Crazy Creek Fire grows to 86,870 acres
By Logan Bagett on Thursday, August 15th, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
PAULINA, OR – (Update from Southwest Area Incident Management Team #5)
Crazy Creek Fire under red flag warning until 11 p.m.
Daily Update August 15, 2024
Fire Information Phone: 541-208-1768 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.)
Email: 2024.crazycreek@firenet.gov
Acres: Crazy Creek – 86,870; 71% contained
Kitty Creek – 73; 100% contained
Location: Crazy Creek: 5 miles north of Paulina, Oregon; 498/Kitty Creek: 7 miles south of Mitchell, Oregon Start Date: July 22, 2024 Personnel: 740
Resources: 20 crews | 1 helicopter | 40 engines | 12 bulldozers | 20 water tenders | 3 masticators | 16 skid steers
Highlights: The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning in and around the Crazy Creek Fire until 11 p.m. today. Red flag warnings indicate weather conditions conducive for facilitating active fire behavior.
Containment lines held as passing thunderstorms overnight produced minimal lightning and winds. Between .10 to .15 inches of rain fell, adding needed moisture to smaller-diameter vegetation and debris, but not enough to extinguish larger-diameter materials.
Firefighters will continue to patrol and extinguish hot spots around the fire’s perimeter and interior today. However, cooler daytime temperatures in the 60s and higher humidity (35 percent or greater) will reduce smoking from heat sources, making them harder to find.
Thunderstorms with the potential for lightning and erratic, gusty winds are forecasted to return to the area later in the afternoon or early evening.
Evacuations: The Crook County Sheriff’s Office has lowered the evacuation level from Level 3 (recommended evacuation) to Level 2 (set for evacuation) from Highway 380 north to SE Puett Road. The area north of SE Puett Road around the perimeter of the fire remains at a Level 3. The area south of Highway 380 has been lowered to Level 1 (prepare for possible evacuation). An evacuation map is available online through the Crook County Emergency Management Office website.
Weather: Today and into next week hot, dry weather will persist throughout the area with temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s, light winds gusting to 21 mph and low humidity.
Importance of Fire Prevention: All public lands in Central Oregon, including the Ochoco National Forest, are in Stage 2 Public Use (Fire) Restrictions. All open flames, including woodstoves and charcoal briquette fires, are prohibited. In times of high fire danger, it is crucial for everyone to follow prevention measures to avoid additional strain on overburdened resources.
Fire Restrictions and Closures: The Ochoco National Forest has implemented a forest closure for the eastern portion of the Paulina Ranger District. The Bureau of Land Management has issued a temporary closure for portions of public lands in Crook and Grant Counties.
More Information:
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orocf-crazy-creek
Facebook: Facebook.com/Crazy Creek Fire
Central Oregon Wildfire Information: https://centraloregonfire.org/
