Cornet Fire Update

Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015, 4:00 p.m.

Fire Information: (541) 523-1267

Type 2 Team Assumes Command at 6pm tonight

A local type 3 interagency incident management team led by Incident Commander (IC) Rick Wagner, took command of the Cornet Fire at 6:00 am today. The incident command post is located in Unity, Oregon.

Yesterday’s Operations:  Fire burned actively throughout the day. Resources were challenged by strong winds and dry conditions.   

Weather and Fire Behavior:  Continued hot and dry conditions throughout Baker County with the potential for increased winds over the next few days.

Today’s Operations: The team will transition to an Interagency Type 2 Incident Management Team, Oregon IMT 4 (Goff) tonight at 6:00 pm.  The fire is currently moving to the northeast from the origin.

Level 3 Evacuation Order has been issued by Baker County Sheriff’s Office for the Stices Gulch Rd. Area.

Level 2 Evacuation Order has been issued by Baker County Sheriff’s Office for the Denny Creek Area and the Black Mountain Area.

Hwy 245 is currently closed due to firefighting activities in the area.  The public is encouraged to avoid the fire area and roads near the fire area to give firefighters space to operate safely.  For up to date information on highway conditions, check www.tripcheck.com.

Cornet Fire information can be found on Inciweb at:  http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4478/ and on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cornet-Fire/733808063414448?ref=br_rs

Numerous fires in Baker County and the surrounding area may make smoke an issue. 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, call our Forest Information hotline at 1-877-958-9663, or visit our website at www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla/ 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.

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