Sisters,
Ore…Mop-up operations for the 2,094 acre Akawana Fire are near complete. The fire is now 95% contained, with a 500
foot cold black line around most of the perimeter. Smoke may continue to be visible from
material burning in the interior of the fire for several weeks. Cool, moist weather throughout central Oregon
has aided firefighters during the mop-up activities, and reduced interior fire
activity. Firefighters experienced
scattered showers over some parts of the fire today and the weather forecast
calls for additional precipitation over the next few days.
The Type 3
Team, led by Incident Commander Rob Pentzer, will transfer command of the fire
back to ODF’s Central Oregon District Thursday morning. A ten person hand crew from the District will
continue to patrol the fire, extinguishing any smoke or flames within the 500
foot perimeter on Thursday. District
personnel will continue to monitor the fire and provide regular patrols
throughout fire season.
The
Emergency Area Closure implemented for public safety near the fire for the
Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River Grassland was lifted
June 14, 2016 at 6:00 am. The public is
asked to keep clear of firefighting activities, including mop-up operations and
patrols within the Akawana Fire perimeter.
While the
weather may be in a cooling trend, with scattered moisture it is still fire
season in the Central Oregon District.
Burning is allowed by permit only, please contact your local ODF office
for further information. Exploding
targets and tracer ammunition are prohibited during fire season, as well as sky
lanterns.
This will be the final news release for the
Akawana Fire. Please direct questions or
requests for information to Christie Shaw (541-263-0661), Information Officer
for the Central Oregon District. For
more information on ODF’s Central Oregon District visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.