Blackburn Fire update 9:45AM 8/24

Invitation: The public is invited to a community meeting tonight, August 24th at 6:30 pm, The Dalles-Wahtonka High School, 220 East 10th Street, The Dalles. Information on the status of the Government Flats Complex fires will be provided by incident management personnel and cooperators.Blackburn Fire Update: The past 24 hours of hard work by fire crews has resulted in significant progress towards containing and suppressing the Blackburn Fire. Despite gusty afternoon winds, lower temperatures and higher humidities allowed firefighters to directly attack the fire edges. With support from aircraft, hot spots continue to be cooled and a combination of hand and dozer lines is now being built around the stubborn western end of the fire. Mop-up and patrol continues on all other portions. The potential remains for the western end of the fire to exhibit extreme fire behavior and to grow towards the north and northeast. Therefore, there are no changes in the most recent evacuation levels for roads in the fire area. Level III evacuation orders remain in effect for Ketchum Road and for Upper Mill Creek Road west of address 9595.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s structural protection resources are transitioning off the incident and returning home today. Their efforts have helped support the local Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue in defending homes and property on this incident. There have been 142 personnel from 46 fire districts and departments representing twelve Oregon counties on the Government Flats Complex.

Firefighter and public safety is the number one concern and continues to be emphasized. As fire activity is decreasing, risks still remain from fire damaged trees, rolling rocks and logs on steep slopes, rattlesnakes, poison oak, and heavy fire traffic. Incident supervisors are monitoring fire crew fatigue and are encouraging all to remain rested, alert, and assertive in promoting safe working conditions.

Recreationists (including bow hunters and bicyclists) are reminded that the Mt. Hood National Forest has implemented an area closure in proximity to the Blackburn Fire. Listings of the road, trail, campground, and general area closures may be found at the Forest web site: Mt Hood National Forest (http://www.fs.usda.gov/mthood) and at http://inciweb.org/incident/maps/3662/

Government Flat Complex at a glance:
Total Complex Acreage: 12,070
Blackburn Fire Acreage: 11,775
Complex Containment: 25 Percent
Total Personnel Assigned: 1,023
Structures Lost to the Fire: 4 homes/9 outbuildings
Structure currently threatened: 83 residential/82 outbuildings
Cost of the Incident to Date: $ 7.7 million
Resources: 37 crews/32 engines/3 structural task forces/14 dozers/15 water tenders/10 helicopters
Ownerships involved: Private, U.S. Forest Service, City of The Dalles, and Bureau of Land Management

Cooperators include Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State Fire Marshal, BLM, USDA Forest Service, City of The Dalles, Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Wasco County Emergency Operations Center, Hood River County Division of Emergency Management, Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, American Red Cross, Oregon National Guard, and Oregon State Police.