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Cottonwood Creek-Initial Attack July 30, 2021

 ODF:  Fire Update July 31, 2021

[John Day, Ore.]  Firefighters from the Oregon Department of
Forestry’s (ODF) John Day Unit responded to several lightning fires Friday and
Friday night.  These fires are holdover
fires from thunderstorms which passed through on Thursday.  The National Weather Service has issued a red
flag warning for much of central and eastern Oregon beginning this afternoon
for abundant lightning in combination with critically dry fuels.  These thunderstorms may come with rain,
however the precipitation will not significantly reduce wildfire danger. 

The
140 acre Cottonwood Creek Fire was reported mid-day Friday burning five miles
south of Fossil.  Resources from Wheeler
County Fire and Rescue assisted ODF firefighters in initial attack of the
incident.  By late evening firefighters
had completed construction of dozer line around the perimeter of the fire.  Air tankers and helicopters were used to cool
the fire and keep the fire within the fireline, allowing firefighters on the
ground to strengthen the fireline and widen the “cold, black”.  Throughout the night firefighters were
challenged by embers from burning trees and hot rolling material igniting
spotfires outside the line in steep terrain and heavy fuels.  Firefighters successfully stopped these
spotfires, minimizing fire growth.  Increasing
wind and warm temperatures this afternoon has increased fire behavior within
the perimeter.  A Type 3 organization
from ODF’s Central Oregon District, led by Incident Commander Chris Cook, is
managing the fire today.  Resources
include five hand crews, eleven wildland engines, a dozer, and additional
overhead.  Local aircraft are available
as needed to support the suppression efforts. 

Five
additional lightning fires within the John Day Unit were controlled at less
than an acre.  Resources from Burns
District Bureau of Land Management, Umatilla National Forest, and Malheur
National Forest were critical in stopping the spread of these fires.  The cause of one new fire start from early
this morning remains under investigation.

A
Regulated-Use Closure is in effect for the Central Oregon District to reduce
human caused fires.  The closure restricts
mowing of dried grass, cutting and grinding of metal, and chainsaw use between
10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. as well as prohibiting campfires, cooking fires and warming
fires.  The full proclamation and
restrictions are available at https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html.  Industrial operations on forestland within
the Central Oregon District also have restrictions in place.  Details for these activities are found at https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/IFPL.html.  Preventing human caused fires allows
firefighters to focus suppression effort on fires started by lightning.  These focused activities result in smaller
fires with less damage to natural resources and communities and fewer impacts
to air quality.

For
additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact
information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.