The Oregon Fire Marshal said good progress has made on the fires in South Gilliam County.
The weather has been cooler with some associated precipitation, allowing the firefighters to get ahead of the fires in many areas. The fires now total 30,500 acres. There are 119 firefighters battling the blazes.
Wildland firefighters will continue to hold and improve existing containment lines on the fires and work to stop the forward progress of the fire on the active sides, according to the fire marshal’s office. Air support continues to be available to maximize efforts of crews on the ground. Firefighters will continue to be challenged by light flashy fuels, steep slopes along the John Day River Canyon and afternoon winds.
With a combination of smoke from Washington and Canadian wildfires, as well as fires burning in Oregon, air quality indices are showing areas of unhealthy to hazardous air across the eastern part of the state. Many factors influence a person’s sensitivity to smoke, including severity and duration of smoke exposure and a person’s health. Smoke may worsen symptoms for people who have pre-existing health conditions and those who are particularly sensitive to air pollution. You can find a link to the DEQ Air Quality Index online as well as tips about dealing with smoke.
In the Hermiston area, haze is only now beginning to fade, but will continue through most of Thursday. Widespread haze is expected to clear by Thursday evening.
