Rail Fire Update - Wednesday 8/17

Northwest Incident Management Team 6 Shawn Sheldon, Incident Commander Rail Fire Update August 17, 2016

The Rail Fire burned actively on Tuesday, pushing hard against portions of the western line. With the assistance of air tankers and helicopters, firefighters were able to keep it from lapping over the Baker/Grant county line at the crest. The fire continued actively burning throughout the night as the air remained warm and dry. The fire continued its advance into the Monument Rock Wilderness at the southern end of the fire. Meanwhile, the line along the northeastern edge held, and mop-up was initiated along the eastern flank. A significant segment of the western line was burned out by firefighters last night in order to establish a more secure fire break. Hot and dry conditions are expected again today. The maximum temperature will be 92 degrees, with relative humidity between 14 and 17%. The wind on the ridges will be from the northwest at 9-12 mph, with gusts to 20 mph. Smoke conditions are being monitored continually.  For information on expected smoke conditions and suggested appropriate actions, please visit www.oregonsmoke.blogspot.com. The Wallowa-Whitman and Malheur National Forests are in the process of updating the closure order. It will be posted on Inciweb when it is finalized.

Fire at a Glance Size: 22,683 acres Containment: 15% Location: 5 miles west of Unity, Oregon Cause: Under Investigation Personnel: 742 Resources: 21 Crews 32 Engines 5 Dozers 22 Water tenders 4 Masticators 5 Skidders/Skidgins Aircraft: 4 Type 1 heavy helicopters 1 Type 2 medium helicopter 2 Type 3 light helicopter Closures: The fire area and multiple roads are closed. The current closure order can be found on Inciweb (see below). Fire Information: (541) 446-3592 Railwildfire@gmail.com Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4914/  (Click “Maps” for the closure map)