Category: Public Notices

Highlights: Today will be very similar to yesterday with hot, dry, and breezy conditions and lower fuel moistures with increased fire behavior where pockets of heat remain. Close monitoring of areas of concern will be conducted and resources are pre-positioned to respond quickly as conditions change. Post-fire suppression repair will continue in portions of all fire areas as safety and conditions allow.

Highlights: Today will be hot, dry, and breezy with conditions similar to mid-August. Lower fuel moistures are anticipated to result in increased fire behavior where pockets of heat remain. Close monitoring of areas of concern will be conducted, and resources are pre-positioned to respond quickly as conditions change. Post-fire suppression repair will continue in portions of all fire areas as safety and conditions allow.

Highlights: Today will be hot and dry with conditions similar to mid-August as opposed to late September. High fuel moisture and lack of wind will prevent any large fire growth. Instead, any active fire will be “skunking around”. This low intensity fire acts similar to a prescribed burn, cleaning up unburned pockets of fuel resulting in a more fire-resistant landscape and a healthier forest. Double Creek Fire: 157,766 acres | 81% contained | 513 personnel assigned. 12,600 acres | 50% of management objectives achieved | 5 personnel assigned. 20,192 acres | 53% of management objectives achieved | 40 personnel assigned.

Public Meeting – Friday, September 23rd at 6:00 PM at Joseph Community Event Center and streamed via Facebook Live. Highlights: Today will bring a change in weather as the warmer temperatures and lower humidity from previous days transition to rain and possible thunderstorms this evening. Current estimates range from one-tenth of an inch to over half an inch of rain through Thursday. Winds will increase throughout the day with the potential for strong gusts as the low-pressure system settles in. Friday will bring a return to clear skies, warmer temperatures, and lower humidity.

Highlights: Firefighters assigned to the Hells Canyon/Snake River corridor have begun to transition out of the area. On Double Creek’s north and south sections, crews work to identify burning vegetation/hot spots. Log trucks arrive today to start hauling out the cut timber produced after creating Sturgill’s shaded fuel break. Also arriving at the incident are five excavators, which will be assigned used for suppression repairs.

Double Creek Fire Map (PDF) Nebo Fire Map (PDF) Double Creek Smoke Outlook (PDF) Sturgill Fire Map...

Highlights: Fire activity will remain minimal through the weekend allowing firefighters to take advantage of the cooler and wetter weather. A suppression repair branch was activated today. The goal of suppression repair is to return damaged areas to a stable condition that reflects pre-fire conditions. Post-fire repair efforts include debris removal, fence and gate repair, dozer line rehab, and other damage repair related to wildland fire suppression operations.

Highlights: The Southern Area Blue Team assumed command of the Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo, and Goat Mountain 2 Fires at 6:00 a.m. today. The team worked alongside the outgoing Pacific Northwest team yesterday to assess the current situation of the fires and gain knowledge of the area that will help develop their plan moving forward. The Southern Area Blue Team plans to use the favorable current weather to make operational decisions that will set firefighters and the community up well when the forecasted warmer and drier weather arrives. Suppression and protection strategies will continue to be used but the team will also look to establish suppression repair branches in the coming days. Double Creek Fire: 157,185 acres | 27% contained |720 personnel assigned

Highlights: The Sturgill Fire is in patrol status as of yesterday evening. Remaining smokejumper crews and medical personnel that completed structure protection were pulled from the fire yesterday. The fire will be monitored by air until weather conditions change and firefighters can be flown in to maintain a presence at the Minam Lodge and other values, possibly as soon as today. The Sturgill and Goat Mountain 2 Fires will continue to be monitored by air as smoke and weather permit. Additional precipitation fell across the fire areas yesterday, coupled with thunderstorms and lightning. Four new fire starts from lightning strikes were reported and Pacific Northwest Team 2 was requested to respond to one with initial attack support.

Highlights: The Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office rescinded all evacuation levels yesterday after reviewing the increased containment level on Double Creek Fire, progress made on the fires in Eagle Cap Wilderness, and moderating weather. The thunderstorms, and associated lightning, that passed through the area on Tuesday resulted in three new fire starts. Initial attack responded to two fires south of the Double Creek Fire yesterday and one to the north. Pacific Northwest Team 2 is committed to supporting initial attack in the region and will continue to monitor the area for any new starts in the coming days. There will be a community meeting to discuss the Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo, and Goat Mountain 2 Fires on Friday, September 16 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Joseph Event Center (102 E First, Joseph, OR) and streamed live on Facebook.

There have been some inquiries on our current status of fire restrictions for ODF-protected lands....

Highlights: Showers and thunderstorms lingered throughout the area most of Tuesday. Lower temperatures, higher relative humidity values, and precipitation resulted in minimal fire behavior. Containment of the Double Creek Fire increased to 22 percent. Crews on the Nebo Fire continued chipping along the 39 and 3925 Roads. Firefighters and heavy equipment worked on a shaded fuel break in the Lostine corridor. Double Creek Fire: 157,088 acres | 22% contained |842 personnel assigned

Highlights: Firefighters completed containment lines around the spot fire on the west side of the Imnaha River. Higher relative humidity, cooler temperatures, and light winds are forecast for the rest of the week, and firefighters feel confident the containment lines will limit further fire growth in that area. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, and infrared flights flew last night to check for heat around the spot fire. Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces have completed their structure preparation and protection operations and will demobilize today.

Highlights: Firefighters and air resources continued their efforts to contain a fire that spotted across the west bank of the Imnaha River. Air resources dropped 56 loads of retardant on that fire since it was discovered Saturday afternoon. Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces worked in Big Sheep Creek to protect structures in the area. Crews are working to connect handlines to stop the fire growth on the west side of the Imnaha River. North of the Double Creek Fire, operations will begin implementing a fire line on the ridges to help keep the fire from impacting additional private lands. Double Creek Fire: 155,297 acres | 15% contained |850 personnel assigned

Highlights: The Double Creek Fire spotted across the Imnaha River yesterday afternoon near Imnaha Grange and is approximately 500 acres. Six additional large air tankers were called in to join suppression efforts aided by the support of Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center. The air tankers worked with resources from the Double Creek Fire, Nebo Fire, Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM), local resources and tactical firefighting aircraft air attack on the spot fire. Crews from Double Creek and Nebo Fires remained on the fire into the morning, continuing suppression efforts. Double Creek Fire: 152,301 acres | 15% contained | 773 personnel assigned

Daily Update — 10:00 a.m.Stats today:4,429 acres90% contained131 personnelGrangeville, ID – The...

Sturgill Fire: 19,173 acres | 0% contained | 58 personnel assigned
The fire remains on the east side of the Minam River between the North Minam River and Chaparral Creek. It continues to slowly back toward the river on the southwest side of the fire and to back toward Bear Creek on the northeast side of the fire. Structure protection preparations are complete along Lostine Road. Work to construct a shaded fuel break between Bear Creek and Lostine continues.