Severe Thunderstorms Pass Through Oregon

Yesterday (July 22) thunderstorms blanketed much of Oregon with lightning.  Over 10,000 lightning strikes were recorded, igniting numerous new wildfires.  In the Northeast Oregon (NEO) District of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) crews responded to four fires on ODF protected lands.

Engines from NEO in cooperation with federal resources quickly extinguished two of these fires at 1/10 of an acre.  A fire in northern Wallowa County was caught at 3.9 acres.   The largest of the fires from yesterday on ODF protected land is the Eden Fire.  This fire was burning on the north side of the Grande Ronde River in Wallowa County near the mouth of Sickfoot Creek.  Moderating conditions coupled with retardant drops from Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) along with two Type 1 helicopters and a Type two helicopter effectively stopped the spread of the fire upslope and allowed crews to hold the fire at approximately 55 acres. Today two 20 person contract crews, a Forest Service crew, four rappelers, and two engines along with overhead are strengthening firelines and mopping up hot spots.  "This was a good catch as the fire had a real chance of becoming another large fire on the landscape," stated Matt Howard, Fire Protection Supervisor for the Wallowa Unit of ODF.

One new fire on ODF protection was picked up early this morning, burning only 1/10 of an acre.  Fire crews are actively engaged with US Forest Service resources to initial attack fires as they have been reported.  Scattered lightning is in the forecast for northeast Oregon this afternoon and evening.  A reconnaissance flight later today will fly over the area looking for additional fires.