WALLOWA COUNTY — The U.S. Forest Service’s Jim Creek Ranch, 40 miles northeast of Enterprise, is in peril because of two lightning-caused wildfires that broke out early on the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 10.

The Jim Creek Ranch is between the 250-acre Sentinel Fire and the 100-acre Jim Creek Fire and both are threatening it, according to Craig Gilbert of the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center, La Grande. The Jim Creek Fire was reported at 6:01 p.m. and the Sentinel Fire was reported at 6:26 p.m.

Gilbert said there is a chance the two fires could merge, which would not necessarily pose added difficulty for firefighters. Gilbert said it might make it easier for firefighters because it would simplify things, since there would be one incident to manage rather than two.

No information on containment of the Sentinel and Jim Creek fires is yet available.

The blazes are among four multi-acre wildfires ignited by lightning in Wallowa County on Aug. 10. The others are the 13-acre Haystack Fire and the 4-acre Miller Ridge Fire, none of which are threatening structures.

The Haystack Fire, 35 miles north of Joseph, is now 50% contained. The Miller Ridge Fire, 26 miles north of Enterprise, is now almost completely contained, Gilbert said.

The wildfire front in Union County is much quieter.

No fires were reported on Aug. 10 but on Thursday, Aug. 11, at 8:06 a.m. a fire was reported in the Half Moon Spring Area, 23 miles southwest of La Grande. Firefighters are now searching for the reported fire, Gilbert said.