Crews hold lines on Egypt and Stone Creek Fires
By Mindy McKerrall on Tuesday, July 21st, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
HARNEY COUNTY-Response operations on two active wildfires in Harney County reached a key operational transition on Monday, as the Southern Area Blue Team officially assumed command of both the Egypt Fire and the Stone Creek Fire.
Thanks to swift, collaborative action by local firefighting agencies alongside the Rangeland Fire Protection Association, both blazes held within established perimeter lines overnight with minimal spread.
Egypt Fire is currently 4,685 acres and is 18% contained. There are 153 personnel working the fire. Fighting fire burning through heavy timber and thick brush, crews have pushed containment up to 18%. Fire behavior inside the perimeter remains active, marked by single-tree torching and localized spotting. Large, burning snags (standing dead trees) continue to pose the primary safety risk to ground crews.
Along Highway 41 and the Forest Service Road 4130 corridor, firefighters are mitigating hazards by felling hazardous snags and cooling hot spots up to 150 feet inside line boundaries. On the western and northwestern flanks, dozers and hand crews are reinforcing lines and conducting mop-up operations through areas of “dirty burn”—patches of unburned vegetation left behind by the main fire front.
Fire managers expressed confidence Monday that primary containment lines will hold, particularly along FSR 4130 from Egypt Springs to Guzzler Road, as well as a one-mile stretch north of the Highway 41 junction.
The Stone Creek Fire is currently at 91 acres and is 24% contained. Ground crews have successfully encircled the perimeter of the Stone Creek Fire with complete hose lays. A brief, strategic burst of rainfall combined with aggressive hand-line construction helped push containment from 0% to 24%. Crews are now patrolling lines and executing mop-up tasks, with incident leaders confirming strong confidence in the eastern line between Drop Points 1 and 5.
Conditions across the region will stay dry today, with temperatures rising into the low 80s and minimum relative humidity dropping between 22% and 27%. Morning clouds are expected to clear to partly sunny skies by this afternoon. Light and variable early winds will transition to a northwest flow around 5 to 8 mph by mid-morning.
While no lightning is forecast today, fire managers warn that the combination of warm temperatures, lower humidity, and dry forest fuels could elevate fire activity inside unburned pockets. Smoke levels are expected to decrease throughout the day; residents can monitor local conditions using the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map.
Forest Service Road 41 remains closed to public traffic. Officials urge the public to respect road closures for the safety of both residents and emergency personnel.
A strict Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is active over the entire fire area. Unauthorized drone flights are illegal. If a drone is detected in the airspace, all tactical firefighting aircraft and helicopters must immediately ground operations, putting crews on the ground at risk.
Photo credit to U.S. Forest Service-Malheur National Forest
