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Joseph, Oregon — On Sunday, the western flank of the Granite Gulch Fire released a plume of smoke that was clearly visible above the Wallowa Mountains. This was a result of shifting winds that pushed the fire from mid-slope up into heavier stands of subalpine fire. The fire then slowed as it reached lighter fuels a half-mile from the ridgeline south of Cheval Lake, which separates the main Minam River valley from the Last Chance Creek drainage to the north. With warmer and drier conditions this week, the fire will continue to be active, and smoke will periodically be visible from surrounding communities. On its west side, the fire is expected to move into sparse fuels as it continues to climb the ridgeline south of Cheval Lake. At lower elevations along its southern perimeter, the fire remains north of the Minam River. In the east, the fire is burning within the lower portion of the Wild Sheep Creek drainage. Active fire spread, along with a highly visible smoke column, is expected...

As expected, the Granite Gulch Fire is becoming more active now that fuels have dried following last week’s rain. Smoke will likely be visible above the western Wallowa Mountains as the fire progresses, primarily to the west. Firefighters are actively managing the 2,000-acre fire with a confinement strategy – limiting it to the upper reaches of the Minam River valley, well within the Eagle Cap

PENDLETON, Ore. - Fire management officials on the Umatilla National Forest are preparing to implement the forest’s fall prescribed burn plan, which could impact camping and hunting opportunities in several hunting units across the forest. Any associated road and trail closures will go into effect prior to and during burn operations, which typically take 2-5 days to complete. Hunters are advised to plan ahead and avoid camping in the designated prescribed burn areas during the upcoming 2019 hunting season. Frequent, low-intensity fire is essential for healthy forests and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire caused by excessive fuel buildup. Prescribed burning is an effective tool for removing excessive amounts of brush, shrubs, and trees, while also encouraging the growth of native vegetation. Prescribed burning is also highly dependent on weather conditions, which have to be within a narrow criteria window in order to use prescribed fire. Factors such as wind speed and...

This is the last update for this incident and command has been transferred from ODF IMT2 to a Type 3 team as of 6 a.m. 8/16/19.

Today is the final daily update. Future updates will only be released if the situation changes significantly. Fire managers are pleased with the progress so far. The fire is currently in mop up stage and containment has risen to 63%. This success shows that the hard work is paying off. Minimal fire activity is expected today and unburned islands of fuel in the interior will continue to smolder and produce light smoke periodically. Firefighters will continue to focus on mop up operations along the perimeter and will begin removing excess equipment and supplies from secure portions of the fireline. Air resources are available to assist with bucket drops, should that be necessary. Warm and dry conditions will continue for the next several days, with a slight cooling on Thursday and Friday as an upper level trough passes nearby. As the front passes, northwest winds of 12-17 mph are expected with gusts as high as 25 mph Thursday evening. During his description of the weather forecast at...

Warmer and drier conditions continue to play a role in the Ward fire. Predicted flare up activity during the day kept firefighters busy on Tuesday. Crews achieved good successes on some sections, reinforcing control lines. As a result, several engines and crews will be reassigned today from more secure parts of the line to some of the more challenging areas. In the eastern section, there are still many islands of green, unburned areas inside the fire perimeter, which take longer to secure.Today, crews will concentrate on meticulously checking for and extinguishing hot spots, flagging areas of concern, and meeting mop up standards, which vary from a minimum of 200 feet from the hard black (areas where there is no fuel) to 300 feet in incompletely burned and areas of higher fuel concentrations. With a front coming through Thursday morning, this work is critically important.“The biggest variable on fire behavior is weather,” says Chris Cline, Incident Commander. “The fuels and the...

Transfer of command for the HK Complex Fire from Northwest Incident Management Team 6 to a local Type 4 Team occurs at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 14th, 2019. Information about these fires will be provided periodically and as

With the warmer, drier weather yesterday, there were a several flare-ups during the day and overnight inside of the perimeter of the Ward Fire, where residual hot spots ignited drying grass and brush. Flare-ups such as these are common with the current weather conditions and are a vivid reminder that work on this fire is not yet finished. “We are still dealing with a fire,” said Mitch Williams, Field Night Operations.Conditions also gave rise to a couple of new fires ignited by the last storm in areas close to the Ward fire yesterday. These fires were quickly controlled by Initial Attack crews. Firefighters spent much of the last 24 hours continuing to secure firelines and mop up along the perimeter of the burned area. During mop up operations, firefighters extinguish any smoking or burning materials with soil or water, helping to ensure that there are no remaining embers that could reignite a fire. They also remove standing dead trees (snags), dig up and smother smoldering...

