July 26, 2017 - Wildfire Update

Over 120 smoke reports in the South Central Oregon area

LAKEVIEW, Ore. – Abundant lightning yesterday afternoon and evening in south central Oregon sparked multiple new wildfires. South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP) firefighters have responded to over 120 smoke reports due to the increased lightning activity.

Additional fire reinforcements including engines, crews, aircraft and heavy equipment have been ordered for numerous lightning fires to support ongoing fire suppression work and respond to any new wildfire starts.

More lightning has been predicted to continue, suggesting thunderstorms may persist in some areas as late as Friday. Longer term outlooks for the weekend and beyond suggest hot and dry weather will continue for the region. No major relief is seen in the overall pattern of high fire danger over Oregon.

The Crane Fire, located four miles south of Lakeview has been held at 570 acres and is 15% contained. An Oregon Department of Forestry type 3 team has assumed command of the fire with more than 200 wildland firefighters assigned. Helicopters supported ground personnel by dropping water to cool down areas of heat along the fire’s edge allowing crews to make progress building containment lines. Steep, rocky terrain continues to challenge fire suppression efforts along the north side of Crane Creek Canyon.

The Well Fire located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District near Crack in the Ground has been contained at 75 acres. A lighting-caused fire on the Sheldon Mountain National Wildlife Refuge was contained by multiple resources at 165 acres. Additionally, smokejumpers from Redmond, Ore. were deployed to the .25 acre Elephant Back Fire located in the Crater Lake National Park which has been contained.

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, Lakeview District BLM (Bureau of Land Management), Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Crater Lake National Park and Klamath-Lake District ODF (Oregon Department of Forestry).

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.