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The Town Gulch Fire ignited due to lightning and was observed and reported on Monday, August 5 at 9:27 AM PDT along Eagle Creek about eight miles NNW of Richland. Steep terrain and cliffs remain a threat to crews operating inside the fire perimeter. Winding canyon roads pose a hazard for crews traveling near the incident.
Town Gulch is being managed as a full suppression incident. Firefighters, the public and other incident responders' safety remain the top priority; followed by protection of structures, community assets and private property.
A slight decrease in acreage of the fire is due to more accurate mapping.
| Current as of | Sun, 08/11/2024 - 14:14 |
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| Incident Time Zone | America/Los_Angeles |
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Lightning/Natural |
| Date of Origin | |
| Location | Eagle Creek Rd Area, 24 Miles East of Baker City OR, 8 Miles N of Richland, OR |
| Incident Commander | Charles Patterson, IC, Southern Area Complex Incident Management Team 2 (SA Blue Team) Steve Bregman, IC, Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Blue Incident Management Team Andy Baker, Deputy IC, SA Blue Team John Wallace, IC (t), SA Blue Team OSFM Blue Team and SA Blue Team are operating in Unified Command. |
| Coordinates |
44° 52' 39'' Latitude
-117° 15' 18
'' Longitude
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| Total Personnel: | 308 |
|---|---|
| Size | 18,552 Acres |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 37% |
| Estimated Containment Date | 08/26/2024 |
| Fuels Involved |
The entire region is under a 'Fuels and Fire Behavior' advisory for Energy Release Components (ERCs) approaching the 97th percentile. Actual ERC and Burning Index (BI) in the Blue Mountain Fire Danger Operating Plan (FDOP) area are slightly below that level. Little change in fuel moisture or ERC is expected for the foreseeable future. Vegetation (also referred to as 'fuels') in the area is mixed grass/sagebrush with timber stands. As the fire moves to the north, the timber component increases. |
| Significant Events | Moderate |
| Planned Actions |
Wildland crews will employ both direct and indirect tactics. Indirect tactics include creating fire breaks using dozer line and hand crews. Dozer line will be placed and then improved throughout the operational period. When appropriate, crews will look for opportunities to engage the fire directly. |
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| Projected Incident Activity |
12 hours: Thunderstorm chances have diminished, reducing threat of fire spread overnight. Downslope winds should work to push the fire back on itself. Minimal fire spread anticipated in the absence of thunderstorm winds. 24 hours: Sunday will be slightly warmer and drier than Saturday, but winds will be lighter. Fuel conditions will remain critical; however, fire behavior should moderate with lighter winds. 48 hours: Temperatures will be slightly cooler as a weather disturbance enters the area. However, this disturbance will also bring gusty winds, which could drive increased fire behavior, especially in exposed light fuels. The chance of thunderstorms could bring new starts or gusty outflow winds causing additional fire behavior issues. There is also a chance for very light rain, which will slow fire spread and help mitigate flashy fuel concerns. 72 hours: Thunderstorm chances decrease significantly after the disturbance has passed. Cooler temperatures and higher humidities bring some slight relief to the critically dry lighter fuels. Wind is still very close to the threshold for rapid fire spread. 72 hours(+): Cooler conditions and higher RH may moderate fire behavior slightly, but fuels remain critically dry. Gusty winds will persist through the end of the week, but taper off slightly towards the end of the week. |
| Remarks |
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek invoked the conflagration act on 08/06/2024 at 1720. |
| Weather Concerns | Weather influences: Overnight temperatures, Friday night into Saturday, were in the upper 50s to low 60s over the fire with max RH between 50% and 60%. |
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