Elbow Creek Fire burning on the Walla Walla Ranger District

 

PENDLETON, Ore. (July 15, 2021 - 5:30 p.m.)  Firefighters are actively suppressing a rapidly growing wildfire located near Mud Springs, approximately five miles northwest of Promise, Oregon. The fire is burning on or threatening Umatilla National Forest lands, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest lands, Vale District Bureau of Land Management lands and Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands. The Elbow Creek Fire, which is currently estimated to be 700-1,000 acres in size, was reported on Thursday, July 15 at 2:32 p.m. and is burning in grass and timber. The fire is burning actively today as hot and dry conditions are contributing to increased fire behavior and rapid growth. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Level 3 evacuation notice for community members that live in the Eden Bench area. A Level 3 means those within the evacuation area should leave immediately. Additional information regarding evacuations is available through the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 426-3131 or by monitoring the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office Facebook. Numerous resources are aiding in initial attack efforts, including support from Oregon Department of Forestry.  Firefighter suppression efforts are also being supported by various aerial resources, including two helicopters and fixed wing retardant. Additional resources are on order. Fire officials want to remind everyone that the current fire danger rating is EXTREME and public use restrictions involving chainsaw use, smoking and off-road travel are in effect.   For more information regarding Restrictions, please contact:   Umatilla National Forest: Information Hotline: Toll-Free (877) 958-9663 www.facebook.com/UmatillaNF  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/.    More information about the Umatilla National Forest is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla. ###