“We’ll get through this together”: Community meeting held to discuss Baker County wildfires
By Joe Hathaway on Tuesday, July 30th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY – More than 100 community members gathered at Churchill School in Baker City on July 29 to receive updates on the ongoing Durkee Fire and the Badlands Complex fires. The meeting provided residents with the latest information from the incident management team and allowed them to connect with local agency representatives.
The Durkee Fire is burning more than 288,000 acres and is currently the largest fire in the nation. The Badlands Complex is a group of fires burning in the eastern part of the county.
Shane Alderson, Baker County Commission Chair, opened the meeting by expressing gratitude for the community’s support and the efforts of local officials. “We have one of the best sheriffs I’ve ever seen in operation. He’s a good man, and I’m glad he’s ours,” Alderson said, referring to Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash.
Jay Miller, Incident Commander of the Badlands Complex, then reported that the complex originally consisted of 11 fires, now reduced to three, with others either controlled or merged. Miller highlighted significant progress: the Coyote Fire along the Snake River is going well, the Powder Fire is now 100% contained, and the Thompson Fire, covering about 31,000 acres, has created some difficulty as the fire has moved from grass into timber, where crews are focusing their efforts.
Mike Rhodes, Operations Section Chief of the Durkee Fire, spoke about the advancements made by crews. “Overall, crews have made great progress, and the weather is working in our favor,” he said. Rhodes noted that the southern end of the fire is contained, and hotspots in Lime and along I-84 are under control. The area behind Ash Grove Cement Plant is looking good, with the main emphasis now on the north end of the fire. Crews are using strategic burning and drones to locate hotspots, and the area of Bridgeport is primarily contained and now under patrol.
Maddie Kristel, Incident Meteorologist for the Durkee Fire, then provided a weather outlook, predicting another heat wave with probable triple-digit temperatures at the end of the week. However, she also mentioned an above-average precipitation outlook, noting that “every little bit of rain helps.”
Kelly Cagle, Fire Behavior Analyst for the Durkee Fire, explained that recent rain and smoke have suppressed fire behavior. “The Durkee Fire has moved into fuels that are more fire-resistant and green on the north side,” Cagle said. He expressed optimism about the fire containment, expecting favorable conditions over the next few days, especially before the next heat wave hits.
Jordan Davis, Agency Administrator for the Vale Bureau of Land Management, then acknowledged the fires’ impact on producers relying on public lands. He assured attendees that efforts are underway to secure more resources for those affected.
Shaun McKinney from the U.S. Forest Service, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, emphasized the long-term impact of the fires on the community but assured, “we’ll get through this together.” He highlighted the quick control of over 50 local fires in the past two weeks and stressed the importance of long-term restoration efforts.
Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash addressed evacuation levels, acknowledging the alarm caused in Baker City and Richland. Neither town has been under any evacuation notices, but nearby areas outside city limits had been, which have since been downgraded or eliminated. “We wanted to err on the side of caution for safety reasons,” Ash stated.
Mike Davis, Incident Commander of the Durkee Fire, concluded the meeting by thanking everyone for their support
After the presentation portion of the meeting, community members were then invited to walk around the venue, asking questions to different agencies at different stations.
