July 24, 2017 - Lightning Strikes South Central Oregon

Lightning strikes in South Central Oregon

LAKEVIEW, Ore. – South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP) is responding to lightning fires and watching for new starts as thunderstorms continue within the management area.

In the past 24 hours, there were 15 new lightning fires confirmed, the largest of which is the Coglan Buttes Fire at 90 acres, located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District east of Hwy. 31 between Valley Falls and Paisley.

Additional resources including engines, crews, aircraft and heavy equipment are being pre-positioned in anticipation of more lightning fires in the coming days as conditions dry out and warm up

Lightning activity is expected to remain high on the BLM Lakeview District, Sheldon-Hart Mountain, and Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complexes through Tuesday, expanding to the Fremont-Winema National Forest, Crater Lake National Park, and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) lands later this week.

The agencies ask that the public be careful with anything that can produce a spark. Visitors are asked to be aware of their surroundings and be prepared for changing conditions.  This includes reporting visible smoke that could be from a wildfire. To report a fire, please call 911.

Due to forecasted hot and dry conditions, the Industrial Fire Protection Level will be increasing to Level 3 effective Friday. General public use of chainsaws and other power equipment will be prohibited.

For more information on the IFPL restrictions, please visit www.scofmp.org/lifc.shtml.  For information about specific restrictions in areas under ODF’s fire protection, please visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Restrictions.aspx

South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership is an interagency fire management program that provides comprehensive wildland fire service to south central Oregon and northwest Nevada. The partnership strives to achieve a more efficient, effective and integrated interagency fire management program for all participating agencies on the land administered and protected by each agency.

Participating agencies include: Fremont-Winema National Forest, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District, Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, Klamath Basin National Refuge, Crater Lake National Park and state lands protected by the Klamath-Lake District of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).

For more information, contact Fire Information Officer, Sarah Saarloos with the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership at 541-219-0515 or ssaarloos@fs.fed.us.