Officials ID man killed in 50,000-acre Substation Fire

(Update: Fire investigated as suspected arson; Hwy. 97 reopens, but no fuel N. of Madras)

Wasco County authorities have identified a man killed in the 50,000-acre Substation Fire as 64-year-old John Ruby.

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office says Ruby’s body was found Wednesday afternoon near a burned-out tractor.

Investigators believe he was trying to protect his neighbor’s property by clearing a strip of land to prevent the flames from advancing.

A man who identified himself as Ruby’s son declined to comment Thursday to The Associated Press.

The fire southeast of The Dalles is being investigated as suspected arson, officials said as a 67-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 97 reopened south of the Columbia River on Thursday morning.

KGW reported Thursday that Oregon Gov. Kate Brown told a reporter at a news conference of an investigation into “a likelihood of arson,” and two other officials later confirmed that law enforcement is investigating the blaze as suspected arson. The official cause is still listed as unknown and under investigation.

ODOT closed the highway late Wednesday afternoon and kept it closed overnight from Biggs Junction at Interstate 84 and the Columbia River Gorge south to the U.S. Highway 197 junction.

Although Highway 97 reopened, the agency advised travelers that no gas is available north of Madras and that there are no fuel or other services available at Biggs Junction due to wildfire-related activity.

The agency also closed stretches of two other roads, Oregon Highway 206 and U.S. Highway 30, near the gorge Thursday morning due to fire-related activity. They reopened for a while but closed again by mid-morning.

Follow traffic updates at our TripCheck page.

The Substation Fire’s InciWeb update page pegged its size Thursday morning at 50,246 acres, with 166 personnel battling it.

“Challenges include steep, inaccessible terrain in the Lower Deschutes River canyon, light fuels including cured agricultural fields, wind, low relative humidity and high temperatures,” officials said in the latest update.

“The fire is burning on both sides of the Lower Deschutes River, adding extensive travel times to use the few roads that cross the river to access various points of the fire,” they added.

Here’s an earlier update on the fire, issued shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday by the Oregon State Fire Marshal:

The Substation Fire started southeast of The Dalles on Tuesday afternoon and moved further east today. Firefighters saw heightened activity on the north and the south end of the fire. More than 50,000 acres in Sherman and Wasco counties are affected.

Level 3 evacuations (“Go”) increased to include Moro; level 2 evacuations (“Be Ready”) grew to include the community of Wasco, south to the community of Kent and several miles east. More than 900 homes are in the Level 2 and level 3 areas. A Red Cross shelter open at The Dalles Middle School at 1100 E. 12th St in The Dalles.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing threat of wildfire and increasing wildfire activity. The declaration makes available resources from around the state, and from outside of Oregon if necessary.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 178 firefighters from 32 agencies across Oregon wer focused on protecting structures in the line of the fire. Additional resources continue to arrive from around the state.

A wide variety of flying air tankers have been deployed to fight the Substation Fire. These include:

Two 750-gallon capacity “Fire Bosses” Two “Super Scooper” air tankers, capable of which are “scooping” 12,000 gallons of water from the Columbia River to drop on the fire A heavy air tanker which drops retardant on the fire Two Type-2 helicopters

A VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker), which can carry 12,000 gallons of water, was also deployed.

“I saw neighbors helping neighbors and firefighters going the extra mile to bring this fire under control,” said Public Information Officer Damon Simmons. “While these fires are awful, they show the true spirit of the local residents and Oregonians in general.”

Hwy 97 has been closed intermittently. Travelers are advised to check ODOT TripCheck for up-to-date information.

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office confirmed one civilian fatality as a result of exposure to the fire.

A hotline for Substation Fire information has been established: 503-597-8076. Additional information is available at www.faceook.com/SubstationFire2018.

A Wasco County Sheriff’s Office news release said deputies responded to a report of a burned tractor around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Deputies found the tractor and the operator was found dead a short distance away, apparently killed by exposure to the fire. The name has not been released pending notification of family

“It is believed the operator of the tractor was engaged in an attempt to suppress the fire by creating a fire line,” a news release stated.

Wednesday afternoon brought word of a major three-county power outage apparently related to the wildfire and its impact on major power transmission lines.

The grass fire east of Portland took out a 115-kilovolt power line southeast of the city of The Dalles that’s owned by the Bonneville Power Administration. BPA spokesman Kevin Wingert said crews have mostly restored service.

The power transmitted through the line is sold by BPA to several different utilities in the immediate area and it wasn’t immediately clear how many customers were affected.

Frontier 911 reported at 1 p.m. that the power outage had hit Wheeler, Gilliam and Sherman counties.