Northwest Incident Management Team 6, a Type 2 team, will be transferring command of the HK Complex to a local Type 4 team at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow, August 14th. At that time, information about the incident will be communicated through the Umatilla National Forest. Much of the incident’s success was due to the strong support of the Heppner Ranger District and assistance from the Oregon Department of Forestry. Approximately 200 personnel have been demobed from the incident in the last two days. There has been minimal fire behavior. The areas with active fire behavior are in unburned drainages where the Sulfur Springs and Little Bear Fires joined along Bear Creek and the 21 Road. The fire is creeping and smoldering inside interior pockets of unburned fuel. This fire behavior will lead to continued periodic smoke in the air. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the 70s to low 80s today with mild winds possibly gusting in the afternoons up to 20 miles per hour. Public use...

Favorable weather conditions helped crews continue to make solid progress yesterday. John Pellissier, Operations Section Chief, summed it up during the briefing as night shift firefighters prepared to go out. “Today we had a good day of work, building off good work last night”. During night shift, crews finished laying hose along the west, north, and east flanks of the fireline. Today, crews will improve the firelines and continue mop up deeper into the burned area. Mop up along much of the lines has reached 30 to 50 feet into the burned area. The southern flank of the fire is perched atop the steep canyon rim, over- looking the Klamath River. Fire managers seized an opportunity yesterday to have crews scratch-in some basic handline, which is the first step toward securing the extremely steep slopes below the canyon rim. Night crews avoided the steep terrain in observance of safety, and crews today will begin improving the line along the southern edge of the fire. Today’s...

Rainfall and cooler temperatures over the weekend allowed firefighters to make significant progress on all of the fires in this complex. Crews continue to secure firelines and mop up the north end of the Little Bear/Sulphur Springs Fire. Mop up and equipment removal continue on the rest of the fire. A large island of unburned fuel within the interior of this fire is expected to burn out over the next several days producing a significant amount of smoke. All other fires are in the final stages of mop up, equipment removal, and fireline rehabilitation to protect natural resources. Late yesterday afternoon a new fire was detected on the eastern slope of Turner Mountain as a result of lightning over the previous few days. Firefighters working on this complex quickly responded and suppressed it. The fire will be monitored for several days to ensure that it is out. Water tenders made significant progress yesterday refilling stock ponds that were used as fire engine fill and helicopter...

Ward Fire 2019 Update for Saturday, August 10, 2019The Ward Fire started early afternoon August 9th, 2019 when a lightning storm came through the area. The fire instantly started running and spotting, aided by topography and winds. Crews from ODF and BLM along with Green Diamond timber company rapidly responded. As of this evening fire lines have been completed using dozers, directly along the burning perimeter on the west, north, and east flanks of the fire. Crews will begin mopping up and securing these areas, while patrolling for spot fires. Last night and this morning the fire received approximately 1/2 inch of rain which greatly moderated fire behavior. Mostly cloudy conditions are expected tonight, with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Thunderstorm activity should diminish overnight. With warmer and dryer weather returning Sunday hot spots burning inside the fire have the potential to increase fire behavior. A dry front is possible at mid-week with slight cooling and...

Ward Fire Summary- Sunday, August 11, 2019: The Ward Fire started in the early afternoon of August 9th, 2019 when a lightning storm came through the area. The fire instantly started running and spotting, aided by topography and winds. Crews from ODF and BLM along with Green Diamond Timber Company responded rapidly. The fire has had minimal growth since yesterday due to the moist and cool conditions and effective dozer lines built directly against the burning perimeter on the northern flank of the fire. Last night, firefighters worked to mop up 30 feet in on the fire line in the northwest flank of the fire. Crews also worked to install hose lays along the completed dozer line on the northeast portion. The plan for today is the continue to secure, improve, and hold constructed fire line along the northern areas of the fire. The southern flank of the fire has burned up the rocky and steep ridge overlooking the Klamath River. Fire managers are scouting and looking for...

The Tupper Guard Station recorded ¼” of rainfall Saturday afternoon and evening, aiding firefighters in suppressing the nearby HK Complex. Work to mop up within the firelines in all divisions of the fire area continued throughout the day. At the north end of the main complex fire, crews worked to strengthen hand line put in place the day before, and began to pull out fire hose from around the fire as part of the clean up. Overnight, an interior pocket in the southern portion of the complex was revived by strong winds to burn well within the fireline, producing significant smoke. Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor the area to assure nothing escapes the established fireline. On Sunday, some crews and equipment will begin to demobilize, while remaining firefighters will continue mop up in smoldering areas and pulling hose off the fireline. Additional areas will be identified for any rehabilitation work needed to help return the area to its natural state. The day...

