Firefighters Respond To Lightning Starts

Firefighters responded to several lightning starts Tuesday evening. Incidents 424, 426, 427 were all reported north of Davis Lake, and less than a quarter-acre. Engines and hand crews are on sceneIncident 425, east of Alfalfa, reported at about one acre in size. Four engines were on scene including Alfalfa Fire District.

Meanwhile, the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office continues to closely monitor the progress of the “Lone Rock” wildfire which has grown to over 64,000 acres and has spread across Gilliam, Wheeler, Morrow and Grant counties in Central Oregon.

The United States Forest Service has signed an order prohibiting entering or being present on a National Forest System Road, National Forest System Trial within the Umatilla National Forest areas in Wheeler County. Violation of this order may result in fines up to $5,000 and/or up to 6-months in jail. A copy of the signed order has been attached.

The Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office has been actively engaged with our local, state and federal partners to coordinate unified response efforts. Decisions continue to be made with preservation of life and property as top priority.

There has been confusion surrounding the wording of the Emergency Alert related to the use of “township ranges”. It is important to note that in rural areas such as Wheeler County, describing an area of unincorporated land can be challenging.

It was critical that Wheeler County Sheriff and Frontier Regional 911 notified the few community members who reside in these areas immediately. Wildfires grow rapidly. There have been tragic consequences seen across the nation associated to delays in using alert systems during fire situations. Taking these tough lessons learned by others into consideration, the decision was made to send the messages using the township locations than risk valuable time trying articulate the geography to those who were not immediately impacted to understand.

Still taking the valued feedback from community members relating to confusion this may have caused, Frontier Regional 911 GIS worked to develop a map to help illustrate the current situation.

Wheeler County Undersheriff/Emergency Manager Mitch Elliott provided the following statement:

“Our priority is ensuring the safety of everyone in Wheeler County and mitigating the impact of this fire on our communities. We urge all residents to stay informed. We are here for the community and will continue to be.”

Use of the State of Oregon’s RAPTOR system is recommended for those wanting to access real time information relating to evacuation levels.

A temporary evacuation point has been set up at the Wheeler County Fairgrounds (720 E 3rd Street in Fossil, OR). Showers and public restrooms are available on site. For more information about the evacuation point, call 2-1-1.

The Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. Residents are encouraged to monitor local news outlets and official social media channels.

More information on the fire incident management of the Lone Rock Fire incident can be found at: Central Oregon Fire Info Site.

Meanwhile the latest numbers on the Lonerock fire burning 64,860 acres ten miles southeast of Condon:

Size: 64,860 acres Location: 10miles SE of Condon, Oregon County: Gilliam
Start Date: July 13, 2024 Containment: 1% Cause: Under Investigation Total Personnel: 333
Fire Information Line – 541-208-4369

Lonerock, Oregon — The Lone Rock Fire began on July 13, and is being managed under a full suppression strategy. The Southern Area Gray Incident Management Team, led by Incident Commander Fulton Jeansonne, assumed command of the fire on Sunday, July 14, at 8:00 PM local time.

There was continued fire activity and growth on Monday and overnight. Fire personnel were actively engaged in suppression efforts as well as scout and identify possible fire containment lines. Helicopters, large air tankers, and single-engine air tankers dropped water and retardant to slow fire spread.

Fire crews will continue to build on prior suppression efforts. Any flare ups and hot spots will be extinguished. Increased fire behavior is possible today with continued hot, dry, and windy conditions. Around the town of Lonerock, resources will build upon the progress from the previous operational periods. Fire crews will continue fire suppression repair activities, mop-up, and patrol of containment lines. Any flare ups and hot spots will be extinguished.

Level-3 Evacuations – GO NOW! Level-3 Evacuate immediately for the following areas:

Gillium County – From the community of Lonerock. An evacuation center is set up at memorial hall in Condon. For more information on evacuations, visit Gilliam County Sheriffs Office Facebook page.

Morrow County – From the West County Line along Buttermilk Canyon to HWY 207, Mile Post 10 South of Hardman to the South Morrow County line. The Red Cross will be setting up a temporary shelter at the Heppner Elementary School. For more information on evacuations, visit: https://www.facebook.com/mcsoheppner

Level-2 Emergency Alert – GET SET! Level-2 Be set to evacuate at a moment’s notice for the following areas: From Hardman to the South Morrow County Line.

Smoke from the Lone Rock Fire continues, and maps and air quality information is always available on https://fire.airnow.gov/. Please help firefighters by following all local regulations, found here: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/restrictions.aspx. Additional wildfire prevention tips are available at www.keeporegongreen.org.

If you fly, we can’t. Unauthorized drone flights (UAS) pose serious risks to firefighter and public safety and the effectiveness of wildfire suppression operations. Aerial firefighting is suspended when unauthorized UAS are in the area, allowing wildfires to grow larger.