FIRE AT A GLANCE
Estimated Size: 39,646 acres
Containment: 2%
Cause: Lightning
Estimated Cost: $1,164,750
Personnel: 500
Evacuations
https://www.facebook.com/prof ile.php?id=100068819321423
Road Closures
https://www.tripcheck.com
Top Road (Morrow and Grant
counties), Cupper Creek Road and
Wall Creek Road. OR Hwy 402 has
intermittent closures between
Monument and Kimberly
High potential for aggressive fire behavior will challenge
Boneyard Fire today, focus on minimizing fire growth
MONUMENT, Ore. – Today’s hot, dry weather forecast with low relative
humidity and high ignition potential will challenge day operations on the
Boneyard fire. With assistance from three task forces from the Oregon
State Fire Marshal, structural protection will continue.
Last night, crews had success building dozer line outside the town of
Monument with coordinated assistance from landowners. Structural task
forces and fire crews contained several spot fires overnight, reducing
impacts to homes and communities. Work continues to minimize growth
on the southwest portion of the fire.
The northwest quadrant of the fire was held in check overnight with
extended day shift resources and night crews. Control lines held near the
North Fork of the John Day River in the southeast portion of the fire.
Atmospheric inversion will lift mid-day, significantly increasing fire
behavior and potential for rapid fire growth. Strategic firing operations
are planned to remove fuel from the fire’s edge to meet indirect fireline.
There is a high potential for the Boneyard Fire to merge with the Monkey
Creek fire in the next operational period. ODF Team 1 and ODF Team 3
will jointly manage the combined incidents.
With rapidly changing weather and fire behavior, safety of firefighters,
community members and values at risk is a key area of focus. Heavy
smoke will contribute to rapidly changing road closures and evacuations.
As conditions change, crews, equipment, and resources will continue to
be reassigned as necessary between the Boneyard Fire and Courtrock Fire
based on priority need to minimize the fire footprint and impacts to the
community on both fires.
The Boneyard Fire is currently 39,646 acres and was started by
lightning on July 17.
Crews from the Boneyard Fire will continue aggressive extended attack on
the Courtrock Fire south of Monument. This fire burned uphill on
Hamilton Mountain yesterday, and efforts continue to reduce growth.
Strategic firing operations are planned to establish control lines and
minimize fire growth. The Courtrock fire is estimated to be 2,500 acres in
size.
Closures: The Bureau of Land Management has closed public lands
along the John Day Riverfrom Kimberly to Dale, and from Kimberly to
Service Creek. More information here:
https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-andaviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions.
The Umatilla National Forest has implemented a closure for public
lands within the Heppner Ranger District. More information here:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/newsevents/?cid=FSEPRD1194462.
Evacuations: Level 2 (Be Set) and Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations are
in effect. For updated evacuation information:
- Grant County Emergency Management Office’s Facebook page,
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068819321423,
or sign up for the Grant County Emergency Alert System at
https://member.everbridge.net/825462649520134/login. - Morrow County Evacuation information can be found at
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/de78333b0d2544f7a3
20142174aa20ae
Shelters: An evacuation center has been set up at Grant Union High
School (911 S Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845)
