The Rail Ridge Fire triggered evacuations for nearby Oregon communities and burned more than 82,000 acres as of Thursday morning. Several lightning strikes caused numerous fires to combine and become a single wildfire burning throughout the Ochoco National Forest & Crooked River National Grassland.
NIFC‘s infrared fire map estimates approximately 82,946 acres have burned so far, but numerous new fires were detected around the fire’s perimeter in every direction, including to the fire’s north around 10 miles away from the town of Dayville.
“Two Oregon State Fire Marshal Task Forces are being positioned for structure protection in the Dayville area,” the Grant County Emergency Management’s Facebook page posted Wednesday night. “Dayville is currently at a Level 2 “Be Set” evacuation notice.”
Current evacuations for the fire include all buildings in the Aldrich Mountain and eastern Crook County areas.
The Rail Ridge is made of multiple lightning fires that merged into one fire. When the lightning fires first started, they were growing quickly due to winds and warm weather. Credit: Inciweb
Officials first reported the fire on Sept. 2, but it quickly jumped the nearby John Day River near Martin Creek and burned into the Murderers Creek drainage, where it ballooned in size.
The Southern Area Gray IMT, led by Incident Commander Mitch Ketron, assumed command of the fire on Sept. 3 and are reportedly utilizing a full suppression strategy when possible with firefighter and public safety in mind, according to Inciweb. Continued dry and hot weather may continue increased fire behavior.
“Strategic burning operations will be utilized from control lines to remove unburned fuels between defensible barriers and the active fire front,” Ketron told Inciweb. “On the north end, the focus will be stopping the fire from spreading into the Deep Creek drainage to keep the fire away from structures in this area.”
The Bureau of Land Management also ordered an emergency public lands closure of multiple areas throughout Crook and Grant counties. Click here for the full details.
