New Gilliam County wildfire quickly grows to 3,500 acres; Highway 206 reopens

(Update: Highway 206 reopens)

CONDON, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A new wildfire Monday afternoon in Gilliam County quickly grew to 3,500 acres and threatened to jump a state highway, prompting its closure for several hours, while a new, small fire on the Sisters Ranger District was contained at under a half-acre.

Central Oregon aerial resources were supporting South Gilliam County Rural Fire District firefighters on the ground battling the Devil's Butte Fire, with helicopters dropping water and tankers dropping retardant to slow the blaze. By Monday night, it was estimated at 3,500 acres.

By mid-afternoon, four single-engine air tankers, two large air tankers, a helicopter, two engine crews and overhead personnel had responded. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Due to the fire, state Highway 206 was shut down in the area, Frontier Regional Dispatch reported. ODOT said the highway was closed from Wasco to Condon, mileposts 0-40, and urged motorists to use an alternate route.

Officials said the fire was moving mostly to the north-northeast. Crews were working to keep the fire west of Highway 206 and were catching spot fires that crossed the road.

The Gilliam County Sheriff's Office said the highway reopened early Tuesday morning.

Officials said late Monday the fire was being managed under unified command between the BLM's Prineville District and Gilliam County. A Central Oregon Fire Management Type 3 Team was to assume command of the fire Tuesday morning.

Firefighters also quickly responded to a new fire Monday afternoon near Lower Three Creek Sno-Park on the Deschutes National Forest's Sisters Ranger District. Two engines, a hand crew and overhead resources responded to the fire, Incident 441, and stopped forward progress on the blaze before 5 p.m. It was declared contained at .48 of an acre before sunset.

On Sunday, a lightning-sparked fire southwest of Bend was tackled and contained by crews, while a human-caused fire that broke out Saturday south of Bend near China Hat Road was held under nine acres by crews and also 100% contained Sunday. Meanwhile, to the east, firefighters by Monday had brought the Alder Creek Fire in Wheeler County to 50% containment.

Resources responded Sunday morning to Incident 131, about seven miles southwest of Deschutes River Woods and Highway 97. It burned about a third of an acre, burning in brush and grass.

Air attack, three engines and a helicopter were sent to the fire and by early afternoon, officials reported "making great progress" on the blaze, with a line around half of it and a helicopter dropping water to assist. It was fully contained by evening, with no trail closures as a result.

A day earlier, incident 421 was reported around 1:30 p.m. Saturday about 1 ½ miles south of Lost Tracks Golf Club and southeast of Forest Road 18 (China Hat Road). Within a few hours, crews had hose around the fire and had begun mopping up the fire, mapped at 8.56 acres.

Officials said the fire was 50% contained by Saturday night and fully contained by Sunday morning. It was determined to be human-caused, and the investigation was ongoing.

The National Weather Service in Pendleton dropped the Red Flag Warning for the region on Sunday, though a fire weather watch will be in place Monday afternoon and evening to the north, in the Lower Columbia Basin.

In Wheeler County, the Central Oregon Fire Management Service Type 3 team will be transitioning management of the Alder Creek Fire to local ICT4 resources Tuesday morning.

Local resources will remain on the incident, mopping up hot spots closest to the fires edge. Occasional torching trees and pockets of fuels within the fire perimeter will continue to burn and create smoke.  

Rain showers and cooler temperatures passed through the fire area Monday morning -- a welcome change for the firefighters from the hot and dry weather of the past several days.

The fire remains at 1,550 acres and is now 50% contained.

Oregon Route 19 that parallels the northern edge of the fire area is now open. There is still potential for the road to be closed at any time if fire activity deems necessary.

The BLM's Muleshoe Campground reopened Monday.  

Fire officials offered thanks to the Spray and Service Creek communities for hosting their firefighters the last five days. "Thank You to the firefighters for your work and dedication to safety; landowners, local cooperators, emergency management groups and agency administrators for your dedication and support that led to the success of containment of this incident," they added.

Meanwhile, in the Willamette National Forest portion of the Three Sisters Wilderness area, more crews hiked in over the weekend to help tackle the Moonlight Fire near Mink Link Basin, north of Park Trail 3530. The 2-acre fire was lined and mop-up operations were under way. While there's no threat to structures or communities, the public is being asked to stay out of the area.

Officials also reported 100% containment Sunday on the 113-acre Morgan Mountain Fire, northwest of Izee in Grant County. Interagency resources focused Saturday on building containment lines around the perimeter.