Wallowa, OR – The Elbow Creek fire is now 20,810 acres and remains 20 percent contained. Close to 900 personnel are currently assigned to the fire with resources from Washington, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan, California, Oregon, South Carolina, and Idaho.
The most challenging area remains the confluence of drainages merging with the Grande Ronde River. Firefighters are being supported by several helicopters in the Elbow and Bear Creek areas as they work to pinch the fire off with the construction of hand line.
Crews continue to tie in and secure containment lines in the Sickfoot Creek area. Dozer and handlines get stronger daily and firefighters are hopeful to secure the area today and transition to full mop-up operations.
The east side of the fire has had little to no activity within the past four days as firefighters continue to patrol the area for flare ups.
The Oregon National Guard is arriving today with a fire suppression helicopter that will bring the total number of helicopters working on the fire to four.
The forecast calls for warmer and drier conditions with continued winds from all directions swirling within the canyons of the Grande Ronde River drainage. While the winds out of the northeast the past several days have complicated control efforts – a shift out of the southwest and west will be helpful today, pushing the fire back into itself on that western edge in the Bear Creek area.
Several forest closures remain in effect throughout Oregon. Be sure to check current conditions with local offices before visiting state and federal forests. “Know Before You Go.”
Evacuation levels within Wallowa County continue to change as fire and emergency management officials monitor the threat to communities. Additional information regarding evacuations is available on the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Wallowa-County-Sheriffs-Office-147212815486187).
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