The fast-moving wildfire burned three structures, one of them a home, on Tuesday, jumping the Deschutes River and forcing expanded evacuations, officials said. It was one of several wildfires causing issues in populated areas around the Northwest.

OPB reported the Substation Fire had jumped the Deschutes River near Sayers Road, entering Sherman County late Tuesday night. About 75 homes had been evacuated

Just before midnight, Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office invoked the state Conflagration Act, allowing for calling up equipment and firefighters from around the state.

“To ensure the safety of local residents, and given the dry and windy conditions on the ground, I am invoking an emergency declaration to make additional state resources available to firefighters and first responders,” Brown said.

A Deschutes County task force made up of several fire agencies drove to Wasco County early Wednesday morning to help battle the blaze.

Due to the fire, the Lower Deschutes River was closed Wednesday to launches, takeouts, camping and other access from Macks Canyon south to Sherars Falls until further notice, officials said. Boaters cannot put in at this time for Segment 3 or 4 river flows, as Sherman County is evacuating the area.

A Level 3 (GO) evacuation notice was issued late Tuesday for areas with nearly two-dozen homes and later expanded northward as the fire spread, according to the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, while others were under a Level 1 (Be Ready) per-evacuation alert. The American Red Cross set up a shelter for evacuees at The Dalles Middle School.

Video from Sky 8 showed three structures fully engulfed. One of the buildings was a home, according to the Forest Service.

Here’s Wednesday night’s update on fires in south-central Oregon:

Lightning Caused Fire Sparks Precautionary Evacuation of Lofton Campground

LAKEVIEW, Ore. – South central Oregon wildland firefighters responded to a lightning-caused fire that resulted in the precautionary evacuation of a popular campground today.

The Secret Valley fire was reported at 1:11 p.m. today approximately three miles south of Lofton Reservoir, 15 miles southeast of Bly, and is currently 20 acres and 0 percent containment.

Eight firefighting engines, one hand crew, two bulldozers, two water tenders, one heavy air tanker, one single engine air tanker, two scooper air tankers, two helicopters and two support aircraft are being used to fight the fire and preserve public safety.

Fremont-Winema National Forest is the lead agency responding to the fire. The Bureau of Land Management Lakeview District and Oregon Department of Forestry Klamath-Lake District are assisting in the firefighting efforts.

Fire managers are utilizing a full suppression strategy to fight the fire. There are structures at risk, but no injuries or damage reported at this time.

To protect public safety, Oregon State Police and Klamath County Sheriff’s Office have placed evacuation orders in effect for Lofton Reservoir Campground as well as Heart Lake Day Use Area and Boat Launch. Forest Service Road 3715 leading to the recreation area is closed.

Residents and visitors are asked to be aware of their surroundings and watch for traffic from increased fire personnel and smoke in the area. This includes State Highway 140 between Bly and Lakeview as firefighters access the area.

During the last 24 hours, wildland firefighters responded to another two confirmed lightning-caused fires. This brings the total to 60 fires in the last four days.

The Timber Crater Six fire is reported at 80 acres and currently at 0 percent contained. The fire is located at the northeastern corner of the Crater Lake National Park, one mile south of State Highway 138.

Crater Lake National Park is the lead agency on the fire and being supported by the Fremont-Winema National Forest. No personnel or structures are in danger. Travelers along State Highway 138 are advised to be aware of smoke in the area which may affect visibility.

The Blue Creek fire is now reported at 40 acres due to improved mapping. It is located at the southwestern base of Spodue Mountain.

Oregon Department of Forestry responded to the fire with assistance from the Fremont-Winema National Forest. One heavy air tanker, five SEATs, three helicopters, 10 firefighting engines, two water tenders and two bulldozers were used in the full-suppression response. The fire is now 50 percent contained.

Firefighters continue to hold the Holbrook fire at 41 acres and it is 50 percent contained. The fire is located approximately eight miles southeast of Gerber Reservoir. Lakeview District Bureau of Land Management is the lead agency. Firefighters continued their full suppression response today with assistance from the Fremont-Winema National Forest and Oregon Department of Forestry.

The teamwork displayed by firefighters, dispatchers, fire managers, and support staff from all agencies over the past four days continues to play a major role in the successful response to the numerous lightning-caused fires throughout south central Oregon.

Public and firefighter safety is the top priority for all partner agency employees.

South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership provides comprehensive wildland fire services to more than eight million acres of land administered by the Bureau of Land Management Lakeview District; Fremont-Winema National Forest; Oregon Department of Forestry Klamath-Lake District; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex; and Crater Lake National Park. The area encompasses federal, state and private lands within south central Oregon and northwest Nevada.

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