Badlands Fire Complex Update for July 29
By Joe Hathaway on Monday, July 29th, 2024 in Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER COUNTY – Current Situation:
• The Badlands Complex is 54,566 acres and 40% contained with 278 personnel assigned.
• Fire managers are primarily using a strategy of direct attack to suppress all fires on the complex. This offers the highest probability of success, while protecting the land and other values at risk.
• The Coyote Fire is now 22,184 acres and 75% contained. Yesterday, smoke jumpers secured the fire’s edges in anticipation of a wind shift. Firefighters patrolled throughout the night. Today, the jumpers will be moved to the Thompson Fire to assist crews and heavy equipment working there. Crews will continue to patrol and monitor the fire.
• The Thompson Fire is now 31,556 acres and 20% contained. A skidgine was used to secure and anchor the rear of the fire, to the north of Iron Mountain. On the southern perimeter, engines and additional resources to support Gila Hotshots. Today, crews will continue to focus on removing thick juniper and other vegetation and construct line to stop the fire’s progress to the east.
• More firefighting resources will be arriving today, including four more skidgines.
• The Powder Fire is 100% contained and is now in patrol and monitor status.
Weather & Smoke Information: High clouds will be moving in which will bring a cold front in the late afternoon and early evening. Temperatures should be in the 90s in the valleys and mid-80s in higher elevations. Winds will change to west/northwest with gusts up to 35 mph. No wetting rain is expected with little chance of lightning.
An air quality advisory is in effect for Baker County due to heavy concentrations of wildfire smoke. For current Oregon air quality conditions, please visit https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map
Evacuations: Baker County Sheriff’s Office has issued Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuation orders for multiple areas of the fire. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064434892363. Sign up for Baker County emergency alerts at https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/publicUser.aspx?regionid=1357
Closures: Check for highway closures at https://www.tripcheck.com/DynamicReports/Report/RoadConditions. All BLM Vale District Recreation Sites along the Snake River between Oxbow and Huntington and on Lookout Mountain are closed. This includes Spring Recreation Site, Swedes Landing, and Bassar Diggins Campground.
Fire Restrictions: Fire Restrictions are in effect. Get details at https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2024-07/orwa fpo-val-071024.pdf.
Temporary Flight Restrictions: A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in effect over the fire area to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operations. View a map of the TFR and details at
https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_7614.html. Fire aviation response is halted or delayed if an unauthorized aircraft enters the TFR. Temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems or drones. If you fly, we can’t! Learn more about how to use drones safely and responsibly at Home – Know Before You Fly.
Fire Info Phone: 541-362-1507 Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Email: 2024.badlandcomplex@firenet.gov . Facebook: @BadlandsComplexFires2024 Media Line: 541-249-5894 Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orvad-badland-complex-2024
