Single Publication

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team Two
Jared Hohn, Incident Commander

Current Situation: 

• The Badlands Complex has grown to 51,196 acres and is 0% contained with 127 personnel assigned.
• Yesterday, the complex utilized two fixed wing Scoopers on the Coyote and Powder fires. Two Type 1 helicopters were available as a shared resource with other local firefighting efforts. An Air Attack platform was also available and used to obtain a view over the fire area.
• The Powder fire has shown little fire activity over the past two days. The Scoopers dropped water on pockets of persistent heat yesterday. With aerial support, a small number of ground resources are patrolling and holding the Powder fire in check.
• The Coyote fire made a push to the west over the past two days. The Scoopers were used to check the fire’s progression south of Richland near the mouth of Daly Creek and Myers Gulch.
• On the Thompson fire, firefighters have been working aggressively in the Sisley Creek area to secure the fire’s edge and protect structures in that area. Dozers and engine crews are working west of Thompson fire, improving the Iron Mountain Road to establish containment in rough, broken country.
• Additional fire crews are beginning to arrive to relieve local resources. Ground crews are aggressively engaging the fire when and where weather, fuels, and terrain allow. Aircraft are being used when they are available. Nationally, there is a high level of fire activity demanding a limited supply of shared interagency firefighting resources.

Evacuations: Baker County Sheriff’s Office has issued Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuation orders for multiple areas of the fire. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064434892363. A temporary evacuation shelter has been established at the Baker City Church of the Nazarene Family Life Center located at 1250 Hughes Lane.  For questions about the temporary shelter, please contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.Sign up for Baker County emergency alerts at https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/publicUser.aspx?regionid=1357 

Closures: Check for highway closures at https://www.tripcheck.com/DynamicReports/Report/RoadConditions. All BLM Vale District Recreation Sites along the Snake River between Oxbow and Huntington and on Lookout Mountain are closed. This includes Spring Recreation Site, Swedes Landing, and Bassar Diggins Campground. 

Fire Restrictions: Fire Restrictions are in effect. Get details at https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2024-07/orwa-fpo-val-071024.pdf.

Weather & Smoke Information: Weather is expected to be 15 to 20 degrees cooler for the next several days, with high temperatures in the 80s over the fire area. Relative humidity will be somewhat higher than it has been recently, bottoming out around 25%. Northwest winds of 9 – 13 miles per hour may gust to 24 mph.

An air quality advisory is in effect for Baker County due to heavy concentrations of wildfire smoke. For current Oregon air quality conditions, please visit https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map. 

Temporary Flight Restrictions:A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in effect over the fire area to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operations. View a map of the TFR and details at https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_7614.html. Fire aviation response is halted or delayed if an unauthorized aircraft enters the TFR. Temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems or drones. If you fly, we can’t! Learn more about how to use drones safely and responsibly at Home - Know Before You Fly.

Fire Info Phone: 541-362-1507           Email: 2024.badlandcomplex@firenet.gov          Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Facebook: @BadlandsComplexFires2024  Media Line: 541-249-5894

Inciweb: htinciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orvad-badlands-complex-2024