MITCHELL, Ore. – All evacuation notices associated with the Shoe Fly Fire have been cancelled by Wheeler County Sheriff, Emergency Management and the Fire Defense Board Chief as of Wednesday morning. The fire continues to hold within containment lines.
Rain and thunderstorms passed over the fire area on Wednesday and overnight into Thursday, dropping nearly a quarter inch of rain. This rain was beneficial in some parts of the fire but may not have penetrated the canopy or through the thick duff layer in other areas. Through the mop up process, firefighters will be looking for smoldering fire in the duff and under other hot spots.
The southeast and northwest portions of the fire are being patrolled for visible signs of smoke or flames along the perimeter. Resources working in this area are also completing suppression repair work. This work is being done for public safety, to protect water quality and limit soil erosion.
Resources are being shifted from other parts of the fire to the Girds Creek and Keyes Creek area along the southwest flank and to the northeast part of the fire to speed up the mop up work on these areas.
Over the next few days, firefighters will focus efforts on attaining 300 feet of cold black adjacent to the fireline and ensuring there are no hazard trees which could fall across the fireline or pose a safety hazard for firefighters or the public. Jackpots of fuel adjacent to the fireline are being masticated to reduce the possibility of embers igniting them in the future.
Wednesday night was the last night shift for the incident. Crews will be reassigned to work the day shift or released from the incident. As containment increases, resources are being released for reassignment to other incidents or to return home.
