Single Publication

Durkee, Cow Valley, and Bonita Fires Update for Saturday, July 27, 2024

541-208-4371, staffed 7AM to 7PM PDT

2024.durkee@firenet.gov

DURKEE FIRE: Start date: July 17, 2024 | Location: 5 miles southwest of Durkee, OR | Personnel: 597 | OSFM Task Forces: 4 | Fire size: 288,690 acres | Cause: Lightning Containment: 27%

Weather conducive to fire growth and dry fuels persist in the Durkee Fire footprint. Yesterday, containment was added from River Bend (on the I-84 corridor) to the southern tip of the Durkee Fire perimeter. NW Team 6 is preparing to transfer command to the SE Gold Team at 6am PDT tomorrow, July 28, 2024, and remains in unified command with the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM). OSFM is monitoring conditions, and structural threats continue to diminish.

Considered a megafire, the Durkee Fire is located between the Cow Valley Fire to the southwest and the Badland Complex (a convergence of lightning fires), to the northeast. Megafires are large wildfires that grow to more than 100,000 acres. Durkee Fire’s perimeter is 169 miles, comparable to driving from the Oregon towns of Vale to Umatilla.

Aerial resources are coordinated and prioritized between the Badland Complex, Durkee Fire and Vale BLM due to state-wide fires and resource availability. Over the course of the Durkee Fire timeline, over a million gallons of combined water and retardant has been delivered to the fire front. 

Fire Front Activity by Quadrant

Burnt River, Windy Ridge and Deer Creek, northern fire front: Firefighters are successfully holding the fire with a strategy of direct and indirect suppression. As conditions allow, to hold fire lines from Windy Ridge to the 11 Road, firefighters will use strategic firing operations. Wind speeds below 20mph from a north-northwest direction will be favorable for fire fighters.

I-84 Corridor, eastern and southwestern flank: Yesterday, containment from south of Farewell Bend to the southern tip of the Durkee Fire perimeter was attained. North of Farwell Bend, along I84, further containment is expected. In the Shirttail Road and Ash Grove Cement vicinity, firefighters are using direct fire suppression tactics in addition to mopping up within a 100-foot radius around structures. 

In the Weatherby area, along I-84, Railroad operations are helping at the fire front with water cars.

Bridgeport, Clarks Creek and Dark Canyon, northwest fire front: The Dark Canyon area remains an area of concern due to heavier winds and drier conditions at high elevation and a shift to a timber fuel type, as compared to Durkee Fire’s predominant fuels to date: grass, shrubs and sparse Juniper. Firefighters are establishing primary and secondary containment lines with a contingency of the 11 Road to catch the Durkee Fire along the northwest fire front. 

OSFM structural resources are providing perimeter control, point protection and are mopping up around structures with a concentration on the northern end of the Durkee Fire footprint.

Fire Weather Forecast 

Overnight, winds subsided. Over the next week, winds will be gusty and variable. In the afternoons, winds are expected to taper to 20mph gusts and come from the south/southeast. North to northwest 40mph gusts will rise into the evening and overnight. Although morning temperatures have dropped significantly, humidity recovery remains poor (20 to 30 percent); conditions which lend to active fire behavior.

In the I-84 corridor, afternoon winds are expected to blow ash and dust, affecting visibility for firefighters.  Firefighters continue to work in an environment where extreme fire behavior is possible. 

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The Malheur County Sheriff’s Office and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office have issued evacuations for multiple areas throughout the Durkee Fire timeline. Some evacuation levels have diminished. Residents in Level 3 Evacuations “GO NOW”, should leave immediately. Residents should not return to their property until evacuation levels have been removed. Carry enough supplies to support you and your family for multiple days. A real time map of fire evacuations can be found at the State of Oregon Fire Dashboard. 

Weather and fire behavior could impact transportation, power transmission, cell service and other utilities. Monitor these resources for additional information.

• Oregon Department of Transportation - TripCheck.com
• Idaho Power - IdahoPower.com
• American Red Cross of Eastern Oregon and Idaho - https://www.redcross.org/local/idaho.html

BURN BAN: A burn ban is currently in effect for all of Malheur County, including all BLM lands. For more information, visit https://www.malheurco.org/category/public-notices/.

TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION: There is a temporary flight restriction over the Durkee Fire, please remember, if you fly we can’t! If a drone or other aircraft enters the air space, all firefighting aviation equipment will be grounded.

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COW VALLEY FIRE: Start date: July 11, 2024 | Location: 9 miles east of Ironside, OR | Personnel: 0 | Fire size: 133,490 acres | Cause: Human caused |Containment: 99%

BONITA FIRE: Start date: July 11, 2024 | Location: 9 miles south east of Ironside, OR | Personnel: 0 | Fire size: 2,727 acres | Cause: Human caused |Containment: 90%

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