News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
A3
Firefighters gain upper hand on blazes
Evacuations
lifted for Anthony
Lakes
By George Plaven
EO Media Group
Weekend lightning ignited
more than 20 fires locally, but
crews kept most to less than
one acre.
The John Day Interagency
Dispatch Center dispatched
resources to 34 reports of
smoke or fire from Aug. 11-
14, and most of the incidents
are controlled or out. Re-
sources were on scene Mon-
day to several new fires re-
ported that day, including one
near Magone Lake that was
under one acre.
Regionally, a wildfire
burning near Anthony Lakes
Mountain Resort on the Wal-
lowa-Whitman
National
Forest is now largely under
control as management of the
blaze transitions to a smaller,
more local firefighting team.
The Bear Butte fire, lo-
cated 20 miles northwest of
Baker City, has charred 499
acres and is 85 percent con-
tained as of Monday morning.
The Baker County Sheriff’s
Office has lifted evacuation
orders around Anthony Lakes
recreation area, though road
closures remain in effect for
Forest Service roads 73, 43,
7325, 5185 and the Elkhorn
Crest Trail.
Contributed photo/U.S. Forest Service
The Corn Cob Creek Fire, located on the Heppner Ranger
District of the Umatilla National Forest, burned four acres
and is now fully contained.
Contributed photo/Mike and Barbara Morehead
A truck drives on a gravel road near the Bear Butte Fire in the Wallowa Whitman
National Forest.
A Type 3 incident man-
agement team took control of
firefighting operations Mon-
day, and approximately 160
personnel remain assigned to
the fire. Crews will continue
to mop up hot spots around
the fire perimeter, as well
as identify hazard trees and
boulders along the Anthony
Lakes Highway.
While recent storms have
brought much-needed mois-
ture, the rain has also made
for loose and unstable soil
within the fire area, increas-
ing the risk for down trees and
rock slides across the road-
way. Roads will stay closed
until firefighters can fully as-
sess the safety of the area.
The cause of the Bear
Butte fire still is not known.
The largest incidents from
the weekend’s lightning in-
clude:
• North Fork Cable Creek
fire, located 10 miles south-
east of Ukiah. The 28-acre
blaze was reported Saturday,
burning in grass and tim-
ber and threatening nearby
structures. The fire is now
80 percent lined, and crews
are working on securing the
perimeter. Resources include
six engines and three water
tenders.
• Corn Cob Creek fire, lo-
cated near Wheeler Point on
the Heppner Ranger District.
Firefighters have fully con-
tained the fire at four acres,
and are conducting mop-up
activities.
• Red Fir Fire, located
20 miles southwest of La
Grande. Like the Corn Cob
Creek Fire, it is now fully
contained at four acres.
The North Fork John
Day Ranger District was hit
with 12 total fires, and more
smoke reports are expected
this week as weather con-
ditions improve. Four fires
are located within the North
Fork John Day Wilderness
near Winom Butte, and aerial
attacks have so far been un-
successful due to low cloud
cover that’s prevented air-
craft from flying into the
area.
Fire managers plan to get
resources on scene as soon
as safely possible. Mean-
while, the fire danger rat-
ing is still extreme despite
the recent rain, and Phase C
public use restrictions are in
effect banning all campfires
and chainsaw use.
Influx of visitors creates fire concerns
As tens of thousands of
people descend on Grant
County, fire danger is a ma-
jor concern.
Hot, dry conditions with
little to no recent precipita-
tion has left residents and
officials on edge.
To minimize fire danger,
visitors should obey all road
closures and follow all fire
restrictions, U.S. Forest Ser-
vice Public Affairs Special-
ist Mike Stearly said. Camp-
fires and chainsaw use are
currently prohibited.
If people see a fire, Stea-
rly urges them to call 911,
or if out of cell service con-
tact any nearby Forest Ser-
vice personnel. If a person
starts a small fire and has a
blanket, shovel or fire ex-
tinguisher, Stearly said they
should attempt to put the fire
out. However, he urged peo-
ple to not attack large fires.
In order to prevent fires,
Stearly said people should
not travel cross-country,
not park on grass, should
smoke inside or in an area
of bare ground and should
ensure there are no dragging
chains on their vehicle. He
also advocated for people to
use generators responsibly,
avoid creating sparks and
Fire
prevention tips
or muffler striking a rock or
pavement will send a shower
of sparks into dry vegetation.
