Emergency Conflagration invoked for Durkee Fire
By Logan Bagett on Sunday, July 21st, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
DURKEE – (Press Release from the Oregon State Fire Marshall)
On Saturday, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the Durkee Fire in Baker County. The fire sparked Wednesday and continues to grow, threatening communities. The Baker and Malheur County sheriffs’ offices have levels 2 and 3 evacuation notices in place.
As of Sunday morning, the fire was estimated to be 116,431 acres and zero percent contained. This fire is managed by the teams assigned to the nearby Cow Valley Fire in Malheur County.
Oregon is expecting another round of lightning and gusty winds over the next 24 hours. Red Flag Warnings extend across much of the state through Sunday. Oregonians are asked to pay extremely close attention to this critical fire danger and take the necessary steps to avoid sparking a fire. As of Sunday morning, there were 81 active fires that burned 504,692 acres in Oregon.
“This latest round of weather is extremely concerning,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Our firefighters are doing everything thing they can to rise to this immense challenge, but they are taxed, and we need our fellow Oregonians’ help. Please take precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire, be familiar with evacuation levels, and have a go-kit ready in case you need to leave your home.”
The OSFM has resources assigned to the following:
- Lone Rock/Boneyard Fire (Gilliam, Morrow, Grant, and Wheeler counties)
- Falls Fire (Harney and Grant counties)
- Durkee Fire (Baker and Malheur counties)
- Battle Mountain Complex (Grant and Umatilla counties)
Evacuations are ordered through the local sheriff’s offices. For information about updates, please follow the respective agency on social media.
The OSFM is continually monitoring capacity within the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System to be ready to respond to new fires if resources are needed. The conditions Oregon is seeing are dynamic, complex, and changing. The OSFM cannot thank the Oregon structural fire service enough for the tireless work these firefighters put in over the last two weeks.
While we remain in constant contact with the structural fire service, we are also working in lockstep with the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Bureau of Land Management, tribal partners, and the U.S. Forest Service.
For updates on the fires the OSFM has resources mobilized, visit www.osfminfo.org.
