MITCHELL, Ore. – Mop up on the Shoe Fly Fire is near completion. Firefighters have reached 300 feet of cold black adjacent to the perimeter on much of the 26,774 acre fire, resulting in an increase of containment to 77%.
Today, firefighters will continue to mop up heavier fuels in the Gird’s Creek area on the southwest flank and around Baldy Mountain on the northeast corner of the fire. These areas have timber and larger fuels that hold heat longer and require more water and effort to extinguish. A drone with infrared capabilities will be used in the northeast corner of the fire to locate hot spots, speeding up the mop up process.
The southeast corner and the northwest corner of the fire are in patrol status with crews monitoring the area for any signs of heat or smoke. Water bars have been installed to divert water to green vegetation for filtering and all hose and equipment has been returned to the fire cache.
The safety of landowners, the public and incident responders has been a top priority for ODF’s Team 1. Since the Team’s arrival on the incident, there have been no significant injuries.
The Shoe Fly Fire was started by lightning early in the morning on September 2, 2024. More than 1,000 firefighters together with landowners worked to stop the spread of the fire, constructing nearly 100 miles of fireline around the perimeter. That is the equivalent of mopping up a 3,600 acre fire. The goal for ODF Team 1 is for the fire to be in patrol status as of 6 p.m. Sunday evening.
