Fire Suppression Progress Prompts Modification of Closures on North Fork John Day and Heppner Ranger District

 

PENDLETON, Ore. (August 12, 2024) — Forest officials have lifted portions of the temporary closure of lands, trails and roads on the North Fork John Day and Heppner Ranger Districts that were put in place due to the nearby Battle Mountain Complex, Double Snag and Lone Rock Fires.

The modification of the temporary closure areas opens all campgrounds and trailheads east of Highway 395 and North of Forest Service Road 53 on the west side of NFJD and the northeast corner of Heppner Ranger District. The new temporary Forest Order 06-14-00-24-04 will be effective Monday August 12, 2024, and supersedes Forest Orders 06-14-02-24-02, 06-14-05-24-01 and 06-14-05-24-03. The revised closure area will still keep all U.S. Forest Service lands, roads and trails within the boundary of the NFJD and Heppner Ranger Districts west of Highway 395 and South of FSR 53 temporarily closed due to ongoing fire behavior and fire suppression operations on Lone Rock and Battle Mountain Complex Fires.

Umatilla National Forest Order closure descriptions and maps are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5286768.

Additional Information on the fires can be found at

• Battle Mountain Complex: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/or97s-battle-mountain-complex

• Lone Rock Fire: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orprd-lone-rock-fire

Umatilla National Forest will announce any further changes to the temporarily closed areas as soon as possible.  The temporary closures are continually assessed and will be lifted once the unprecedented conditions moderate.

With wildfires affecting portions of our forest this summer, please be aware of hazards associated with recently burned areas when temporary closures are lifted. Snags, loose rocks and logs can be present in a burned area and are unpredictable, creating hazards. Additionally, burned vegetation can also contribute to landslides, mudslides and erosion when rain occurs. The ground in a burned area can also be unstable, due to burned-out roots.

Fire officials want to remind everyone that the current fire danger rating remains at EXTREME and public use restrictions involving campfires, 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  

X: @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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