Aug. 21, 2018 - 8:30 p.m.
PENDLETON, Ore. – Firefighters
continue to make progress on wildfires caused by the recent thunderstorms. More
smoke reports are expected throughout the next few days as the heavy smoke in
the area lifts and weather conditions continue to stay warm and dry.
Firefighters initiated suppression efforts on the
Harrison Fire, located 16 miles west of Sumpter, Oregon, within the
Greenhorn unit of the North Fork John Day Wilderness on the North Fork John Day
Ranger District. This section of the wilderness is remote and in steep terrain,
making access difficult. The 30-acre
fire is burning in subalpine fir with group torching that is sending spots
ahead of the main fire. Today firefighters constructed fire line to anchor the
bottom of the fire and began building fire line around the flanks of the fire. A
helicopter has been supporting ground resources by dropping water and cooling hot
spots, while air tankers are dropping retardant around the head of the fire to
slow its spread. Resources on scene include 15 firefighters, one helicopter,
three Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs), and two large air tankers provided by
Oregon Department of Forestry. Fire crews will spike out at a nearby trailhead tonight
and reassess conditions in the morning. An area, trail and road closure within
the vicinity of the Harrison Fire will be implemented on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at
6 a.m. A map and detailed description of
the area closure is available at any Umatilla National Forest office and at the
bottom of this news release.
The Heppner Ranger District picked up one new
fire today, the Mallory Creek Fire, which is one half of an acre in size
and located 5 miles south of Penland Lake. The fire was reported at 2:20 p.m. and is burning
in grass, brush and reprod. One engine is on scene and firefighters are working
to build containment lines.
The Gilman Fire, located near Gilman
Flats on the Heppner Ranger District, has grown to 950 acres in size. A Type 3
team took command of the fire today at 7 a.m. and will be setting up an
Incident Command Post in Monument, Oregon. The fire is currently 35% contained. Firefighters
continue to construct control lines and secure the perimeter of the fire to
reduce the risk of fire moving outside the perimeter lines. In coordination
with Oregon Department of Forestry, additional firefighting resources arrived
today from the Kinzua Complex to assist in suppression efforts. With the
additional resources that arrived today, 160 people are currently assigned to the
fire. Grant County has issued a Level 1 Pre-Evacuation Fire Advisory for the
area of Monument, Ritter, Dale and Middle and North Fork communities. The
advisory area extends from Hwy 402, north to the Grant County line, and Hwy 395
west to the Grant County line. Residents in the area should make advance
preparations and stay tuned for further updates. For additional information on
this pre-evacuation fire advisory please visit gcoregionlive2.com and click on
the emergency alert system link.
The Cupper Canyon Fire, located on the
Heppner Ranger District approximately 4 miles NW of Monument, Oregon, is currently
60 acres and 100% contained.
Firefighters made headway today on the Low
Ridge Fire, which consists of two fires located within the Mill Creek
Watershed near Indian Ridge approximately 17 miles SE of Walla Walla,
Washington on the Walla Walla Ranger District. Low Ridge Fire 1 remains at 2.5
acres and is now 90% contained. Firefighters were able to utilize a Type 2
helicopter for a good portion of the day to support suppression efforts by
dropping water and cooling hot spots. Several snags are burning in the interior
of the fire, creating hazards for firefighters with conducting mop up efforts. Resources
on scene include five smokejumpers, five firefighters from Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife, a 10-person hand crew from Alaska, and a 5-person hand crew
from the Umatilla National Forest. The Low Ridge 2 Fire is a tenth of an acre
in size and fully contained.
On the Pomeroy Ranger District, the Hardy
Fire, which is located near Hard to Get to Ridge, 20 miles south of
Pomeroy, Washington, has been declared out.
Weather conditions continue to be warm and
dry over the next few days. Fire
officials want to remind everyone that the current fire danger rating remains
at EXTREME and Public Use Restrictions involving campfires and chainsaw
use are in effect.
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://www.dnr.wa.gov/.
For more information
regarding Restrictions, please contact:
Umatilla National Forest:
Information Hotline: Toll-Free (877)
958-9663
Twitter: @UmatillaNF
The latest fire information will be posted on the Blue
Mountains Fire Information Blog. To receive updates on fires in the Blue
Mountains, follow our blog at http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/.
###
Harrison Fire Closure Description
The area closure includes:
The
area within following the following boundary; starting at the Ben Harrison
Trail Head heading north/north east along the North Fork John Day (NFJD)
Wilderness boundary towards the junction of where the NFJD Wilderness boundary
intersects the Lost Creek Trail (National Forest System Trail (NFST) 3002),
then south along NFST 3002 to the junction of the Ben Harrison Trial (NFST
3173), then west along the NFST 3173 back to the Ben Harrison Trail Head. The
area is approximately 6,575 areas in size. Prohibited access does not apply to
access or use of the 10 road.
The trail closures include:
· National Forest System Trail
(NFST) 3173 - East of the Ben Harrison Trailhead on the Ben Harrison Trial to
the Junction of NFST 3002 of Lost Creek Trail
· National Forest System Trail
(NFST) 3002 - Lost Creek Trail south of the Lost Creek Saddle Camp Trailhead
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