Officials provide update as crews battle Brewer, Green Mountain, and Crosswhite West fires near Prineville
Update: KTVZ's Claire Elmer is heading to Crook County to speak with officials at the Incident Command Post in Prineville to learn more about the latest conditions. Tune in to KTVZ News at 6:00p.m. for the full report.
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- As of Monday, July 27th, firefighters are engaged in a persistent battle against the Brewer, Green Mountain, and Crosswhite West Fires, which are burning near Prineville. Today marks the 13th day of the incident, with crews making progress by halting western progression and maintaining control lines north of the city.
Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuation orders remain in effect for areas impacted by the wildfires.
Despite the lifting of a Red Flag Warning, hot, dry, and windy conditions are still expected on the fireline. Smoke columns are anticipated to be visible today, with the inversion layer projected to lift from late morning to early afternoon.
Suppression aircraft will be deployed across all three fires today as resources become available.
On the Brewer Fire, firefighters continue to patrol and mop up the south-southwest portion of the blaze. Crews are also strengthening control lines by removing any vegetation that could potentially ignite.
Last night, Unmanned Aerial Systems, or UAS, were utilized to confirm that the fire remained secure within the Lofton and McKay Creek areas. To the northeast, firefighters successfully got around the majority of the fire that had crossed lines along the A-Y Road, securing those areas and improving control lines.
Intense heat over the fire last night prevented aviation resources from flying over the incident to map fire growth using infrared technology. New acreage figures for the fires will be posted when they become available.
Fire activity on the southern portion of the Green Mountain Fire has been slowly backing down the mountain toward North Mill Creek Road. Crews are actively constructing a combination of dozer and handline, which connects North Mill Creek and McKay Creek roads. These lines will continue to be strengthened as the fire advances toward them.
For the Crosswhite West Fire, crews are performing structure protection on homes located in the Marks Creek area. They are also constructing indirect line to prevent the fire from crossing the highway.
Last night, resources from Crosswhite West provided assistance to Crosswhite East, where they secured several spot fires that had crossed highway 26.
On the northern portion of the fire, crews are conducting prep work on indirect line north of Stephenson Mountain. Evacuation orders, including Level 1, 2, and 3 designations, are currently in place. These orders are issued by county sheriff's offices. The most current evacuation information can be accessed through the Crook County Sheriff's and Jefferson County Sheriff's Facebook pages.
Smoke generated by the Brewer, Green Mountain, and Crosswhite West fires may be visible in Prineville and its surrounding areas. This smoke can reduce visibility and affect air quality in nearby communities. Smoke conditions are subject to change throughout the day as wind shifts occur. Individuals who are sensitive to smoke are advised to take appropriate precautions.
For current air quality information and smoke forecasts, residents can visit fire.airnow.gov.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have both issued closures for lands within and near the fire areas. Information regarding these closures and restrictions is available on the respective BLM and USFS websites.
A Temporary Flight Restriction, or TFR, is active for the fire area 24 hours a day until further notice. Flying a drone near or around a wildfire is prohibited by law. Such activity compromises the safety of both pilots and firefighters and interferes with ongoing firefighting efforts. Any illegal drone use will be reported to law enforcement.
