Frog Fire burns nearly 4,000 acres, now 10% contained
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- There was relatively minimal growth Friday on the nearly 4,000-acre Frog Fire burning in the Maury Mountains seven miles southeast of Prineville Reservoir as crews brought the blaze to 10% containment.
Here's Friday night's update:
Northwest Incident Management Team, Incident Commander Doug Johnson, assumed management of the Frog Fire this morning. The incident command post is located at the Crook County Fairgrounds in Prineville and a spike camp is located near Post, Oregon.
The safety of the public and all wildland fire responders is always the number one priority for all wildland fire agencies. To keep firefighters and communities healthy and safe, all firefighters are asked to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the spread of illness. This also includes limited entry into the incident command post and spike camp. Please see the websites below or contact the Frog Fire information center at 541-670-0812 for further fire information.
General Updates: Firefighters are continuing to battle the Frog Fire. The fire ignited during the recent thunderstorms and was discovered on August 16th. It is burning in an area of pine over story with smaller conifers in the understory in the Maury Mountains. The fire has been resistant to control and began spotting 3/10 of mile moving northeast pushed by strong, gusty winds. The fire grew to over 3,900 acres and is continuing to increase in size.
Dozer line has been successfully constructed on the west flank and a structure group is on site providing protection to homes and outbuildings. Retardant air tankers, single engine air tankers and helicopters are supporting on the ground firefighters with retardant and water drops to cool the fire‘s edge to allow crews to construct fire line.
The fire spotted across the constructed line on the northeast flank yesterday. Firefighters worked today to secure this line. A spot fire burned over the dozer and hand line in the northwest flank of the fire. Crews were successful in securing the spot. A night shift will patrol and keep eyes on the fire’s activity.
Afternoon and evening strong winds, steep terrain and heavy amounts of dry, dead and down fuels are providing challenges to the firefighters. A full suppression strategy is being utilized to minimize the impact to sage grouse habitat, private and federal grazing lands, and timber.
Demand for firefighting resources is very high, as reflected in the National Preparedness Level of 5. Large retardant air tankers, single-engine air tankers and helicopters are being shared with other fires in Central Oregon.
Acreage: 3,997
Containment: 10%
Fire Information: 541-670-0812 (8:00 am to 9:00 PM)
E-mail: FrogWildFire2020@gmail.com
Information Websites:
Twitter: @CentralORFire
Blog Site: http://www.centraloregonfire.org
Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7036/
Weather: Dry conditions are expected. A weak front will cross the area today and will bring breezy conditions especially in the afternoon and evening. Winds will decrease later Friday into Saturday. There will be good humidity recovery overnight. Tonight will be mostly clear with temperatures 47-52 degrees and a relative humidity of 79-84%
Resources-289: 1-type 2 initial attack crew, 8-type 2 crews, 1- light helicopter, 1-medium helicopter, 1- heavy helicopter, 8-engines, 2-skidgine, 4-dozers, 1-water tender, and 76 overhead.
Evacuations: None
Closures: Several road closures and an Area Closure have been implemented near the Frog Fire.
The Crook County Sheriff’s Office has closed the following roads:
On the south end:
- Roberts Road at Bear Creek
- Klootchman Creek Road at Bear Creek
- Salt Creek at Roberts Road
On the north end:
- Forest Service Road 16 at the junction of Forest Service Road 1610
A temporary Area Closure also has been implemented by the Ochoco National Forest. For a full description and map of the Area Closure, please see the above Inciweb link.
Temporary Flight Restrictions: For the safety of the firefighters and aircraft fighting the Frog Fire, a temporary flight restriction has been placed over the fire area. Please consult the Notice to Airman for specifics.
