Date: July 30, 2021
Contact: Central Oregon Fire Information Desk, 541-316-7711, [email protected]
Area under fire weather watch for excessive heat and lightning through Friday
Central Ore. – This afternoon, the Bakeoven/Shaniko Rural Fire Protection Association, BLM Prineville District, and private landowners working in unified command transitioned management of the Deep Creek and Johnson Ridge fires to a Type 3 Management Team from Central Oregon.
The Deep Creek fire now mapped at 1,219 acres began yesterday in the early evening. The Johnson Ridge Fire was detected just after 8 a.m. this morning and is mapped at 772 acres. Both fires are located north of the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 197, west of Shaniko, Ore.
The Bakeoven-Shaniko Rural Fire Protection Association and private landowners first responded to the Deep Creek Fire followed by firefighters from the Prineville BLM District coming to assist. Today, working together with the Bakeoven/Shaniko Rural Fire Protection Association and private landowners, federal firefighting resources including engines, dozers, crews, and air support worked on the fire.
Firefighters will be challenged by expected thunderstorms over the two fires, which will bring wind and the potential for additional lightning.
Four additional fire starts from yesterday’s lightning were found today. All four fires were contained at 0.1 of an acre, though more starts are expected with predicted lightning across Central Oregon.
For current wildland fire information, the public can visit centraloregonfire.org or follow fire information on Twitter @CentralORfire.
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