Crews continued work Sunday on the Crazy Creek and 498/Kitty Creek fires. On the Crazy Creek fire, firefighters observed tree torching and short-range spotting, which resulted in fire growth in the south and southwest areas of the fire. There was an overnight run of approximately three miles in the southern portion. Dry, hot conditions continue to be challenging for firefighters. The fire has pushed south beyond Forest Road 42, triggering upgraded evacuation levels in the Paulina Valley area. Crews on the 498/Kitty Creek fire continued securing and improving containment lines and conducting mop-up operations including extinguishing hot spots, felling damaged trees and cooling ash pits.
Starting Monday, crews will assess areas to the south and southwest of the Crazy Creek Fire for structures and other values to protect. Crews on the 498/Kitty Creek Fire will continue to patrol the northern half of the fire and improve the fire perimeter on the south side to increase containment.
Weather: Monday will bring partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the 70s to 80 degrees, increasing humidity with a chance of thunderstorms with west-northwest winds 12-15 mph gusting to 25 and the potential for unpredictable outflow winds across the 498/Kitty Creek and Crazy Creek fires.
Importance of Fire Prevention: All public lands in Central Oregon, to include the Ochoco National Forest are in Public Use (Fire) Restrictions. All open flames, including woodstoves and charcoal briquette fires are prohibited. In times of high fire danger, it is crucial for everyone to follow fire prevention measures to avoid additional strain on overburdened resources. The public’s cooperation in adhering to fire bans and restrictions is vital to prevent new fires from starting and to help our firefighters focus on containing the existing fires. Learn more here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/