acres
Eagle Complex – 700 acres

Road Closures:
Oregon Highway 245
Forest Service Road 11 at the Junction of the 1140 road the 1140-025 at the junction of the 1140.
Forest Service Road 1117 at the Junction of the 1140
Forest Service Road 1118 at the Forest Boundary
Forest Service Road 1135 at the Forest Boundary
7700 road from junction of 7700 and 6700 to junction of 7700 and 7730
7015 road from junction of 7700 and 7015 to junction of 7015 and 7000
7020 road from junction of 7020 and 7000 to junction 7020 and 7700
7745 road from junction of 7700 and 7745 to end of 7745
Cornet Creek Road at the Forest Boundary

Area closure for the Eagle Complex Fire:
All Forest Service lands east of Denny Creek

Fire information can be found on Inciweb at: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/38/# and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CornetFire or on the Blue Mountain Fire Information BlogSpot at http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/.

Numerous fires in Baker County and the surrounding area have decreased the air quality due to excessive smoke. To monitor the air quality index, the public can access the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s website at www.deq.state.or.us/aqi.

The fire danger rating has increased to EXTREME and Public Use Restrictions involving campfires and chainsaw use are in effect. For more information about the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest’s Public Use Restrictions, please contact any forest office, or visit our website at www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman/ or on the Blue Mountain Fire Information BlogSpot at http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/.

Regulated closures are in effect on State and private lands protected by Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) in northeast and central Oregon. Please check with your local Oregon Department of Forestry office for public use restrictions on lands protected by ODF. Visit the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch webpage at: www.bmidc.org or contact a local Oregon Department of Forestry office for more complete information. Similar restrictions may be in effect on State and private lands protected by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WA-DNR). More information can be found on the WA-DNR website at: http://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/firedanger/BurnRisk.aspx.