Management team helps firefighters suppress Umatilla Forest fires

UMATILLA NATIONAL FOREST — An interagency complex incident management team took command Sunday of four lightning-caused wildfires burning in the Umatilla National Forest, as officials warned that record-low snowpacks have created dangerously dry conditions across the Pacific Northwest.

Northwest Incident Management Team 7 assumed control of the fires at 6 a.m., moving to establish a command post in Walla Walla and an additional operations base closer to the flames. The fires under Team 7’s command include the Paradise, Hagen, Horse Ridge, and Ninemile fires, the latter located within the North Fork Umatilla Wilderness.

The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Level 3 “GO NOW!” evacuation order for the Hagen Fire, covering Bingham Road, the Umatilla River Corridor, and the Hagen Creek area. Local emergency officials met with the incident team Saturday to coordinate community safety alerts, which will be posted to the sheriff’s office and Team 7 Facebook pages.

Separately, the Oregon Department of Forestry is managing the Bradley Flats Fire in southern Umatilla County, which local authorities are also monitoring.

A regional Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory warns that unusually dry fuels will contribute to active fire behavior and longer burning periods. Forecasters expect hot, dry conditions with terrain-driven winds up to 10 mph, increasing fire activity and potential torching into the evening.

Forest officials plan to issue temporary area closures, including the Umatilla Fork Day-Use Area and Campground. Phase B Public Use Restrictions are in effect across the entire forest, restricting smoking, chainsaw use, and off-road travel.

Photo of Hagen Fire courtesy UCSO Sgt. Cody Marcum

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Elkhorn Media Group