Hotter and drier weather arrives over the Winding Waters Complex in Wallowa County
By Joe Hathaway on Friday, August 2nd, 2024 in Northeastern Oregon News
WALLOWA COUNTY – Night shift crews continue to find hot spots inside the fire’s perimeter on the Courtney Creek and Charlie Brown fires. By using handheld infrared cameras and drones with infrared cameras, crews can find smoldering fuels that aren’t visible to the human eye.
A Fire Weather Watch for hot, dry, and unstable conditions that could lead to extreme fire behavior is in effect this morning through this evening. Today’s efforts, across all fires in the complex, will continue with the removal of snags and hazard trees, mopping up deeper into the interior, and patrolling where heat has been significantly removed. Air support is available to assist firefighters on the ground, and patrol for any fire spreading beyond the containment lines.
Chances of thunderstorms, while low overall, enter the forecast on Saturday and Sunday, mainly over the mountains.
The Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 2 would like to thank community members and partners for joining us during the Community Meeting last night. Due to decreased fire activity, there will be no more evening updates.
The Winding Waters Complex is comprised of the following fires, listed by name and Acres:
Big Canyon: 288 Acres
Mountain View: 318 Acres
Charlie Brown: 69 Acres
Water: 18.5 Acres
Courtney Creek: 59 Acres
Public use and industrial restrictions remain in effect on both ODF and USFS jurisdictions.
Contact Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center at (541) 963- 7171 or dial 9-1-1 to report a fire or smoke. Find Blue Mountains fire-updates at http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/
FIRE AT A GLANCE
Estimated Size: 752 Acres
Containment: 29%
Cause: Lightning
Estimated Cost: $3.6 Million
Evacuations: None
Resources
Total Resources: 491
Hand Crews: 18
Engines: 22
Dozers: 4
Water Tenders: 9
Masticators: 2
Skidgens: 2
Excavator: 1
Helicopters:
Type 1 – 2
Type 2 – 2
Type 3 – 2
