Lone Rock Fire at 83,922 acres; Spray remains in Level 3, Go Now!

By Logan Bagett on Saturday, July 20th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories

WHEELER, MORROW & GILLIAM COUNTIES – The town of Spray remains under a Level 3, Go Now! evacuation as of 3 p.m. July 19th for the Lone Rock Fire. An emergency evacuation shelter is set up at Wheeler High School, 600 E B St, Fossil, Oregon. An additional evacuation shelter is located at Grant Union High School, 911 S Canyon Blvd., John Day, Oregon. Find Lone Rock Fire information below:

(From Lone Rock Fire Information)

LONE ROCK FIRE UPDATE
July 20, 2024

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orprd-lone-rock-fire

Fire Information Line: 541-208-4369 | Email: 2024.0404rvlonerock@firenet.gov

There will be a community meeting today at 6:00 p.m. at the Grade School Gym located at 392 Main Street, Fossil, Ore. The meeting will also be available on the Lone Rock Fire Facebook page. The community is encouraged to attend and receive firsthand updates from the unified command of the Northwest (NW) Team 2 and the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Red Team.

Condon, Oregon — The Lone Rock Fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy by the unified command of the Northwest (NW) Team 2 and Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Red Team.

Yesterday’s Activities: On Friday, extreme fire behavior began earlier in the day compared to recent days. This extended the duration of extreme fire behavior and the hot, dry conditions led to fire spread to the south. OSFM resources, including several enhanced taskforces, provided structure protection to dwellings south of Forest Road 25 to Spray, Ore. An east-northeast wind component pushed the fires’ southern perimeter south towards Spray, Ore. Throughout the day, firefighting conditions were extremely hazardous, forcing firefighters to temporarily disengage for their safety. Three more taskforces arrived yesterday bringing the total count of structural taskforces to 11. Firefighters were able to contain multiple areas that slopped over containment features along Forest Service Road 21. OSFM task forces worked in Lonerock, Ore. to continue mop-up operations and hold the progress that was made through the week. The northern area of the fire continues to hold and firefighters remain on the scene to ensure the fire’s perimeter remains secure.

Today’s Activities: Fire behavior is elevated to critical levels with the Red Flag Warning with fire conditions near or above record highs. The dry fuels and forecasted weather are favorable for extreme fire behavior which will be resistant to control. Firefighters are focused on fundamental firefighting practices which include prioritizing safety, having backup plans, and using effective tactics to ensure a high probability of success. This pattern of extreme fire conditions is anticipated to amplify over the weekend. Thus, continued extreme fire behavior and additional fire growth is expected. Operations Section Chief Sonny Caldwell stated, “we are experiencing fire behavior that is exceeding all of our current modeling data.” However, firefighters and the entire incident management team remain agile and focused on protecting human life and minimizing fire spread with strategy and tactics likely to ensure a high probability of success. Today, OSFM taskforces will have a significant presence in and around the town of Spray, Ore. They will also integrate with their wildland partners to work the southwest side of the fire and southeast side of the fire from Winlock Road to the Morrow County OHV Park. Two additional taskforces will be sent to the Boneyard Fire to provide day and night coverage to the Monument community as an additional incident management team is expected to arrive on that fire later today.

Three helicopters are assigned to this incident and will concentrate on dropping water over the southern area to support and enhance the efforts of the firefighters on the ground.

Evacuations:

