(Update: Added comment from Central Oregon Fire Management)
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Elk Lane Fire, which has burned over 5,000 acres, is now 40% contained.
“That means the edge of the fire is considered cold at 40%,” said Jeff Kitchen, spokesman for Central Oregon Fire Management. “A cold edge, a softened edge, means that within about 100 feet of the edge, we’re not seeing any smoke or dealing with any kind of heat that could jump over and start a fire.”
Containment essentially means that there is no longer any danger of spread.
“The firefighters move along the entire fire line and check it. Are there embers, is there smoke? They spray water, dig up the ground and make sure there are no sparks or the fire is spreading,” says Kitchen.
For 48 hours, the fire was contained to a distance of 5.5 kilometers from the city limits of Madras.
“We are very confident that the fire will spread where it is and that it will not spread to the city again. We have a team mopping up the hot spots and making sure the line goes cold,” Kitchen says.
Triggered by a lightning strike, more than 200 local and federal personnel were evacuated.
“We currently have four men working. We have 25 engines, three bulldozers, eight tankers and a number of other resources to assist us,” says Kitchen.
Firefighters will remain on duty east of Madras until authorities deem it safe to withdraw their forces.
“In a case like this, it’s really important for people to know that we’re not just going to leave. We’re not just going to walk away when the smoke is gone, but we’re going to keep an eye on it until we know everyone here is safe,” Kitchen says.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has since lowered evacuation standards and lifted all Level 3 evacuations to allow people to return home.
Here is the announcement from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office:
“Every level has changed and dropped in some way! Please be aware that firefighters are still here and in the area. Make sure you drive back safely and keep an eye out for them.
*There are no longer any areas in evacuation level three.
*Everyone can return home freely.
*Last night’s level three area is now a level two.
*Lake Simtustus is a water body of water level zero
*Elk Dr. is RESIDENTS ONLY. There will be road closures here, only those who live on Elk Dr. will be allowed to drive through. There are many firefighters in the area so please proceed with caution.
A HUGE thank you to the Oregon Stage Fire Marshall Red Team and Central Oregon Type 3 Team for all they have done to get Jefferson County residents back into their homes while keeping our community safe. We are grateful for all you have done!
The map contains the most current breakdown.
https://fr911orgis.maps.arcgis.com/…/weba…/index.html…
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Here is the update on Friday morning’s fire.
Hectare: 5,176 Acres | Start date: 4 August 2024 | Caused: Lightning | Fuels: wood, bushes, tall grass | Containment: 40% | resources: 206
Mark: Firefighters continue to keep the fire contained within the existing catchment area, which remains 3.5 miles from the Madras city limits. Weather forecasts call for hot and dry conditions through the weekend. However, given the current state of the fire, firefighters will continue to make progress in controlling and extinguishing the fire. The fire is now 40% contained.
Overview: The Elk Lane Fire is approximately 5,176 acres in size (reduction is due to more accurate mapping) and was sparked by a lightning strike on the evening of August 4.thThe fire is being fought under the unified leadership of a Central Oregon Type 3 Incident Management Team (CO Type 3 Team) and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s (OSFM) Red Incident Management Team. The OSFM is supported by two structural task forces.
Fire activity: Fire activity continued to decrease Thursday. The approximate extent of the fire area is east of the Deschutes River from Lake Simtustus to Belmont Lane, north of Belmont Lane to SW Elbe Drive and the Dry Canyon area, south of Willow Creek, and west of NW Clackamas Drive. Firefighting efforts today will continue to focus on securing existing lines and cleanup. The great work of firefighters has reduced the threat to structures, resulting in the lowering of some evacuation levels and better containment of the fire. As a result, today will be the last full response period for OSFM. The CO Type 3 Team will continue to control the fire with over 100 personnel.
Evacuations: Evacuations continued to be reduced yesterday in areas south of Belmont Lane. For the most up-to-date information on evacuations in Jefferson County, visit https://tinyurl.com/mte4e75m or the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffersonCountyORSheriff/. Madras High School is a temporary evacuation site and the Red Cross is on site. Evacuated animals can be taken to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.
Weather: Forecasters expect hot temperatures (below 30 degrees), low relative humidity and light winds to continue for the rest of the week and into the weekend. Cooler daytime temperatures (below 27 degrees) are forecast early next week, which will help firefighters improve firefighting lines and conduct cleanup operations.
Importance of fire prevention/fire protection restrictions: A no-use order (fire ban) is in effect on all public lands in Central Oregon. All open flames, including wood stoves and charcoal briquette fires, are prohibited. During times of high fire danger, it is critical for everyone to follow fire safety measures to avoid placing additional strain on overstretched resources. The public’s cooperation in complying with fire bans and restrictions is critical to preventing new fires from starting and to help our firefighters focus on containing existing fires.
Information about the fire: The public is asked to call (458) 206-1745 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for updated information and reports.
Visit Central Oregon’s official source for wildfire information at centraloregonfire.org for up-to-date wildfire information or follow fire information on X/Twitter @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire.
