Baker County Joint Information Center Morning Update 8/16/15

Contact Information

Fire and Evacuation Information: (541) 523-2905

Email: BakerCoJointInfo@gmail.com

http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com

Facebook:        https://www.facebook.com/CornetFire

https://www.facebook.com/ElDoradoFire2015

https://www.facebook.com/EagleComplex2015

Inciweb:           http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4478/ (Cornet)

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4497/ (Windy Ridge)

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4502/ (El Dorado)

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4481/ (Eagle Complex)

Incident Commanders:

Southwest Incident Management Team-Mark Ruggiero (Cornet/Windy Ridge)

Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office-Ted Kunze (Cornet/Windy Ridge)

Oregon Department of Forestry Team III-Link Smith (Eldorado)

Albuquerque Zone Type 3 Team-Ryan Romero (Eagle Complex)

** Baker County Sheriff's Office will be meeting at the Pleasant Valley Racetrack on Hwy 30 at 3:00 pm to escort residents of Alder Creek, Dry Creek and Kitchen Creek Roads into the fire area.**

Weather: A broad upper trough lingers over the region through Monday which continues a northwest flow over the area resulting in near seasonal temperatures. A weak dry cool front will move across the fire region today but only brings drier air and a slight/brief bump in the Haines Index this evening. An improvement in smoke dispersion is expected due to the slight increase in winds aloft. A strong upper ridge across the Gulf of Alaska begins to edge into the Pacific Northwest Monday which pushes the upper trough eastward. A cold front is expected to drop into this trough bringing a slight increase in northerly to northwest flow, the strongest of which are expected to be in Idaho.

Media Advisory: Media are requested to call the Joint Information Center number listed above.

Road Closures: Highway 245 still closed 11 miles north of Hereford. Drivers are urged to check highway conditions on tripcheck.com.

Shelters: The American Red Cross has relocated its shelter to the Baker City Nazarene Church at 1250 Hughes Lane with 100 beds currently available. The Red Cross is encouraging all evacuees to register. There are two nurses available for evacuees that need medical attention. The shelter is open 24-hours and has food, bedding and toiletries for evacuees. For more shelter information, call 541-519-2360.

Recreation Areas: 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.

Eagle Complex

Current Situation:  Rocky Mountain Team Black assumed command of the Eagle Complex at 6:00 a.m. this morning. Improved weather conditions have assisted firefighting efforts on the Eagle Complex resulting in minimal growth. The total acreage is currently 2.007 acres. Today, firefighters will continue to protect structures and assess opportunities to construct containment lines. Representatives from Rocky Mountain Team Black, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and the U.S. Forest Service plan to meet with residents of the Eagle community tomorrow to discuss current fire activity and operations.

Area Fire Closures: There is an area closure in effect for the Eagle Complex near Main Eagle, East Eagle, Tamarack Campground and Two Color Campground. Please see the link to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Website http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/wallowa-whitman/home.

Public Safety: No Level 1 or 3. Level 2 (Set): FS 77 Rd. Bennett Peak Area, main Eagle Area, Tamarack Campground.

Additional Info: Rocky Mountain Team Black (Greer), a Type 2 Incident Management Team will assume command of the Eagle Complex tomorrow at 6 a.m.

Eldorado Complex

Current Situation: Firefighters on the Eldorado Fire hope to take advantage of moderate weather conditions forecasted over the next few days. The fire is currently 18,600 acres with zero percent containment.

The fire started Friday morning and, pushed by high winds through the Eldorado Pass, grew to more than 10,000 acres in less than 24 hours. Lighter winds and cooler temperatures have allowed crews to gain a foothold in several areas.

The fire lies on the north and south side of Highway 26 between Unity and Ironside, two small communities south of Baker City in eastern Oregon. While fire activity is greatest south of Highway 26 near Ironside Mountain, firefighters are securing containment lines and mopping up on the north side of the highway. Today’s plan is to continue to work the fire to the south into areas with lighter fuels, like grass and sage brush, where containment objectives can be better achieved.

Area Fire Closures: No area fire closures are in place.

Public Safety: The following evacuation level notifications remain in effect. Level 1 (Ready): Shirts Creek; Job Creek and south of Job Creek Road; East of Bull Run Road; and south of Campbell Lane. Level 2 (Set): Dry Gulch area and Ripley Gulch area. Level 3 (Go): Beam Creek area; Eldorado Ditch area; Long Creek area (Baker County); Long Creek Reservoir; and Camp Creek south of Highway 26.

Additional Info: Several hand crews are expected to arrive from other fires in the next couple of days.

Cornet/Windy Ridge Complex

Current Situation:  Favorable night weather conditions allowed fire fighters to conduct burn out operations that were successful in the north portions of the fire. Crews continue to patrol and hold lines while mopping up around structures.  Today’s weather conditions are mostly sunny with west to northwest winds up to 7 mph and afternoon gusts of 15 mph.   These weather conditions will allow for another favorable day for fire fighting efforts.   

Area Fire Closures: A forest closure order is in place for the area around the Cornet/Windy Ridge Fire. Please see the link to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Website http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/wallowa-whitman/home. OR-245 remains closed. As of this morning, Highways- 7 and Interstate-84 are open.

Public Safety: the public should be cautious when driving; crews and equipment are working near and along the roads, and smoke may hinder visibility. Level 1 (Ready): Old Auburn Ln, Durkee. Level 2 (Get Set): Bridgeport, Sutton Creek. Level 3 (Go): Beaver Creek, Black Mountain, Denny Creek, French Gulch, Greater Bowen Valley Rural Fire to French Gulch, Alder Creek, Burnt River Canyon, Dry Creek, Dry Creek Cutoff, Ebell Creek, Hill Creek Rd.

Additional Info: None at this time.