Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for a series of fires in Umatilla County near Pilot Rock and a Level 3 evacuation is still in effect.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal is mobilizing its Green Incident Management Team and three structural task forces from Benton, Marion, and Polk counties. One of those task forces was sent earlier Wednesday afternoon through Immediate Response along with a type 1 helicopter.
Significant lightning storms moved through Umatilla County Wednesday afternoon and have kept local fire agencies busy responding to wildfires. Gusty winds and dry conditions caused some of these fires to grow exponentially and threaten life and property.
“The conditions our firefighters are up against are extraordinarily challenging and we are working to provide the needed resources to protect our communities from many wildfires burning across the state,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “I can’t stress enough the importance of preventing any new fires and being prepared in case you need to evacuate.”
The Emergency Conflagration Act allows the state fire marshal to mobilize state resources to protect life and property. Following ORS 476.510-476.610, Governor Kotek determined that threats to life, safety, and property exist because of the fire, and the threats exceed the capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment.
The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office has Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation notices in place. For the latest on evacuations, please follow the Umatilla County Sheriff on Facebook. Shelters are set up at the Pendleton Convention Center, 1601 Westgate in Pendleton, and Grant Union High School, 911 S Canyon Blvd in John Day.
A briefing was held this morning at 6 a.m. at the sheriff’s office with the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Green Team (Incident Management Team). Over the night crews worked to hold the fire lines on the fire south of Pilot Rock. The sheriff’s office said it is estimated the fire is at approximately 20,000 acres at this point. The fire is reportedly contained along Yellow Jacket Road Road and S. Highway 395, with crews still monitoring. Fire crews will be concentrating heavily on the west and south end of the fire along Bear Creek Road and to the west on Gurdane Road.
A consistent message throughout the briefing was to remain flexible and fluid, as the dry conditions and increasing temperatures are extremely challenging and additional fires are expected.
For information on being prepared for wildfire, go online.
