Badland Complex Fires update for Wednesday, July 24
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, July 24th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
VALE, Ore. – (Release from BLM) Additional resources are arriving and going straight to work on the Badland Complex Fires located
VALE, Ore. – Additional resources are arriving and going straight to work on the Badland Complex Fires located between Durkee and Richland, Ore., east of Interstate 84. Rocky Mountain 2 Complex Incident Management Team will assume command of the full suppression operation Thursday.
Today, firefighters’ efforts continued concentrating on protection of homes, outbuildings and infrastructure threatened by the Thompson Fire in and around Plano Road, Sisley Creek and Daly Creek. Wednesday’s storms spread the fire to an estimated 19,000 acres. At one point, firefighters had to stop work and seek shelter until the worst of the storm passed.
Burnt River Rangeland Fire Protection Association were the first responders to the Thompson Fire, on the Durkee Fire last week, and the Huntington Fire the week before, providing invaluable support to initial attack. Lookout-Glasgow, Keating, and Vale RFPAs have also contributed greatly to firefighting operations in both Malheur and Baker counties.
At least 12 lightning strikes ignited fires during a dry thunderstorm Monday afternoon. Some of those were halted, and others merged into larger fires. Fuels are extremely dry, with moisture contents of just 3 to 9 percent, enabling them to ignite and spread rapidly.
The two most significant fires are the Thompson Fire and the Coyote Fire, which located along the Snake River south of the Powder River tributary into Brownlee Reservoir. Today, the Coyote Fire made a push north, coming close to structures on the Powder River, although they were not considered threatened. It is now estimated at 6,000 acres.
Fire sizes are estimated, and the exact number of fires is not available because aerial mapping was not possible Tuesday or today due to smoke and weather conditions.
Baker County Sheriff’s Office has updated and implemented new evacuation levels in association with the Badland Complex Fires. Visit the Baker County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for the most up-to-date evacuation information and maps.
A temporary evacuation shelter has been established at the Baker City Church of the Nazarene Family Life Center located at 1250 Hughes Lane, Baker City, Ore. Baker County Fairgrounds, 2600 East St., Baker City, can accommodate livestock. Call Angela Robb at 541-519-2202.
Updated information can be found on InciWeb at Orvad Badland Complex 2024 Information | InciWeb (wildfire.gov) and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BadlandsComplex/. The fire email address is 2024.badlandcomplex@firenet.gov and the incident phone number is 541-362-1507.
