Nearly 80,000-acre Substation Fire 82 pct. contained

(Update: Substation Fire update; adding info on Timber Crater 6 Fire in Crater Lake Natl. Park)

More than 250 firefighters have reached 82 percent containment on the Substation Fire southeast of The Dalles, which was has grown to nearly 80,000 acres, officials said late Saturday. But the state’s Conflagration Act has been declared on a growing complex of fires in southwest Oregon to bring in more outside resources.

A Saturday night update on the fire’s InciWeb page said there were 268 personnel on the 79,121-acre fire, a slightly reduced acreage from earlier in the day. It’s expected to take until about Aug. 3 to be fully contained.

Here’s Saturday morning’s update on the Substation Fire:

Progress on containment of the Substation Fire reached 44 percent by Friday evening. Now 80,763 acres, fire behavior was reduced to creeping and smoldering. Winds were not as strong throughout the day, although gusts of 20-25 mph kept firefighters alert for potential hot spots.

Crews are now actively engaged with suppression repair activities and are continuing with evaluation of fire impacts and cataloging of any damaged structures and outbuildings. Mop-up and patrol with reinforcement of containment lines will continue.

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office and the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office have reduced the evacuation levels for all Level 3 areas to Level 2. This includes areas along the Deschutes River, opening the launch and take-out points in Segments 3 and 4 to use. This will allow jet boat users to access the river via Heritage Landing.

Although the area will be open to day and overnight use, boaters should use caution as the Substation Fire remains uncontained and work on the fire will continue for the near future. Avoid standing trees and snags in recently burned areas that may be weakened by the fire and are at risk of falling. Even small snags can cause serious injuries.

All residents and persons planning to travel to the area should check TripCheck for the latest information regarding possible closures of roads and other areas.

Across the region, fuels are extremely dry. Avoid parking in dry grass, discard cigarette butts in closed containers and be aware of local restrictions on campfires or fire use.

Percent contained: 44% Total personnel: 307 firefighters Fire size: 80,763 acres

A community meeting on the substation fire was planned at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Grass Valley Pavilion in Grass Valley. The meeting will be live-streamed, recorded and available to view any time: www.facebook.com/substationfire2018.

With mop-up and repair work underway. Oregon State Fire Marshal Incident Commander Ian Yocum praised hte firefighters at a Saturday morning briefing for their “great work” but urged them not to be complacent and to be safe as the tide has turned.

Meanwhile, Gov. Kate Brown on Saturday invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in response to the Garner Complex Fire.

The Garner Complex is composed of several fires in Jackson and Josephine counties, has burned 6,382 acres and is 8 percent contained as of Saturday morning. Nearly 1,100 firefighters had been called in by late Friday.

Some homeowners are under various levels of evacuation orders.

Officials say the fires are expected to grow with hot, dry and windy weather conditions. Sixteen helicopters are assigned to the blaze. Canadian retardant planes are also available but have been grounded in Medford due to smoky conditions.

More information at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5935/

Brown made the declaration at 5:49 a.m. Saturday morning while traveling to the Substation Fire burning near the Dalles.

“Wildfires are burning across the state, and several are concentrated in one area spanning Jackson and Josephine counties,” Brown said. “With weather conditions helping these fires grow quickly, I have invoked an emergency declaration to make more state resources available to the fire crews on the front lines.”

“I ask Oregonians to remember that preventing wildfires is critical this year. Be cautious and honor all burn bans, and keep our fire crews in your thoughts as they fight to protect our communities and the landscapes that surround them.”

In accordance with ORS 476.510 – 476.610,r Brown determined that a threat to life, safety, and property exists due to the fire, and the threat exceeds the firefighting capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment.

The governor’s declaration authorizes the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal to mobilize resources to assist local resources battling the fire.

The Office of State Marshal’s Blue Incident Management Team, four structural task forces from Rogue Valley, Klamath, Lane and Linn counties, were arriving Saturday morning to start working to protect structures. Two more structural task forces are due to be mobilized Saturday evening.

Elsewhere in southern Oregon, the Timber Crater 6 Fire in the remote northeast corner of Crater Lake National Park, 20 miles southwest of Chemult, had burned just over 700 acres by Saturday morning and was staffed with 157 firefighters and two helicopters. It was one of 13 fires that broke out in the park after recent lightning, most small and contained.

Meanwhile, Central Oregon’s largest blaze, the 1,414-acre Cemetery Fire is in mop-up mode in the Maury Mountains southeast of Prineville and was 85 percent contained by Saturday morning.

Follow the latest on Central Oregon fires at: http://www.centraloregonfire.org/