Spreading E. Oregon wildfires spark more evacuations
Three Eastern Oregon wildfires have covered more than 36,000 acres and two have prompted more evacuations, officials said late Wednesday.
The Windy Ridge Fire has grown to more than 6,000 acres. The Baker County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Level III Evacuation Notice to the areas of the Ebell Creek and Alder Creek Roads near the Windy Ridge Fire, requiring residents to evacuate immediately.
Vale BLM has ordered more resources for structure protection in the areas of evacuation in Baker County.
Early Wednesday afternoon, the Windy Ridge Fire began moving quickly to the northwest due to high winds. The Bureau of Land Management’s Vale District has temporarily pulled personnel back from the fire line to ensure personnel safety and to regroup and reassess.
The fire is being attacked aggressively from the air as the area affected by the fire is steep, rocky and difficult for ground crews and equipment to access.
Several engines are on scene along with bulldozers and a Type II hand crew. The Burnt River Rural Fire Protection Association has also responded with personnel and equipment.
A Type I Incident Command Team has been ordered to the Windy Ridge Fire and is expected to arrive sometime tomorrow, taking command sometime soon after.
Six miles to the west, between Hereford and Bridgeport, is the Cornet Fire, which is now burning an estimated 15,000 acres. Efforts to fight that fire are being coordinated out of Unity, 40 miles to the southwest.
The area of Stices Gulch has been issued a Level III Evacuation Notice and the Black Mountain and Denny Creek Roads have been issued a Level II Notice requiring residents to evacuate the area as soon as possible.
The Cornet Fire is being managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The U.S. Forest Service’s Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and the BLM’s Vale District are involved as well, as the fire is burning in their respective areas of responsibility.
In Malheur County, 12 miles north of Juntura, the Bendire Complex is steadily burning and is now 15,000 acres in size. Five bulldozers are on scene, more than 20 engines, 6 water tenders and four hand crews.
The current concern is the southeast corner of the fire, which grew faster than firefighters could keep up with it. Structures are threatened at Jenkins Ranch, near Bully Creek, and resources have been deployed to protect it. Priority sage-grouse habitat is also being affected.
The Bendire Complex is expected to grow overnight and there is currently no estimated time of containment for any of the fires.
If you see or suspect a wildfire, call the Vale BLM Fire Dispatch Center at 541-473-6295. For more information on reporting wildfires in Malheur and Baker counties, as well as northeast Oregon, visit http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/fire/report-fire.php.
