Slick Ear Fire Update - Oct. 19, 2022

 Slick Ear Fire Update [Oct. 19, 2022 - 4 p.m.]

The Slick Ear Fire continues to burn in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness and is currently estimated at 900 acres in size. The fire is located in an inaccessible area in between the Slick Ear Trail #3104 and Rock Creek. 

The fire continues to burn in a mixture of heavy timber, brush, and snags (dead or burned trees). With several consecutive days of warm weather, the fire behavior has increased with torching and spotting toward the bottom of the drainage.  Firefighters are monitoring the fire from the ground and are using a helicopter to slow fire spread as needed.  Despite the high daytime temperatures, cool nighttime temperatures and overnight humidity recoveries have aided in limiting the fire’s spread.

The Slick Ear Fire was discovered on Sept. 14 following a lightning storm approximately 28 miles northeast of Elgin, Oregon. Firefighters attempted to staff the fire during initial attack, but they were unable to safely engage the fire from the ground because of the steep and difficult terrain.