Ochoco National Forest closes Paulina Ranger District due to wildfire activity; Malheur Forest took similar step earlier
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Due to ongoing wildfire activity, the Ochoco National Forest announced Thursday it's implementing a closure of Paulina Ranger District, effective immediately. It's a step the Malheur National Forest to our east took earlier this week.
"This closure is necessary to ensure public safety and to allow fire personnel to effectively engage in ongoing incidents," the Ochoco National Forest announcement began, continuing here in full:Â
The public is prohibited from entering lands, roads, trails and recreation areas and facilities within the closure area. A detailed map and description of the closure area is available on the Forest website and at any Forest office. Closure signs will be posted on the ground.
Following lightening activity July 21, firefighters in Central Oregon have responded to multiple new starts, most of which were on the Paulina Ranger District of the Ochoco National Forest.
Nationally and regionally, we are at the highest level of wildfire response, a Preparedness Level of 5 (PL5). At a PL5 wildfire resources are being stretched across the nation, which means the ability to respond to new fires quickly is challenging.
Given the limitations of firefighting resources and ongoing incidents on the ranger district, along with continued high temperatures, lack of wetting rain, and the potential for lightning in the foreseeable future, the Ochoco National Forest is taking this unusual step in closing a portion of the forest to reduce any new starts that might impact the public, private property, and national forest lands.
For more information on closures please visit our website https://www.fs.usda.gov/ochoco and for wildfire information in Central Oregon at centraloregonfire.org for wildfire updates or follow fire information on X/Twitter @CentralORfire.
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National Forest Lands on the Malheur National Forest Temporarily Closed
JOHN DAY, PRAIRIE CITY, and HINES Ore., (July 22, 2024) — Due to active wildfires compounded by extremely unfavorable weather conditions, limited firefighting resources and County Resources, the Malheur Forest Management have a joint concern with the Counties for public safety. Forest officials are temporarily closing lands within the Malheur National Forest.
The objective of the closure is to proactively protect public and firefighter safety as the incident management team continues to engage on the Falls incident and local resources continue to respond to new smoke reports. Falls Fire is currently 132, 751 acres as of this morning with 16% containment. Fire resources continue to respond to multiple new starts resulting form thunderstorms that move through the area yesterday. Three new incidents that are a concern are the Telephone Fire on the Emigrant Creek Ranger District near King Mountain, the Whiskey Fire on the Blue Mountain Ranger District off forest road 3660 and the Flagtail Fire near Flagtail lookout on the Blue Mountain Ranger District. Compounded by multiple active large wildfires burning across the region, and multiple fires involving evacuations, firefighting resources and county resources are stretched thin. Forest officials have implemented the Malheur National Forest closure for public and firefighter safety.
This closure means that the public is prohibited from entering lands, roads, trails and recreation areas and facilities on the Malheur National Forest.
A detailed map and description of the closure area is available on the Forest website and at any Forest office. Closure signs will be posted on the ground.
The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group set the National Preparedness Level to 5 (PL 5) on July 18, 2024 due to significant fire activity occurring in multiple geographic areas, an increase in incident management team mobilization, and heavy shared resource commitment to large fires nationally. PL 5 is the highest level of wildland fire activity. Several geographic areas are experiencing large, complex wildland incidents, which have the potential to exhaust national wildland firefighting resources.
