Interior burning pushes Crazy Creek Fire to more than 82,000 acres, but perimeter holds, containment still 60%

PAULINA, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The nearly 3-week-old Crazy Creek Fire has grown to over 82,000 acres in Crook and Wheeler counties, but a new management team out of California reported Saturday's growth resulted from interior burning and the fire's perimeter did not change.

Here's Sunday's update:

Interior burning increases Crazy Creek Fire acreage; winds to test northeast perimeter

Daily Update August 11, 2024

Fire Information Phone: 541-208-1768 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 

Email: 2024.crazycreek@firenet.gov 

Acres*: Crazy Creek – 82,279; 60% contained
               Kitty Creek – 73; 100% contained

*Acreage changes may occur due to overnight operations and infrared mapping. 

Location: Crazy Creek: 5 miles north of Paulina, Oregon; 498/Kitty Creek: 7 miles south of Mitchell, Oregon 

Start Date: July 22, 2024            Personnel: 641                                             

Resources: 15 crews | 1 helicopter | 29 engines | 11 bulldozers | 15 water tenders | 3 masticators | 27 skid steers 

Highlights: While the number of burned acres increased by 1,194 acres from Saturday morning to a total of 82,279 acres today, the Crazy Creek Fire’s perimeter remained the same. Containment also stayed at 60 percent. The increased acreage was attributed to pockets of vegetation that burned inside the fire’s existing perimeter.

Crews made good progress in fortifying the fire’s containment lines to the south, west, and north by extinguishing isolated hot spots and clearing flammable debris using hand tools and control burning tactics. Containment lines widened in some areas as much as 100 feet. 

To the northeast, rugged terrain and intense fire behavior relegated firefighters to indirect suppression tactics, constructing containment lines further away from the active fire and conducting backfiring operations overnight, where crews burned vegetation from containment lines inward toward the fire to reduce available fuels. Winds forecasted out of the southwest today are expected to challenge this section of the fire, which remains mostly uncontained.

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: Hot, dry weather continues through the weekend across the region with temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s, light wind 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