Above: The Voltage Fire, undated photo, credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Firefighters are making progress on a wildfire that started April 27 in Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, but it sounds like there will be extensive mopup since it is burning in heavy tule marsh vegetation. Firefighters are using roads, canals, open water, and nonburnable vegetation for control opportunities.
Here is the latest information about the Voltage Fire issued Thursday by the Refuge:
The fire started April 27 from a lightning strike, and burned approximately 1,500 acres. Firefighters are continuing to suppress the wildfire in organic soils, and will be conducting interior burn out operations today to remove the immediate threat to control lines. Photo credit: Peter Pearsall, Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Cottage Grove, OR skies filled with smoke this afternoon. Doesn’t seem to be just clouds due to orange tint and smell. Any info on what could be up? Unable to find more info online and nothing on the news.
Given that west wind this afternoon could have been slash piles in the coast range but I would be willing to bet it was from Russia. Seems like I remember last couple years around this time we get smoke from them .
Oh, I wondered if it might have been started by the Bundy’s…
Omg. 1,500 acres of organic soil?
They might be mopping up for months.