Firing work, interior burning push 3-week-old Crazy Creek Fire past 84,500 acres; containment holds at 60%

PAULINA, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The 3-week-old Crazy Creek Fire has grown to over 84,500 acres in Crook and Wheeler counties, but the perimeter has been holding and the weekend growth resulted from firing operations and pockets of unburned fuel, officials said Monday.

Here's Monday's update:

Acres: Crazy Creek: 84,512 | 498/Kitty Creek: 73
Start Date: July 22, 2024
Location: Crazy Creek: 5 miles north of Paulina, OR | 498/Kitty Creek: 7 miles south of Mitchell, OR
Personnel: 699
Containment: Crazy Creek: 60% | 498/Kitty Creek: 100%
Fuels: Timber and short grass

Interior burning increases Crazy Creek Fire acreage; spot fires extinguished over northeast perimeter

Highlights: The Crazy Creek Fire’s perimeter was unchanged today. The total acres burned increased by 2,233 acres from Sunday to a total of 84,512 acres today. Containment also stayed at 60 percent. The increased acreage was attributed to successful firing operations and pockets of vegetation that burned inside the fire perimeter. The northeast edge of the fire has the focus of the team, and crews were shifted to address the hottest areas around Little Summit as well as Wolf and East Wolf creeks.  

Daytime winds out of the southwest did blow embers over the northeastern perimeter, resulting in sporadic spot fires. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish them, and overnight infrared monitoring did not reveal any additional heat outside the fire perimeter.

Firefighters will focus on patrolling established containment lines and extinguishing isolated hot spots within the fire’s interior. Daytime winds out of the southwest and pockets of unburned vegetation near the northeast perimeter will again be a cause for concern for that section of the fire.

Evacuations: Evacuation orders remain in effect for areas in Crook and Wheeler Counties for areas in or near the fire. Level 3 evacuations have extended from the Forest Boundary to Highway 380. Level 2 evacuations have extended south of Highway 380. For further information, please refer to the Crook County Office of Emergency Management evacuation map. 

Weather: Today and into next week, hot, dry weather will persist throughout the area with temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s, light winds gusting to 21 mph and low humidity. 

Importance of Fire Prevention: All public lands in Central Oregon, including the Ochoco National Forest, are in Stage 2 Public Use (Fire) Restrictions. All open flames, including woodstoves and charcoal briquette fires, are prohibited. In times of high fire danger, it is crucial for everyone to follow prevention measures to avoid additional strain on overburdened resources.

Fire Restrictions and Closures: The Ochoco National Forest has implemented a forest closure for the Paulina Ranger District. The Bureau of Land Management has issued a temporary closure for public lands in Crook and Grant Counties.

More Information:

• InciWeb:  https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orocf-crazy-creek
• Facebook: Facebook.com/Crazy Creek Fire
• Central Oregon Wildfire Information: https://centraloregonfire.org/ 
• Crook County Emergency Information Map: https://arcg.is/1ij0vb