Fire near Dayville still growing; new fire south of Clarno

The fast-growing, now nearly 13,000-acre Corner Creek Fire 11 miles south of Dayville has prompted an area closure of trails and campgrounds in and near the Black Canyon Wilderness while sending smoke streaming west and causing hazy skies in Central Oregon, officials said Thursday.

Elsewhere, a 100-acre fire early Thursday near Prineville Reservoir is already 100 percent contained, according to the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center in Prineville.

But another new fire about five miles south of Clarno grew quickly to about 700 acres. Several helicopters, engines and rappellers responded, in addition to two SEATs (Single-Engine Air Tankers.)

One abandoned structure was consumed by the fire, burning in light grass and brush. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Thursday’s only other start was on the Deschutes National Forest, where smokejumpers responded to a quarter-acre fire at the base of Diamond Peak in the Diamond Peak Wilderness. COIDC said the smokejumpers likely would keep working on the fire into the evening.

Here’s the Thursday morning update on the group of fires burning near Dayville, including the older Sugarloaf and newer Corner Creek fires:

Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 1 has assumed suppression responsibility for the Corner Creek Fire. It is burning on the west side of the South Fork John Day River, about 11 miles south of Dayville. The Corner Creek Fire burned 12,750 acres on the Ochoco National Forest, Bureau of Land Management Prineville District, and private lands. Part of the fire is in the Black Canyon Wilderness.

Corner Creek Fire is growing rapidly, with winds pushing it the south and west in challenging, steep terrain, officials said late Thursday . Strong and very visible pyro-cumulus clouds formed over the fire Wednesday afternoon, towering to more than 20,000 feet.

Firefighters are protecting structures in the vicinity. Crews are looking for opportunities to control the fire spread, including clearing fuels near forest roads to the south and west of the fire. These may be used as fire lines for burnout operations.

The South Fork Road/Hwy 42 has been closed to the general public from Dayville to the US Forest Service 58 Road junction due to fire activity. Local traffic should drive with caution due to heavy fire-related traffic.

The road closure also eliminates public access to the Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area along the South Fork and to Murderers Creek from the west side of the wildlife area. People may still access this part of the wildlife area from the Malheur National Forest. The Flat Creek area on the north end of the wildlife area is unaffected and remains open to the public.

The Sugarloaf Fire is now at 5,057 acres and 65% contained. Most of the active fire is on the northeast edge, where burnout operations continue to secure the fire line. Heavier fuels in the forested areas are requiring extensive mop-up.

Firefighters continue to patrol and mop up around structures along Dick Creek Road. The western part of Sugarloaf Fire, Blue Basin Fire, and Schoolhouse Gulch Fire are being patrolled by firefighters.

The camp for firefighters assigned to these fires is on Highway 26 about 2.5 miles west of Dayville. Please drive with caution and watch for heavy fire traffic.

The forecast for the rest of the week is a concern for fire managers. The forecast calls for continuing hot weather with low humidity and northwest winds gusting 20 to 25 mph. A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for Friday and Saturday due to expected hot, dry weather with wind gusts to 30 mph.

Information about the Sugarloaf Fire is posted online at www.centralorfireinfo.blogspot.com.

FACT SHEET:

Corner Creek Fire

Started: Saturday, June 27 th Cause: Lightning Current size: 12,750 acres Percent contained: 0% Total cost to date: $1,100,000 Update: Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 1 assumed command of this fire yesterday evening. Fire has been burning actively, spreading to the south and southwest. Firefighters are protecting structures in the fire vicinity. Firefighters are looking for control opportunities and preparing for burnout operations. The South Fork Road/Hwy 42 has been closed to the general public from Dayville to the USFS 58 road junction due to fire activity.

Sugarloaf Fire

Started: Saturday, June 27 th Cause: Lightning
Current size: 5,057 acres
Percent contained: 65%
Total cost to date: $1,300,000
Update: Local fire resources initiated the attack saving 12 residences. Firefighting resources have established control lines around large portions of the fire and have extinguished much of the heat.
Most of the fire is in patrol status.

Blue Basin Fire

Started: Monday, June 29 th
Cause: Human-caused
Current size: 317 acres
Percent contained: 95%
Total cost to date: $25,000
Update: Firefighters and aircraft assigned to the Sugarloaf Fire initiated attack and arrested its spread. The fire burns in lighter fuels and is in patrol status.
Care has been taken not to damage resources within the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

For additional fire information: Corner Creek and Sugarloaf Fire Information (541) 987-2348

www.centralorfireinfo.blogspot.com

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4337/

The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center said Thursday there are 14 uncontained large wildfires in Oregon and Washington. Many were caused by lightning from last weekend’s thunderstorms, but several can be attributed to human activity.

Year to date human-caused fires in Oregon are up 60 percent, compared to the 10-year average. More than half the fires in the Central Oregon District in 2015 are human-caused.

Heading into the holiday weekend, the Oregon Department of Forestry would like to remind the public that a Regulated Closure for lands protected by the Central Oregon District is being implemented.

The intent of the closure is to limit human-caused fires. The closure prohibits smoking outside of vehicles, use of fireworks, and blasting.

Open fires, including campfires, are prohibited except in designated areas. Additional restrictions and details can be found in a PDF at the following website: http://www.tinyurl.com/COD-Regulated-Closure. Also restricted during fire season is the use of exploding targets and tracer ammunition within 1/8 mile of the district, and the release of sky lanterns.

The forecast is for hot and dry weather through the weekend and continuing into next week. High temperatures combined with already extreme fuel conditions could result in rapid fire growth, leading to dangerous and costly fires. A single spark from a careless human could result in a catastrophic fire damaging wildlife habitat, our homes and communities, our forests and watersheds.

As you head out to enjoy your holiday weekend, please remember to use caution and follow Regulated Closure and fire season restrictions for lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Contact your local National Forest or Bureau of Land Management office for public use restrictions on public lands.

While the Oregon Department of Forestry had no large new fires on state-protected lands to report Thursday, they provided this roundup of fires around the state:

FIRES ON OTHER LANDS

The lightning-caused, 840-acre Jones Canyon Fire burning 20 miles SW of Ukiah is approx. 40 percent contained. Cause is under investigation. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx

The 14,049-acre Jaca Reservoir Fire burning 87 miles south of Vale on Bureau of Land Management lands is 70 percent contained. Cause is under investigation. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx

The lightning-caused 317-acre 0301 PR Blue Basin Fire burning nine miles north of Dayville is 95 percent contained. The Bureau of Land Management is the lead agency. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx

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, 388-acre Bunker Hill Complex burning 30 miles SE of Oakridge on the Willamette National Forest is 65 percent contained. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx

The lightning-caused, 8,688-acre Leslie Gulch Fire burning 45 miles south of Vale on Bureau of Land Management lands is 70 percent contained. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx

The lightning-caused, 462-acre Candy Kid Fire burning on Bureau of Land Management lands eight miles north of Drewsy is 30 percent contained. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx

The lightning-caused Corner Creek Fire burning 11 miles south of Dayville on National Forest lands is 12,750 acres and uncontained. More info: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspxS

Some of Oregon’s larger fires are on the federal InciWeb page at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/38/