Level-3 Evacuations – GO NOW! Level-3 Evacuate immediately for the following areas:
- Gilliam County: residences South of Lonerock. Visit Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page
- Wheeler County: North of Hwy 207 and East of Hwy 19 from Service Creek to the Winlock Rd, Including City of Spray, Ore. and from Alder Creek along Hwy 19-2 07 E to Hwy 2 07 at the Heppner junction, Hwy 207 N to mile post 39. Alder Creek North to the Windlock intersection to include city of Spray.
- Morrow County: from the West County Line along Buttermilk Canyon to HWY 207, Mile Post 10 South of Hardman to the South Morrow County line. The Red Cross will be setting up a temporary shelter at the Heppner Elementary School. For more information on evacuations, visit Morrow County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Level-2 Emergency Alert – GET SET! Level-2 Be set to evacuate at a moment’s notice for the following areas:
- Gilliam County: residences North of Lonerock.
- Wheeler County: the area 5 miles South of Hwy 207, East of Service Creek and West of Bologna Rd/Balm Creek and the area extending 5 miles west of Hwy 19 south of Rowe Cr and Northwest of Hwy 207.
Level 1: Be Ready – Prepare to Evacuate. Level 1 Be ready to evacuate in the following areas:
- Wheeler County: the area East of Richmond/Tamarack Cr and West of Misery Mtn/Johnson Cr. 5-7 mi South of Hwy 207

Shelters:

An evacuation center has been set up at the Wheeler High School (600 E B Street, Fossil, Ore.). A large animal shelter is available at the County Fairgrounds (720 E 3rd Street in Fossil, Ore.).
The Red Cross will be setting up a temporary shelter at the Heppner Elementary School.
Memorial Hall in Condon was previously identified as an evacuation shelter. Since no evacuees have checked in, Memorial Hall is now being utilized by firefighters working the Lone Rock Fire and is no longer available for evacuees. If evacuees have questions or concerns, they can call non-emergent dispatch at 541-384-2080.

Weather: A Red Flag Warning for hot, dry, and unstable conditions is in place from 11:00 a.m. Saturday through 11:00 p.m. Sunday with a dry cold front passage Sunday evening.

An offshore flow under a ridge of high pressure will result in breezy east to northeast winds over the weekend. It will also be hot, dry, and unstable with critical fire weather conditions expected through Sunday evening. A cold front late Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening will bring the potential for virga showers and a small threat (up to 10% chance) for isolated thunderstorms. Any showers or thunderstorms that develop will bring a threat for gusty and erratic winds Sunday evening into Monday. Cooler temperatures are expected next week with a return of northwest winds.

Smoke Information: Visit https://fire.airnow.gov/ for local air quality information.

Flight Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place above the Lone Rock Fire area. If you fly, we can’t. Unauthorized drone flights (UAS) pose serious risks to firefighter and public safety and the effectiveness of wildfire suppression operations. Aerial firefighting is suspended when unauthorized UAS are in the area, allowing wildfires to grow larger.

(From Lone Rock Fire Information)

Lone Rock Fire Morning Update – July 20, 2024

Containment: 40%

Total Personnel: 800

Total Acres: 83,922

•ODF Private Protection: 32,270

•BLM: 2,105

•FS: 3,400

•Dept of State Lands: 64

•Unprotected Lands: 46,083

*There was not an Infrared last night, so the acres remain the same.

***The National Weather Service has issued a RED FLAG WARNING from 11:00 AM Saturday through 11:00 PM Sunday for Hot, Dry and Unstable conditions***

Formation of pyro-cumulus and potential plume dominated fire behavior is possible over next couple of days. If this occurs fire may spread in any direction rapidly and spotting distance could exceed a mile. During today’s morning briefing, fire managers emphasized safety and situational awareness with critical fire weather forecasted for the next two days.

Firefighters have been working 24 hours to protect homes and structures while also actively trying to get a containment line around the Lone Rock Fire, a wildfire that has been driven by flashy fuels, hot weather and dry fuels. Operational leaders have assigned resources to three distinct shifts: day shift, swing shift and night shift.

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(From the Wheeler County Sheriff at 3 p.m. Friday, July 19th)

Attention residents of Spray, Oregon:

Due to the ongoing emergency, all residents are ordered to EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.

There is a designated emergency shelter located at Wheeler High School, 600 E B St, Fossil, Oregon.

Your safety is our top priority. Do not delay. Gather your essential belongings and pets, and leave your homes immediately.

Stay safe and follow all instructions from emergency personnel.

Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office