Warm Springs wildfire roars; Friday’s team coverage

The County Line 2 Fire had burned more than 36,000 acres on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and was still growing rapidly Friday, as fire bosses struggled with a lack of planes and helicopters. The fire prompted wider evacuations of several subdivisions and Kah-Nee-Ta Resort while keeping U.S. Highway 26 closed;

A small sign of hope in the Friday night update: The wildfire is now 3 percent contained, with a long, long way to go.

“It’s not making minimal acreage per day, it’s making huge jumps,” said Doug Epperson, public information officer with the Oregon Incident Management Team No. 1.

As winds picked up and crews from across the state poured into the reservation to help protect homes, word came late Friday morning that a Level 3 notice to evacuate was issued to residents along Tenino Road from milepost 1 to 7, adding to the ones issued earlier for all areas north of Dry Creek to Simnasho Cemetery and east to the Deschutes River.

“It was switching directions on us,” Epperson said. “We don’t have enough manpower. We don’t have any air support as this point, and with these erratic winds, you can’t outrun this. Today was really kind of making an assessment period on where the fire was, where we need to put the most protection.”

Even though Oregon has become the nation’s top firefighting resource priority, with 14 fires across the state, finding enough planes and helicopters to do the job is proving challenging.

A Level 2 warning (be ready to leave quickly) remained in place for all areas south and southwest of Dry Creek, including West Hills and the Agency Area.

NewsChannel 21’s Wanda Moore reported the road into Warm Springs was closed Friday on both sides, as the fire surged near the command center.

Colleague Kandra Kent said 500 people were being evacuated from Kah-Nee-Ta, and while the river remains open through Warm Springs, people were advised to float through and not stop.

“And actually last night, coming down from Kah-Nee-Ta to the incident command post here, there was times that you could not see the vehicle in front of you,” Epperson said. “The fire was actually on both sides of the road.”

Late Friday afternoon, the Red Cross was moving its evacuation shelter from the Warm Springs Community Center to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Madras due to the Level 2 pre-evacuation alert for the area. The shelter for evacuated animals also was being moved there.

“They told us we had to evacuate because we were at a Level 3 and had to be out now,” said one Warm Springs woman who is staying in the Red Cross shelter overnight with her two grandchildren.

She added: “I’ve been better. I’m just tired and want to rest.”

Meanwhile, some travelers headed to Kah-Nee-Ta learned their plans had gone awry.

“We hadn’t heard that Kah-Nee-Ta was closed so we got all the way here,” said Jamie Sosa, who traveled from Portland all the way up to the entrance of the resort several hours after it was evacuated. “Now we’re switching our vacation plans and headed to see Grandma and Grandpa.”

“We just watched the new ‘Vacation’ movie, and we feel like the Griswolds getting to Wally World — and they’re closed,” Sosa said.

“They’re very concerned,” said Red Cross spokeswoman Carrie Sammons of Warm Springs evacuees. “They don’t know what’s happened. The fire has gone through where they live. They don’t know if their homes are still there or not.”

Sammons said more than 100 people had signed up for Red Cross Shelter assistance, although only 30 people stayed in the shelter Thursday night. She said she suspects more will take refuge Friday night.

Warm Springs resident Al Bagley lives in the evacuated Wolfe Point subdivision. So far, he has chosen to stay in his home rather than evacuate.

“You could see the flames and the sparks coming up over the hill last night,” Bagley said. “I’ll stay right here. I have a fly fishing business, and I can’t leave my boats.”

Bagley said he’s hoping for the best and dousing his lawns to keep his land wet.

“It’s dry, and the way the winds blowing they can’t predict anything where the fires going to go.” Bagley said.

A Kah-Nee-Ta resort manager told NewsChannel 21 the evacuations are a huge economic blow to the business — the resort had been entirely booked for the weekend.

Already, throughout Warm Springs, signs abound, thanking firefighters for their work.

Bagley said although he is worried, he is mostly grateful.

“Those guys — they saved a lot of homes this morning and last night,” he said. “It burned right up to Sunnyside.”

Here’s the official Friday morning update via Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch in Prineville:

“The fire was mapped last night at 36,154 acres and remained active overnight – acreage today is expected to increase. Firefighters have been focusing on structure protection, and more resources have been ordered to support the local firefighters. About 350 personnel are currently working the fire.

