Vale BLM Cow Valley Fire update for Friday, July 12
By Mindy Gould on Saturday, July 13th, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
VALE (Released by Vale BLM)-Equipment operators worked through the night Thursday to establish a dozer line to protect the town of Brogan from the Cow Valley Fire, which is burning on private property and Vale Bureau of Land Management-administered lands 9 miles east of Ironside, Ore.
Firefighters reinforced the dozer line with a tactical firing operation between Malheur Reservoir and Brogan. Four Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office task forces are working to protect 45 homes and create defensible space around private property from Brogan southward. The agency’s Red Incident Management Team will join the effort Saturday morning.
Crews from Vale BLM are working steadily to build and reinforce lines on the south side of the highway where the fire is burning most actively. A dozer line to the top of Juniper Mountain was completed today, and a Snake River Valley hand crew will begin reinforcing that line Saturday.
The fire was estimated to have reached 81,000 acres Friday evening. A total of 120 personnel are assigned to the fire, utilizing 9 engines, one hand crew, 5 dozers, 2 water tenders and 16 aircraft. A Hotshot crew and two helicopters will join the operation Saturday.
Hwy. 26 reopened Friday afternoon. Motorists should watch for slower moving equipment and firefighters in the roadway and avoid the area between Ironside and Brogan if possible.
Northwest 6 Complex Incident Management Team will in brief Saturday morning, spend the day with Vale BLM fire personnel to familiarize themselves with the operation, and assume command of the fire Sunday morning. Bringing in a team gives Vale BLM access to additional resources and frees up local resources to manage other fires on the district and respond to new starts.
The Bonita Road Fire 9 miles southeast of Ironside, Ore., moved very little today and is estimated at 2,727 acres in size. Crews have mopped up 15 feet off the completed dozer line, with 20 percent containment.
Both fires have been determined to be human caused and the Bureau of Land Management, Malheur County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police are investigating.
A Level 1 – Be Ready evacuation notification remains in place for the Brogan and Brogan Canyon areas. For the most current evacuation information, visit the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Updated information can be found at Orvad Cow Valley Fire Information | InciWeb (wildfire.gov) and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069245917855.
