Heat, wind test lines on 63,000-acre Warm Springs fire

Another home has been lost to the nearly 64,000-acre County Line 2 Fire on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, making it a total of five residences (and numerous outbuildings) burned since the blaze began just over a week ago.

Unlike previous, unoccupied homes lost to the fire, the one lost on lower Shitike Road Wednesday night was an occupied structure, though the homeowners were not home at the time, officials said.

There are 588 firefighters and support personnel on the blaze as of Thursday morning — when a moment of silence was observed at fire camp for the loss of three firefighters in Washington state.

Fire managers reported more extreme weather on the lines Thursday — temperatures in the 90s, low humidity and winds gusting to 30 mph,

Incident Commander Shawn Sheldon said Thursday, “We expect our firefighters to remain vigilant and ask that our public do the same. The heat in and around any unburned vegetation, shrubs and timber is still there — all it takes is a good push of wind to get things started.”

Here’s the Thursday morning update from fire managers:

The Oregon Incident Management Team #1 (Shawn Sheldon, IC) continues to manage the County Line 2 Fire.

Incident Commander Sheldon led this morning’s briefing with a moment of silence to honor the three firefighters that were killed and other firefighters that were injured yesterday near Twisp, Washington. Firefighters from this fire send their many thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of their firefighter brothers/sisters.

Wednesday, with wind gusts of 30 mph in some areas on the fire, firefighters’ hard work was tested. Crews will continue holding, improving and mopping up as the fire’s containment line continues to grow.

There was one residence, and their outbuildings, lost on the lower Shitike Road last night. People need to continue to be diligent as situations change quickly because of winds and temperature. Ten minutes before structures were lost, there were firefighters at this location.

Two new tools will be added to the fire today; a feller buncher, which is a tree-grabbing device with a cutting saw will be used to remove snags and a masticator, which will be used to grind and remove fuels. Crews will be constructing a “sprinkler system” utilizing pumps, hoses and sprinkler heads. This will be positioned approximately 2 miles east of Shitike Butte Lookout to assist in increasing humidity and keeping fire from moving up Shitike Canyon.

Weather remains “Red Flag Warning” which could mean critical fire behavior with possible erratic winds. Today’s humidities could reach down to lower teens with temperatures in the lower 90’s with winds from the west, changing to north/northwest with gusts of up to 30 mph.

The Red Cross will discontinue its shelter at the Warm Springs Community Center at 2:00 pm today.

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Wednesday’s story:

Warm Springs police confirmed Wednesday they and the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs have launched a criminal investigation into the cause of the nearly 64,000-acre County Line 2 Fire, reported earlier as being sparks from a tire rim on an RV’s utility trailer going down U.S. Highway 26.

Officials said they had no further comment on the case at this time.

Officials said Wednesday night the fire had grown to 63,600 acres — but the containment level had reached 50 percent. They also said the American Red Cross shelter is closing its Warm Springs shelter Thursday afternoon.

The week-old fire also is affecting livestock in the region, as well as the people.

“Livestock is a part of our culture,” said Jason Smith, range and agricultural manager for the Warm Springs Confederated Tribes.

The fire has taken away a food source for horses and cattle in the area.

“The main thing that’s lost is our grazing land,” Smith said.

“There’s a lot of damage done over there, and it’s heartbreaking,” said Jamie Kanski with the Pet Evacuation Team.

Many fences have burned down in the area, leaving horses roaming the area freely.

“They’ve lost their summer, fall and definitely their winter feed,” Smith said.

Central Oregon’s Wild Horse Coalition and the PET group have stepped in to help.

“We will continue to get donations of hay,” Kanski said. “We’ve actually, between the two organizations, have gotten 10 tons of hay over the last few days.”

As hay donations keep coming in, they’re assessing the damage done.

“It could be devastating, not only for individuals but also for the tribe itself,” Smith said.

The concern is also for pets.

“We’ve had about a dozen animals brought to us by their owners to keep them (until they) return to their residences,” Kanski said.

The Pet Evacuation Team provides a safe environment for the pets until the owners can take them back. For many families, it is taking a huge weight off their shoulders, as they deal with the devastation of the fire.

“Pets most often are like family members, too,” Kanski said.

If you would like to donate to the Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition, call 541-441-8165, or visit their website or their facebook page.

The Pet Evacuation Team is also accepting dog food and crate donations at Mail and More, 527 NW Elm Ave. in Redmond.