INSIDE THE LINE: The Rowe Creek Fire
WHEELER COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Rowe Creek Fire, a complex of 12 separate blazes, continues to burn near Mitchell, straining firefighting resources across Oregon. Close to 600 personnel are battling the fire, which has left significant burn scars near the Painted Hills and reached the Fossil Beds National Monument.
Statewide Resource Strain
The state of Oregon is currently at a Planning Level five (PL five) for firefighting resources, indicating that all available assets are dedicated. This means crews may be moved from one incident to another to address critical needs. Firefighters are working 13-hour days in temperatures near 100 degrees to contain the blaze.
Damon Simmons, a line safety officer with the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office, emphasized the severity of the situation.
“We're stretched about as thin as it can get,” Simmons said. “And so it's looking for opportunities to stop these fires as quickly as possible.”
Impact on Painted Hills
The fire has spread to the Fossil Beds National Monument at the Painted Hills. Amy McClave stated the fire has come into the monument. McClave added there has been “no damage other than just that, that natural activity of having fire there at this point.”
Firefighting Efforts
Current efforts to control the Rowe Creek Fire involve 17 crews and six dozers. The nearly 600 personnel include federal, state and local firefighters, alongside crews from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management firefighters and Fish and Wildlife personnel.
Simmons further noted that firefighting resources are very thin across the state.
“We are at a Planning Level Five of PL Five,” Simmons said. “That means that all the available resources are dedicated at this time, so they may pull off a fire and then go on to the next fire.”
Structures Saved
Despite the challenging conditions and stretched resources, firefighters have successfully saved numerous structures. A local schoolhouse, surrounded by dozer lines and hand crews, was saved even as the area around it burned.
Simmons highlighted this effort, stating, “Firefighters were able to steer fire around this building using a combination of dozer lines and fire engines. So that's a good example of how we work together to save structures and infrastructure.”
Officials also commended residents of Wheeler County for their work in protecting structures and fighting the fires.
Fire Conditions and Strategy
Firefighter Jaime Barajas described the intensity of the blaze.
“The blaze is pretty hot, intense,” Barajas said. He added that the crews look after each other.
Crews have initiated controlled burns on a side of the hill to prevent the Rowe Creek Fire from spreading further.
