Evacuation orders canceled for Owyhee Canyon in Malheur County due to wildfire
By Joe Hathaway on Wednesday, July 10th, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Northeastern Oregon News
UPDATE – 4:00pm: Information from the Vale BLM – Vale Bureau of Land Management engines were dispatched to a smoke report around 2:20 p.m. MT and confirmed the River Fire at 3:30 p.m. MT Estimate at that time was 500 acres on BLM/Bureau of Reclamation-managed lands along Owyhee River Road 11 miles southwest of Adrian, Ore. The fire appears to have started near Camp Hycliff, which is operated by the LDS Church, 3 miles southwest of Lake Owyhee Road Tunnel. Camp occupants were sheltering in place within a green perimeter. We now have an engine and law enforcement working to evacuate them. One outbuilding was lost. The fire is moving south along the river away from the camp. Five engines and an investigator are on scene.
New photo provided by Vale BLM.
UPDATE – 3:48pm: From the Sheriff’s Office – Conditions have changed. BLM advises we can cancel our Evacuation Alert.
MALHEUR COUNTY – (Information from the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office)
BLM reported that a fire that started this afternoon in the area of Camp Hycliff on Owyhee Lake Road has quickly grown to exceed 500 acres due to the heat and dry grass. BLM called for an immediate evacuation of the entire Owyhee Canyon.
If you live or are recreating below the Owyhee Dam, please leave the area immediately. There is no guarantee that BLM will be able to contain this before lives in the canyon are threatened.
Monitor your radio and the Malheur County Emergency Management Facebook page for updates.
We will send out another emergency message when it is safe to return.
