Burnout encircles 125-acre wildfire SE of Prineville
(Update: Burnout complete, fire size at 125 acres, 70 pct. contained)
Crews have completed a burnout encircling a now-125-acre fire that broke out in the Maury Mountains about 30 miles southeast of Prineville Wednesday afternoon, officials said Friday.
The Hammer Fire, believed to have been sparked by an abandoned warming fire, was at 70 percent containment Friday morning, with no new growth expected, Forest Service spokesman Patrick Lair said.
About 60 firefighters worked into Thursday night preparing the fire’s perimeter for the burnout to control the fire. Lair said crews will remain on scene through the weekend to hold and patrol the fire lines and mop up any hot spots.
The fire burning on the Lookout Mountain Ranger District of the Ochoco National Forest was discovered Wednesday afternoon along Forest Service Road 16, near the Hammer Creek trailhead about 8 miles south of Post, Lair said.
It was burning in dead and down fuels with some isolated torching, in the Hammer Creek and Florida Creek drainages.
Several engines and the Redmond Interagency Hotshot Crew worked into the night to contain the fire during high winds Wednesday evening. Several hand crews arrived at the fire Thursday.
Weather forecasts are calling for possible rain in the area this weekend, he said.
The fire has been determined to be human-caused, originating from an abandoned warming fire, but the incident is still under investigation.
Lair said land managers want to take this opportunity to remind the public that fuels are drying out and fire danger is expected to increase along with warmer weather. There are no public use restrictions in effect at this time on National Forest System lands in Central Oregon, but campfires should always be completely extinguished prior to vacating a campsite.
A good rule of thumb for extinguishing a campfire is to make sure it is cool to the touch prior to leaving. Simply covering a hot fire with dirt may not fully extinguish it. Campfires can smolder underground for several days and a strong wind event can uncover and rekindle them, Lair noted.
