New wildfires burn near Detroit Lake, Burns-Hines

A heavy ground and air assault has slowed a new, 70-acre fire burning in the forested hills above Detroit Lake, allowing ODOT to keep Highway 22 open east of Gates, but holiday-weekend returnees were warned to expect slowdowns due to firefighting efforts.

Meanwhile, the still-growing, nearly week-old lightning-sparked Corner Creek Fire south of Dayville has now topped 27,000 acres — and a new, human-caused fire a half-mile northwest of Hines in Eastern Oregon has burned over 1,000 acres.

The Niagara Fire was reported Saturday afternoon, burning above Big Cliff Dam along Highway 22. The fire grew rapidly, with some spotting, burning through heavy timber to a size now estimated at 70 acres, the Oregon Department of Forestry said in its Sunday morning update.

“Helicopters and air tankers were used to slow its growth, and little additional growth was observed overnight,” the ODF said.

Sunday’s goal, as explained by Incident Commander Russ Lane, “is to knock the fire down by air and get a containment line around it on the ground.”

Weather in the fire area continues to be hot and dry, with historically dry fuels.

About 100 personnel are assigned to the fire. Five helicopters, three heavy-lift and two medium lift, are available to provide support for fire line construction.

There are no road or recreational closures associated with the fire at this time. Visitors to the Detroit Lake Recreation Area should be aware that boating on the west end of the lake and recreational activities on Detroit dam may be limited due to fire activity.

For those traveling Highway 22, visit the Oregon Department of Transportation Trip Check site for the latest information.

Fire traffic is heavy in the vicinity of the Big Cliff Dam and the public is advised to use caution when traveling in this area.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Fire restrictions are in effect on the Willamette National Forest and state and private forestland.

Cooperating agencies include: the Willamette National Forest, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon Department of Transportation, Bonneville Power Administration, Detroit-Idahna Fire District, Gates Fire Department, and Lyons Fire Department.

In Eastern Oregon, the Radar Fire broke out late Sunday at Radar Hill, about a half-mile northwest of Hines. Officials said the human-caused fire was mapped Sunday morning at 1,037 acres.

Fire crews battled the blaze through the night, with most of the fire encircled with bulldozer line Sunday morning. A helicopter was being called in to help contain the last section, in a more rocky area where a bulldozer can’t get a clean line.

Here’s the Sunday update on the Corner Creek and Sugarloaf fires, from the incident management team:

A minor change in the weather has made a significant difference for firefighters working to contain the 26,000-acre Corner Creek Fire, located 11 miles south of Dayville on the Ochoco National Forest. It has also helped to have assembled a sizeable fire suppression workforce supported by plenty of hardware.

Today, seven helicopters are poised to haul water buckets or sling equipment to firefighters in even the most remote portions of the fire. Air tankers are also available, if needed.

Eight bulldozers and 28 20-person crews, including eight hotshot crews, are distributed along the south and west flanks of the Corner Creek Fire to construct containment line and respond to spot fires, should they occur.

Thirty-five wildland fire engines patrol the South Fork John Day River road and other roads inside and outside of the burned area to extinguish hot spots near the fire’s edge.

And due to the slightly cooler, moister air, firefighters have spent more time lately on strengthening containment lines instead of chasing spot fires.

The average daytime temperature has dropped from 100-plus degrees to the mid-90s, and the humidity has climbed from single-digits into the teens.

Overnight, the humidity rises to nearly 50 percent. While this may seem insignificant for most people, this has been a dramatic change for firefighters toiling night and day to keep the fire from crossing containment lines. Lower temperatures and higher humidity means fire behavior is less intense.

This is a major change from last week. For several days in a row, the Corner Creek Fire slipped out of control and surged south across forests and rangeland, sometimes burning thousands of acres in a few hours.

Now, fire crews are making a bare-earth fire line around the southern-most three-fourths of the Corner Creek Fire, protecting valuable forestland, rangeland and sage grouse habitat from wildfire.

The northern quarter of the fire, in the Black Canyon Wilderness, is being treated more tenderly by Hotshot crews trained to slow the fire’s advance with light-on-the-land suppression tactics.

While the fire is only 10 percent contained, its chances for escape, particularly toward private lands and areas of sage grouse habitat, reduce hour by hour as containment lines grow ever longer.

However, final containment of the fire will take a significant amount of time and additional work.

Suppression operations are being supervised by the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team 1, led by Incident Commander John Buckman.

Information about the Corner Creek Fire and road closures on the Ochoco National Forest is posted online at http://www.centralorfireinfo.blogspot.com.

The slow cooldown from the recent heat is predicted to continue in the coming week, with temperatures on the High Desert in the low 80s by late in the week, though a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms also returns.

ODF’s Rod Nichols said the cooler temps “certainly can help in calming fire behavior, so long as it doesn’t generate wind.” Lisa Clark of BLM also noted the “mixed bag,” as “the higher humidity and lower temperatures will definitely help.” Storms also can bring rain to cool existing fires — but can also s[park new fires and winds, including downdrafts, that can cause more, unpredictable fire spread.