The HK Complex lines continue to hold and progress is being made on various mop up operations to achieve greater depth from containment lines. Internal fire activity is being held within the perimeter as there are interior pockets of unburned fuel. Firefighting crews will be monitoring for any isolated tree torches or hold-over spots. Operations will move forward with the current plan of identifying areas for repair work. While there was rain and lightning throughout the region yesterday, no rain fell over the fires. A red flag warning for abundant lightning expires this morning at 10:00 a.m. Temperatures today over the complex are predicted to be in the low to mid 70s. A chance of showers is possible after 10:00 a.m. with a higher probability in the late evening. Wind is anticipated to be milder with possible gusts up to 40 miles per hour. Fire danger rating remains at HIGH and Public Use Restrictions limiting chainsaw use are in effect. A portion of the 21 Road is closed...

Rain Fell On the Granite Gulch FireAugust 9, 2019Contact: Dave Schmitt, Public Information Officer, 541-519-1460Incident SummaryCause: LighteningInitial report: July 28, 2019Approximate size: 1,700 acres (Aug. 9, 1:00 pm PST)Personnel assigned: Incident Commander, Incident Commander Trainee, Public Information Officer, Strategic Operational Planner, two Fire Effects Monitors, and four-person Fire Module Resources assigned: Type 3 helicopter Resources available: Type 1 helicopter and fixed wing aircraft Joseph, Oregon – Yesterday, scattered thunderstorms passed over the fire, as predicted, and a light rain fell across the fire for two to three hours in the afternoon. Fire activity was low, but there was some increase in size, primarily on the west side, as it moves slowly down the Minam River drainage. Crews completed installation of the sprinkler system around the Elk Creek Bridge as a precaution in case the fire moves toward that structure. They also cleared trails in the area to...

Crews are making good progress on the HK Complex Fire, burning out along approximately three miles of line east of Tupper Butte. Many of the smaller fires are contained, being mopped up and patrolled. The Sulfur Springs and Little Bear fires merged at the 21 Road. These fires continue to be held on their southern lines. The Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry are still partnering on initial attack in some areas. They are preparing for any new fire starts with lightning in the forecast. A red flag warning for abundant lightning is in effect until 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. There is potential for a strong thunderstorm to bring heavy rain and even hail this afternoon and evening. Winds are predicted to pick up and become erratic later in the day, with possible gusts up to 50 miles per hour. There will be a public meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. at the Heppner City Hall, 111 North Main Street. Fire danger rating remains at HIGH and Public Use Restrictions limiting...

August 8, 2019 First reported on July 30th, the Granite Gulch Fire was started by a lightning strike during a storm that passed through the area on July 14th. Fire behavior included light to moderate intensity with short uphill runs over several weeks growing to under just under 1,000 acres by August 5. Based on an analysis of predicted fire behavior, the decision was made to actively manage the fire using a confinement strategy. This allows the fire to play its natural role in the ecosystem while protecting infrastructure and public safety. On August 6, the fire made a run to the northeast increasing the size to 1,250 acres. The majority of the growth occurred along an unnamed creek east of Granite Gulch. The fire burned toward a rocky ridge where it ran out of fuel. The smoke column was seen in the Baker and Grande Ronde valleys as well as the Wallowa Valley. Ash fell on some areas along the south side of the Wallowa Valley. District Ranger Kris Stein set up a Type 3 Incident...

A closure order is in effect due to fire activity in the area. The closure is formally referenced as Order Number T-2019-0614-UMA-02. The closure order is available at www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla

Fire at a Glance:Size: 2,455 acresContainment: varies by fire, 8 fires in the Complex are 100%Location: 15 miles north of Monument, Oregon (Heppner Ranger District)Cause: LightningTotal Assigned Personnel: 474Assigned Resources:Multiple engines and crewsAircraft:Multiple fixed-wing resources from John Day AirbaseClosures:Umatilla National Forest Roads & Recreation Sites www.fs.usda.gov/umatillaFIRE INFORMATION:(877) 958-9663InciWeb:http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/Facebook:www.facebook.com/UmatillaNFTwitter:@UmatillaNFFirefighters have contained many of the fires in the HK Complex. The smaller fires are lined and contained with some being mopped up and patrolled. Today there will be transitioning as the Type 3 Team from John Day transferred command of the fire complex to a Type 2 Team at 6:00 a.m.The Sulfer Springs Fire was active yesterday and made a push to the 21 Road. It is being contained with dozer lines. The Little Bear Fire is 50% lined and aviation resources were stopped due to...