Crazy Creek Fire grows south, nears 15,000 acres; Crook County Sheriff’s Office expands Level 3, 2 evacuation zones
MITCHELL, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The nearly week-old, almost 15,000-acre Crazy Creek Fire continues to grow toward the south, prompting the Crook County Sheriff's Office on Sunday to expand Level 3 GO NOW and Level 2 BE SET evacuation areas.
Crook County Sheriff's Office announcement:
"This morning, CCSO Command met with the Southwest Area Incident Management Team #5 for a briefing on the Crazy Creek Fire.
"As of early this morning, the Crazy Creek Fire has pushed south beyond FS Road 42. This was a trigger point for CCSO to upgrade evacuation levels for safety reasons in the Paulina Valley area. The upgrade expanded the LEVEL 3 evacuations in the Ochoco National Forest to the eastern boundary of Big Summit Prairie and south of the Forest boundary. LEVEL 2 evacuations have been extended from roughly the Forest Service boundary south to Paulina.
"We realize that the Durgan Fire burned a large portion of land within this LEVEL 2 area, but we want the public to be on alert due to the potential for quick-changing conditions.
"The Crook County Emergency Information Map has been updated to reflect the new evacuation areas.
Please also monitor the Southwest Area Incident Management Team #5 for information, as well as the U.S. Forest Service - Ochoco National Forest Facebook page for information.
Additional information can be obtained via: https://linktr.ee/crazycreekfire
Fire activity increases on Crazy Creek fire as containment increases on 498/Kitty Creek
Daily Update July 28, 2024
Fire Information Phone:541-208-1768 (8am-8pm)
Media Information Phone:541-208-1770 (8am-8pm)
Email: 2024.crazycreek@firenet.gov
Acres: Crazy Creek 14,712; 498/Kitty Creek 73 Start Date: July 22, 2024
Location: Crazy Creek:16 miles north of Paulina, OR Personnel: 277 total for both fires
498/Kitty Creek: 7 miles north of Mitchell, OR
Containment: Crazy Creek 0%; 498/Kitty Creek 58% Fuels: Timber and short grass
Highlights: Hard work by firefighters to secure the northern half of the 498/Kitty Creek fire increased containment to 58%. On the Crazy Creek fire, firefighters observed tree torching and short-range spotting, which resulted in fire grown in the southwest and northeast areas of the fire. Firefighters are working to keep the Crazy Creek Fire north of Little Summit Prairie.
Fire Activity: On Saturday, crews on the 498/Kitty Creek fire worked to reinforce the fireline and extinguish any hot spots near the edge of the fire. Firefighters also conducted mop-up operations, actively dousing burning material with water, felling damaged trees and cooling ash pits.
On the Crazy Creek fire, firefighters in the northwest area worked from the 744 and 755 roads to the 30 road, prepping the area for possible overnight firing operations, if weather conditions are favorable. In the northeast portion of the fire, hand crews and equipment operators constructed containment lines to protect private camps at Toggle Meadows. The southwestern flank showed the greatest growth on Saturday, approaching Forest Road 42. Slow-moving, but extensive spotting in dead/downed fuels resulted in spotting across the 4270 road in at least one location.
On Sunday, on the southwest/southern portion of the Crazy Creek Fire, crews will construct fire containment lines and work to contain spot fires in the area. Crews across the Crazy Creek fire will continue looking for potential roads that can be used as containment lines and focus their efforts on protecting structures in Toggle Meadow and Little Summit Prairie. Crews on the 498/Kitty Creek Fire will continue to patrol the northern half of the fire and continue to improve the fire perimeter on the south side to increase containment.
Weather: Temperatures and winds will remain about the same as Saturday, with temperatures in the low 80s and light winds out of the west across the 498/Kitty Creek and Crazy Creek fires.
Smoke: Smoke from multiple fires in Central Oregon are impacting the region. Additional details are available via https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/079f0f73.
Closures: The Ochoco National Forest has implemented a forest closure for the Paulina Ranger District. More information can be found at fs.usda.gov/alerts/ochoco/alerts-notices/?aid=89203.
More Information:
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orocf-crazy-creek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5
Central Oregon Wildfire Information: https://centraloregonfire.org/
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Updates on the Red, Wickiup and Round Mountain fires
Red Fire
July 28, 2024
Daily Fire Update
Online: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ordef-red-fire
Facebook – 2024 Red Fire Information
Fire Information Line: 541-208-1766, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Email: 2024.red@firenet.gov
Red Fire Quick Facts
Size: 433 acres Origin: 5 miles west of Crescent Lake Junction, Oregon County: Klamath
Start Date: July 17, 2024 Cause: Lightning Containment: 0% Total Personnel: 246
Operations: Firefighters continued to construct handlines around the structures near Odell Lake and down to the lake. Hand crews worked along Forest Service Road 60 to reduce concentrations of vegetation 50 to 100 feet off the road. Heavy equipment and crews continued their progress from the east end of the Odell Lake to the south and west decreasing vegetation loading. Shaded fuel break construction continued along the Union Pacific Railroad lines.
Today, two timber task forces will continue to create defensible space around critical structures and other values north and west of the Odell Lake area and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks to the east. Firefighters will continue to install a shaded fuel break 200 feet in along the boundary of the Diamond Peak Wilderness. Structure protection crews will continue to evaluate critical values in the Crescent Lake area. Engineers will assess and develop a plan to mitigate impacts from hauling logs along Forest Service Roads 6010 and 6020.
Round Mountain & Wickiup Fires – Crews are cold trailing as they continue to mop up the Round Mountain and Wickiup Fires. Cold trailing is making sure a fire is dead out by carefully feeling with the hand to detect any remaining burning material to locate and eliminate hot spots that could potentially rekindle a fire.
The Round Mountain Fire remains 108 acres and is 70% contained. The Wickiup Fire remains 168 acres and is 80% contained.
Closures – The Deschutes National Forest has implemented an emergency closure around Crescent Lake and in the Diamond Peak Wilderness. Closure information is available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/deschutes/alerts-notices/?aid=89091
Evacuation Notices – The WILDFIRE! Level 1 – BE READY to Evacuate notice issued by Klamath County Emergency Management for the Crescent Lake, Odell Lake, and Crescent Junction area remains in effect (INCENDIO FORESTAL! Nivel 1 - ESTÉ PREPARADO para evacuar de las siguientes zonas: Crescent Lake, Odell Lake, Crescent Junction). For information, or to sign up for alerts, visit: www.klamathcounty.org/300/emergency-management
Fire Restrictions – Stage 2 Public Use Fire Restrictions which prohibit open fires, including in developed campgrounds, are in effect for the Deschutes National Forest. Visit the Deschutes National Forest’s website fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/home/?cid=stelprdb5297376 for more information. The Industrial Fire Precaution Level is currently Level IV “General Shutdown”.
Weather: Humidities will increase upwards of 35%, creating damper air. Temperatures will climb into the mid 70’s near the fire area. Winds will remain very light in the morning hours with development of 20-25 mph northwest winds in the afternoon. Smoke: Smoke from the Red Fire and other area fires will continue to impact air quality. Air quality information can be found at https://fire.airnow.gov/.
