Umatilla National Forest temporarily closes the Pomeroy Ranger District

 Contact: Darcy Weseman, (541) 278-3722, darcy.weseman@usda.gov

PENDLETON, Ore. (July 12, 2021) — With persistent hot and dry conditions, active large wildfires, and critical fire weather in the forecast, forest officials on the Umatilla National Forest have temporarily closed all lands managed by the Pomeroy Ranger District.

The objective of the closure is to proactively protect public and firefighter safety as the Forest continues to actively suppress wildfires on the Ranger District, while also responding to new holdover fires following last week’s thunderstorm. Hot and dry conditions have challenged firefighters the past several days in suppression efforts battling the Dry Gulch and Green Ridge Fires on the Pomeroy Ranger District. Overnight, humidity levels have remained extremely low, allowing the fires to spread actively. These conditions have created an unprecedented potential for extreme fire spread and intensity. Wednesday strong winds are forecasted over the area, potentially creating critical fire conditions. Forest officials have implemented the closure for public and firefighter safety leading up to Wednesday’s weather event.

The closure is effective immediately and encompasses the entire Pomeroy Ranger District. A detailed map and description of the closure area is available on the Forest website and at any Forest office. Closure barriers and signs will be posted on the ground.

Additional information on the Dry Gulch and Green Ridge Fires is available on Inciweb at:

• Dry Gulch/Lick Creek Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7615/ 
• Green Ridge Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7628/ 

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/.  

Additional information about the Umatilla National Forest is available at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla. 

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