There is a Level 3 evacuation in place for Kah-Nee-Ta Resort and associated staff buildings, along with homes in the Wolfe Point subdivision. A Level 3 means residents are informed that they are in danger and are asked to leave.

At this time, the buildings are not immediately threatened; however, there is very limited access and if afternoon winds push the fire into these areas, a rapid evacuation would be extremely difficult.

Main concerns today are the expected winds, which could reach 30 mph; this combined with light, grassy fuel increase the potential for rapid fire growth this afternoon. Many parts of the fire are in remote terrain, which will hamper firefighter efforts to access the fire line.

The fire HAS reached the Lower Deschutes River between Warm Springs and Mecca Flat, but has NOT jumped the river. BLM manages recreation access to the river and will continue to monitor the river side of the fire and will update the Lower Deschutes Boater Pass website if there area changes to river access.

The river remains OPEN at this time. There are no campground closures at this time; however, the BLM is asking anyone who launches in Segment 1 to float north all the way through White Horse Rapids before camping. Launching and camping at Mecca and Trout Creek are still allowed.

The BLM also wants to remind users to avoid stopping or walking in newly burned areas as there may be hot stump holes and rolling rock. There may also be some irritated snakes warming themselves in the black.”

In addition, helicopters may be using the river as a dip site. All river users should use caution, avoid passing under the helicopters and take photos from a distance. BLM River staff may hold rafters up temporarily if needed for safety.

Earlier, KWSO radio posted: “Wolfe Point, Kah-Nee-Ta Resort, Indian Head Canyon, the Fish Hatchery, and Schoolie Flat to the Simnasho Cemetery have been issued a Level 3 notice to evacuate.”

“Fire activity is expected to pick up early this afternoon with gusty winds stronger than yesterday and issuing the notice now allows residents time to gather things and go before the situation worsens,” the update continued.

The Shitike Creek area also remained at a Level 3 evacuation, while the Sunnyside, Upper Dry Creek and West Hills subdivisions now are at a Level 2 evacuation notice, which means residents can return home but should be prepared to leave quickly if needed.

An evacuation center is set up at the Warm Springs Community Center, and the spreading fire threat prompted the closure Friday of tribal offices and a call for water conservation by Warm Springs Utilities.

ODOT revised its westbound detour route Friday morning to match the eastbound detour that uses state Highway 216 through Maupin and U.S. Highway 197 to Highway 97 and the Highway 26 junction in Madras.

The County Line 2 Fire started early Wednesday afternoon, and was still at zero containment over 24 hours later, as the fire kept growing quickly.

Around 7 p.m. Thursday came word the Central Oregon Conflagration Task Force was being called up so more firefighters could be called int o help protect structures around Warm Springs. But the State Fire Marshal’s Office said no Conflagration Act order had been signed by the governor.

Around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, seven separate fires started along both sides of Highway 26 over several miles as sparks flew from the tire rim of a utility trailer being towed by an RV heading south on the highway, officials said.

“The wheel rim created sparks on the highway and that’s what created the fire,” said area forester Bill Fish.

Since then, he said, “They’ve kind of merged together and have grown quite a bit.”

It’s been a frightening few days for many Warm Springs residents.

“By the time it got darker, it was closer and closer to the house,” said resident Ann Seyler. “I was scared.”

Late Wednesday, firefighters were able to knock down the flames and reopen the highway. But during the day, the dry heat and the wind pushed the flames again quickly.

So quickly, it took Moore and the firefighter who escorted her to the fire line by surprise. As she grabbed her camera and ran back to the car, the fire was only a few feet away and inching closer.

As the fire grew, so did concerns for residential neighborhoods again.

“Right now, the biggest concern we have is the fire coming down the canyon, and the Schoolie Flat residential area is important to us,” Fish said.

After Highway 26 was opened up on Wednesday night, ODOT closed it again Thursday afternoon, with no official word on reopening.

For residents in the area, it was all about making sure their loved ones were safe.

“I just got to head past here and to the house and get my son and the grandkids,” Seyler said.

Check the latest on road closures — and a view from a Webcam on the closed stretch of Highway 26 near Warm Springs – at http://www.ktvz.com/trip-check