Wildfire near Dayville races across 6,000 acres as heat lingers
A fire near the Black Canyon Wilderness 11 miles south of Dayville grew quickly in the heat and low humidity Tuesday, racing across 6,000 acres as forecasters issued warnings of more heat and challenging fire weather in coming days,.
The Corner Creek Fire (formerly Incident 297), was estimated by late afternoon at 2,500 acres, up from 850 earlier in the day, with zero containment — and by late in the day, officials estimated it at roughly 6,000 acres
A VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker), three tankers, four SEATs (Single Engine Air Tankers), and three helicopters were working on structure protection where the fire has threatened cabins and various outbuildings along Wind Creek.
“The fire is continuing to push south and west burning in light grass and brush,” said the Tuesday evening update from the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center in Prineville.
The Rockpile Ranch in the area was evacuated, said COIDC spokeswoman Lisa Clark.
At 6 a.m. Wednesday, the Oregon Department of Forestry Team 1 will assume joint command of the Corner Creek, Sugarloaf and Incident 296 fires.
The Sugarloaf Fire was still the largest fire in Central Oregon, at 5,016 acres and 20 percent containment. Incident #296 was burning about a mile south of Dayville grew to about 65 acres. Firefighters are working on containment of that blaze.
Firefighters were able to respond quickly to lightning start (Incident 283) on the east end of the Maury Mountains east of Prineville Tuesday morning, keeping it under acre.
It was a “holdover” from lightning storms that have tracked through Central Oregon in the past week. Holdovers can ignite fires up to two weeks after a lightning strike, so fire crews will remain stationed around Central Oregon to respond as quickly as possible to any new fires.
Red flag warnings were in effect through 9 p.m. Tuesdasy for lightning, primarily in areas east of Prineville.
Numerous other fires are being fought around the state — an early, worrisome start to fire season ahead of the Fourth of July holiday
Information on the larger Oregon fires is on InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/38/
As temperatures increase through the week, firefighters expect more lightning holdover fires. These fires occur when lightning strikes a tree and starts a fire that smolders in the needles and debris underneath the tree where it’s protected from any rain that falls. As temperatures increase and nearby ground dries out, the fire flares up and can spread. Holdover fires commonly occur up to two weeks after a storm.
With the potential for fighters to be busy with lightning fires, fire officials want to remind everyone to be extremely cautious with fireworks, and to use care when recreating on public land. Make sure campfires are allowed, and always put them out when you leave or before you go to bed. Avoid traveling on roads with vegetation down the middle – this can accumulate underneath a vehicle and cause it to catch fire.
The lightning-caused Sugarloaf Fire has grown to 5,016 acres and remains at 20 percent containment, Tuesday’s update said. There were 232 personnel on the fire during the day and 75 on the night shift, along with, a dozen engines, two bulldozers and two water tenders.
Fire activity was moderate on the Sugarloaf Fire Tuesday, managers said,, with little additional acreage burned outside of the previous fire perimeter. Some interior pockets of unburned fuels were consumed, reducing the chance of a re-burn later.
Crews were able to establish a fire line along part of the north to northeast edge of the fire. More mop-up was completed around the structures along Dick Creek Road.
A Hotshot crew worked on the Blue Basin Fire near State Route 19, maintaining containment of the fire without damaging any sites in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
A crew also suppressed a small lightning fire discovered Tuesday, about four miles north of Sugarloaf Mountain. That fire team also assumed responsibility for the Schoolhouse Gulch Fire, located about two miles east of Dayville, roughly 100 acres in size, and relatively quiet.
Tuesday night, crews were laying hoses along the fire lines that the day shift completed on the northeast part of the fire. That area has more trees and other heavy fuels, which burn more intensely.
The hose lays will be needed to supply enough water to extinguish that part of the fire.
Other night shift personnel were patrolling the fire, watching for hot spots to extinguish. They concentrated their efforts near the structures and along Dick Creek Road. A “heavy” helicopter was available to help with water drops if needed until about 9 p.m.
On Wednesday, this fire team will assume suppression responsibility for the Corner Creek Fire, burning on the west side of the South Fork John Day River about 11 miles south of Dayville. That fire grew several thousand acres today.
The forecast for the rest of the week is for continuing hot weather with low humidity. Winds are a concern, especially in the evenings when “sundowner” winds have been gusting to 20 mph. Some nights the winds haven’t abated until 2 a.m.
The Blue Basin Fire burned about 400 acres east of State Route 19, largely within the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Fire personnel will be working to control this fire without damaging the special resources in the Monument. The human-caused fire is under investigation.
Here’s the latest on other fires around the region and state, as reported Tuesday by the Oregon Department of Forestry:
FIRES ON ODF-PROTECTED LANDS
The lightning-caused Jones Canyon Fire is 500 to 600 acres, burning in the Fossil Subunit of the Central Oregon District, 12 miles NE of Monument. The fire is active and uncontained.
Harper Creek Complex – The complex includes three fires: The largest is the Harper Creek Fire at 320 acres, located four miles south of Mt. Vernon. The Hog Creek Fire is 96 acres, located six miles east of Long Creek. The Luce Creek Fire is 25 acres, located three miles SW of John Day.
All are lightning caused and burning in the John Day Unit of the Central Oregon District. Firefighters expect to fully contain the two smaller fires by the end of shift today . The largest fire is 50 percent contained. ODF is gradually releasing firefighting resources from the Harper Creek Complex and reassigning them to the Jones Canyon Fire.
The lightning-caused, 15-acre Happy Ridge Fire reported June 29 burning in the Central Oregon District has been contained and is in mop-up. Air support played a key role in catching the fire at relatively small size.
FIRES ON OTHER LANDS
The 14,600-acre Jaca Reservoir Fire burning 87 miles south of Vale on Bureau of Land Management lands is 40 percent contained. Cause is under investigation. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx
The 248-acre Jones Canyon Fire burning 20 miles SW of Ukiah on is uncontained. Cause is under investigation. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx
The 639-acre Little Basin Fire burning in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman Nat’l Forest, is 97 percent contained. Cause is under investigation. More info: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4290/
The lightning-caused, 5,345-acre Buckskin Fire burning on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is 60 percent contained. More info: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4286/
The lightning-caused, 320-acre Bunker Hill Complex burning 30 miles SE of Oakridge on the Willamette National Forest is 30 percent contained. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx
The lightning-caused, 4,000-acre Leslie Gulch Fire burning 45 miles south of Vale on Bureau of Land Management lands is uncontained. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx
The lightning-caused, 300-acre Candy Kid Fire burning on Bureau of Land Management lands eight miles north of Drewsy is uncontained. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx
The lightning-caused, 300-acre OR-OCH-000297 Fire burning 11 miles south of Dayville on National Forest lands is uncontained. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx
