UPDATE ON FIRES NEAR DAYVILLE

Evening Update: Final evaluation of the infrared flight mapping puts the acreage at 26,000. Lowered from earlier estimate.

A minor change in the weather has made a significant difference for firefighters working to contain the 26,000-acre Corner Creek Fire, located 11 miles south of Dayville on the Ochoco National Forest. It has also helped to have assembled a sizeable fire suppression workforce supported by plenty of hardware.

Today, seven helicopters are poised to haul water buckets or sling equipment to firefighters in even the most remote portions of the fire. Air tankers are also available, if needed. Eight bulldozers and 28 20-person crews, including eight hotshot crews, are distributed along the south and west flanks of the Corner Creek Fire to construct containment line and respond to spot fires, should they occur. Thirty-five wildland fire engines patrol the South Fork John Day River road and other roads inside and outside of the burned area to extinguish hot spots near the fire’s edge.

And due to the slightly cooler, moister air, firefighters have spent more time lately on strengthening containment lines instead of chasing spot fires.

The average daytime temperature has dropped from 100-plus degrees to the mid-90s, and the humidity has climbed from single-digits into the teens. Overnight the humidity rises to nearly 50 percent. While this may seem insignificant for most people, this has been a dramatic change for firefighters toiling night and day to keep the fire from crossing containment lines. Lower temperatures and higher humidity means fire behavior is less intense.

This is a major change from last week. For several days in a row, the Corner Creek Fire slipped out of control and surged south across forests and rangeland, sometimes burning thousands of acres in a few hours.

****************************************************************************************************
Earlier report
Dayville, Ore. – An unexpected southerly wind yesterday afternoon on the Corner Creek Fire pushed the blaze against firelines being built along its north and west flanks, prompting swift action from helicopters and air tankers. Cooling water and retardant dropped from the aircraft helped firefighters to keep fire growth to a minimum.

The forecast for earlier yesterday had called for light westerly winds, coupled with temperatures near to 100 degrees, and single-digit humidity. But as firefighters have learned, winds in the South Fork John Day River canyon don’t always behave as predicted.

The 27,395 -acre blaze, burning primarily on the Ochoco National Forest 11 miles south of Dayville, has consistently made unexpected moves. Today, however, firefighters kept the fire’s growth to a minimum and made significant progress toward constructing firelines along the south and west flanks. The fireline along the east flank, where the fire has burned to the river’s edge in a 4-mile stretch between Rockpile Ranch and Black Canyon Creek, held with little difficulty despite the unexpected wind from the south.

The total number of people assigned to the Corner Creek Fire is 779. The fire is 10 percent contained.