Wildfire suppression in Maury Mountains following prescribed burn

CENTRAL OREGON— Crews in the Maury Mountains are engaged in a fire suppression effort today after a wind event yesterday afternoon pushed a prescribed burn outside planned containment lines.

The Ochoco National Forest had been conducting a prescribed burn to improve the natural resources within a 333-acre unit near Elkhorn campground and Forest Road 16.

 

Around 4 pm yesterday, an unexpected reversal of wind direction associated with a storm system from the south pushed fire north of the burn unit and carried it onto private ranch lands. Firefighters are working with the private land owners, Oregon Department of Forestry, and the Post-Paulina Rangeland Protection Association to suppress the fire on both public and private land.

The fire size is currently about 1,200 acres with an estimated containment of 20 percent. Roughly 150 acres is on private land.

Following a report of the prescribed burn moving outside planned lines, the Forest Service declared it a wildfire and responded with aggressive suppression tactics. Firefighters worked until 4 am this morning with an effort that included two heavy air tankers, two single engine air tankers, a Type 1 helicopter, and multiple crews, engines, and dozers.

The suppression effort continues today with special emphasis on stopping the fire’s spread across private ground.

The Forest Service plans to implement an area closure on National Forest System lands to protect hunters and other visitors from entering the suppression area. The closure order and updated fire information will be released as soon as they are available.

Fire danger remains HIGH throughout central Oregon

Cooler temperatures and shorter days mark the on-set of fall throughout central Oregon, however the change of the seasons isn’t an indicator of fire danger.  Fire danger remains HIGH throughout ODF’s Central Oregon District (COD).  The fire risk is primarily due to the lack of measurable precipitation throughout central Oregon for the past several months.  The limited moisture has kept fuel conditions dry, especially in the medium and large fuels.  Finer fuels such as grass are affected by the unstable weather patterns and can vary throughout the day.  Wind can quickly dry these fuels even after good humidity recovery from the previous night. 

Because fire danger remains high, so do the restrictions which are in place on private lands, to limit ignitions from human activities.  Firefighters from COD have responded to sixty-nine human caused fires so far this year, up from the ten-year average of fifty-seven.  In addition to these fires on ODF protected lands, COD resources have assisted federal and rural fire department partners on numerous human caused fires. 

Know Before You Go.  As you plan your activities always check to see what restrictions are in place and whose jurisdiction you are under, whether you are on public land or private land. COD remains in a Regulated Use Closure intended to reduce human caused fires.  Fire managers continue to monitor weather and fuel moisture conditions to determine what restrictions are appropriate.  A little precipitation won’t be enough to eliminate the overall fire risk, especially when warmer and dryer conditions are forecasted.

MH-1 and MH-4 areas in The Dalles Unit remain at Industrial Fire Precaution Level 2 which requires a three hour fire watch following industrial operations as well as restrictions on timing of activities such as powersaw use and cable yarding systems.

Remember, debris burning is currently not allowed on lands protected by the Central Oregon District of the Oregon Department of Forestry.  Contact information for your local ODF Office can be found on ODF’s Central Oregon District website: www.ODFcentraloregon.com.

Visit centralorfireinfo.blogspot.com/, www.fs.usda.gov/mthood or www.fs.usda.gov/malheur  for updates and changes to restrictions on public lands in central Oregon.

Please report fires to your local 911 dispatch center.

Ground-Breaking Event to be held for new Interagency Dispatch Center

     Media Alert

September 15, 2016

 

Contacts:  Heather Cassaro, City of Redmond Communications Manager, 541-504-3031

                   Kassidy Kern, Deschutes National Forest Public Affairs, 541-383-5517 

On Monday, September 19, 2016 the City of Redmond, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Forestry will host a ground-breaking ceremony for the new Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center (COIDC) with the contractor for the project, Griffin Construction.

 

The event will be held at 2 p.m. at the building site, which is located adjacent to Redmond Air Center, 1740 SE Ochoco Way, in Redmond.  The event will include brief remarks from the City of Redmond, the land management agencies and Griffin Construction followed by the ceremonial breaking of the ground at the site. The building is expected to be completed by next May.  Griffin Construction operates out of Prineville, Oregon. 

Background

The Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center (COIDC) provides dispatch support and coordination for all-risk incidents for the Oregon Department of Forestry, BLM Prineville District, the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River National Grassland.   

 

Currently these dispatch services are located at the Prineville Airport. The move of COIDC from the Prineville Airport to the Redmond Air Center will improve the efficiency and safety of fire mobilization operations. 

Dispatchers will be able to see the equipment, airplanes and helicopters they are dispatching and pilots will have greater accessibility to the dispatchers.  In addition, the expanded facilities will allow more people to work within the dispatch center during the height of the fire season. 

Currently, eight employees work year-round at the facility, but during the summer approximately 30 people operate out of COIDC with an additional 25 to 30 employees working out of other offices to meet the logistical needs of fire crews, smokejumpers, helicopters, air tankers, water tenders, engines and fire teams.