• Use a propane grill or back-
pack stove instead of a char-
coal grill or campfire. Fire re-
strictions are in place in most
of Oregon.
• Carry a shovel and fire ex-
tinguisher or gallon of water in
your vehicle (required in some
areas).
Due to extreme fire danger
the following restrictions are
now in place on the Malheur
National Forest:
• No campfires. Liquid and
bottle gas stoves only.
• No internal combustion
engine operations except for
motor vehicles. Operate gen-
erators only in areas bare of
vegetation in a 10-foot diam-
eter or in the bed of a pickup
truck or installed in an RV
with a 10-foot discharge area
cleared of vegetation.
• Smoking is allowed only
in enclosed vehicles, build-
ings, developed recreation sites
Come see what the Squeeze In has to offer.
• Breakfast Specials
• Lunch Specials
• Expressos
• Milkshakes
• Growlers
• Ice
• Cold Beer
• Local Unique Art
05993
• Drive on established roads
and avoid driving or parking
on dry grass. Automobile ex-
haust systems can reach tem-
peratures up to 2,800 degrees
Fahrenheit, and pulling off to
the side of the road can ignite
surrounding vegetation.
• Ensure all parts of your
vehicle are secure and not
dragging. A loose safety chain
BEHIND EVERY PROJECT IS A
Y o u r
Supply Store
ve
• Hunting
We ha ies!
• Fishing
pl
V Sup
R
• Camping
• RV supplies
We have everything you
need to prepare for your
summer journey!
Downtown John Day • 541-575-0632 • Open 7 days a week
or cleared areas.
• No off-road or off-trail
vehicle travel or travel on
roads not cleared of flamma-
ble materials. Obey all road
closures.
Squeeze In Restaurant
Mon-Sat 6am-8pm • Sun 6am-7pm
423 Main St., John Day • 541-575-1045
the 2017 solar
eclipse capital of
Oregon … and
so much more!
The eclipse, the first total solar phenomenon to cast a shadow over North America since 1979, will move across
the state at mid-morning on August 21. No place in Oregon will offer a greater opportunity to catch this rare
sight than Grant County, thanks to our likelihood of cloudless skies and our position smack-dab in the eclipse
path. Virtually all of the 4,500-square-mile county – with its friendly small towns and bountiful forest and range
lands – has a front row seat.
For at least a year, Chamber of Commerce members and the local communities have been preparing to welcome
sun-gazing visitors with activities, special events, and of course, those funny-looking safety goggles. But while
August’s eclipse offers a brief show – about 2 minutes in duration – there are plenty of other spectacular reasons
to visit the county, at any time of the year.
Grant County is the jewel of the John Day River territory, a special place where the high desert meets the
mountains. Rugged and remote, the county features pine forests, snow-capped mountains, lush range lands, and
verdant river valleys. The result: breath-taking scenery and recreation opportunities.
What’s there to do? Take a bike or a motorcycle out on our open roads, explore the wilds with your snowmobile
or horse, hike a mountain trail, fish the rippling waters of our streams, or revisit the area’s rich history at one of
our museums. Think gold rush, ancient fossils, timber and cattle barons – there’s a wealth of the old West
awaiting you here.
And whenever you visit, don’t forget to enjoy our clear sky. Odds are, conditions will be perfect for the eclipse,
but the sky here can’t be beat for star-gazing just about any night of the year. So come see us in 2017 – We’ll be
glad to share the beauty of this special place with you.
Jerry Franklin, president
Grant County Chamber of Commerce
301 West Main Street, John Day, Oregon 97845
(541) 575-0547 • (800) 769-5664
gcadmin@gcoregonlive.com
gcoregonlive.com
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Blue Mountain Eagle
above all be aware of their
surroundings.
“Folks should leave their
fireworks at home, as they
are not permitted on the Na-
tional Forest,” he said.
To address fire concerns,
a National Interagency Wild-
fire Prevention and Educa-
tion Team has been activated
to assist with fire prevention
awareness in the days before
and during the upcoming so-
lar eclipse. The team will be
staffing information centers
to provide critical fire pre-
vention messages and visitor
information. Several infor-
mation boards will also be
placed throughout the forest
to provide key information,
including maps and perti-
nent regulations, as well as
fire prevention information.
“We anticipate that many
individuals traveling to view
the eclipse may not be aware
of the current wildfire dan-
ger,” said April Phillips, Fire
Prevention Team Leader.
Photo: Lindsay Bullock
Eclipse falls
during peak fire
season
