Single Publication

Containment Increases by 20%, Crews Supporting Nearby Fires

Acres: 20,019 acres | Start Date: July 21st, 2024 | Cause: Lightning | Fuels: Timber, grass, brush

Containment: 77% |Resources: 406

MONUMENT, Ore. – Firefighters continue to support local agencies with new fire starts from the Sunday evening lightning storm; meanwhile, firefighters are making steady progress securing the fire’s perimeter. 
 

Overview – Communities near the Courtrock Fire are waking up to see an additional 20 percent increase this morning in containment on the Courtrock Fire thanks to the hard-working efforts of firefighters and support crew, both during the night and day shifts. Crews are working around-the-clock to secure this fire. Today’s objective is to finish pulling firehose off the fire and patrol the lower south and east sides of the fire where there is no containment and continue mop- up efforts. Smoke will continue to be visible within the interior of the fire and is not an indicator of risk to containment.

Meanwhile, resources including crews, engines, water tenders and heavy equipment are supporting the following fires:

• Bennett Fire, a 400-acre fire, northwest of Antelope in Wasco County; 
• Indian Hollow and Wildhorse fires, now a part of the Parrish Creek Complex, a combined 200-acre fire south of Spray, near Steamboat Mountain, in Wheeler County;
• Service Creek Fire, an approximately five-acre fire southwest of the Lone Rock Fire, south of the John Day River, in Wheeler County; and
• Umatilla National Forest, an unnamed fire within the Forest east of the Lone Rock Fire, which is now contained.
   

Weather– Sunny today with a high in the upper 80s. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Cloudy tonight with a low around 62. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east after midnight. Smoke may still be visible this week coming from the interior as fuels dry out and temperatures rise. 

Evacuations– NO level 3 (go now) evacutaions in effect. 

• For Grant County evacuation information, visit Grant County Emergency Management Office’s Facebook page, or sign up for the Grant County Emergency Alert System. 
• For Morrow County evacuation information, visit the link below. 
  
   

Shelters: 

• Evacuation center is set up at Grant Union High School, 911 S Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845.
   

Closures:

• The U.S. Forest Service has issued closures for the Malheur National Forest. For Malheur National Forest closures information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/malheur/news-events•