Falls Fire Update for July 12, 2024
By Mindy Gould on Friday, July 12th, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
HARNEY COUNTY(Released by the U.S. Forest Service)-The Falls Fire started on July 10, 2024, and is located 25 miles northwest of Burns, Oregon, on the Emigrant Creek Ranger District. It is currently estimated to be 1,200 acres in size. The fire was human-caused and remains under investigation. Pacific Northwest Complex Incident Management Team 8, led by Incident Commander Kevin Stock, took command of the incident at 6 a.m. today, July 12.
Currently, 125 personnel are assigned to the incident, including three 20-person hand crews, six engines, three bulldozers, and one helicopter. Four single-engine air tankers and a large air tanker worked on the fire Thursday. Additional resources have been ordered and are responding to the incident. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area.
Firefighters are suppressing the fire directly where it is safe to do so along Forest Service Roads (FSR) 43 and 4310. Crews are also building indirect control lines to stop the fire’s progression to the south and east.
Today’s weather is predicted to be hot and dry, with temperatures in the upper 90’s. Relative humidity will be low, and winds will be out of the west and southwest from 8-10 mph. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect and a heat advisory is in place for the region.
The Malheur National Forest has issued a fire area closure. Emigrant Creek Campground, Falls Campground, and the following roads are closed to protect the safety of the public and firefighting resources working in the area:
- FSR 43 from the junction of FSR 47 north to the junction with FSR 4780
- FSR 4330 from the junction with FSR 43 to the junction with FSR 4332
- FSR 4332 from the junction with FSR 43 northwest to the junction with FSR 41
- FSR 4340 from the junction with FSR 41 east to the junction with FSR 43
- FSR 4780 from the junction with FSR 43 to the junction with FSR 4310
- FSR 4310 from the junction with FSR 4780 south to the junction with FSR 43
FSR 41 remains open. A detailed map and additional information are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/malheur/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1188914.
