Weather warms, raising risk of fire activity in Wallowa County
Published 1:00 pm Tuesday, September 27, 2022
- DoubleCreekMap0927.jpg
ENTERPRISE — Tuesday, Sept. 27, was expected to be hot, dry and breezy with conditions similar to mid-August, fire officials said in a press release, with lower fuel moistures anticipated to result in increased fire behavior in areas where pockets of heat remain.
Close monitoring of areas of concern was to be conducted, the officials said, and resources are ready to respond quickly as conditions change.
Post-fire suppression repair will continue in throughout fire areas as safety and conditions allow, the officials said.
Acreage on the Double Creek Fire was adjusted for a more accurate measurement, putting the blaze at 159,813 acres, about 2,000 more acres than in previous estimates. The fire is now 89% contained by the 451 personnel assigned.
The northern and southern edges of the fire remain the most active. Temperatures were expected to reach into the 90s in lower elevations and increased fire activity is expected in the Cow Creek drainage. Ground crews and aircraft are monitoring the fire and are prepared to respond.
The Sturgill Fire also had an acreage adjustment, an increase of 720 acres to 20,912 acres. The 63 personnel there have achieved 72% of their objectives. Active burning occurred in the northwest corner of the fire on Monday, Sept. 26, after three days of warm, dry conditions and reduced fuel moistures. A fire crew is being deployed at Red’s Horse Ranch to reinforce existing structure protection.
No changes were reported or personnel were assigned to the 12,600-acre Nebo Fire or the 536-acre Goat Mountain 2 Fire. Both will continue to be monitored by air as smoke and weather permit.
Relative humidity at 8% to 18% was forecast. Ridgetop temperatures were expected to be in the 70s with relative humidity in the teens. Winds were expected to increase, with ridgetop gusts to 30 mph and 22 mph in the valleys. Poor humidity recovery overnight was about 35%.
For more information, call 541-216-4579, email 2022.doublecreek@firenet.gov or visit the inciWeb site at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8366/.
