53+ New Starts In Oregon After Lightning Rolls Through The Region: The Elk Fire On Bly Mountain In Klamath County Is Very Active.
Evacuations ordered.
After lightning rolled across southern Oregon, dozens of new fires have been called in. While many of the latest starts are small, the Elk Fire in Klamath County near the Bly Mountain area is showing signs of aggressive fire behavior.
Evacuation orders have been issued around the fire, and the Klamath County Sheriff's Department is currently working to evacuate people from those designated zones.
The Elk Fire has been reported and is currently estimated at 20+ acres. The fire is located in the Bly Mountain area off of Elk Lane and Hummingbird Drive. Multiple structures are threatened. The Klamath County Sheriff's Office is overseeing evacuations.
South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnershi
With the abundance of new fires, additional resources have been ordered for the region to help with the influx of fire activity. New fires have been reported in Jackson County, Josephine County, and Lake County.
Overnight thunderstorms brought abundant lightning to the region, resulting in multiple wildfire starts on lands managed by the South-Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP).
Today, visible smoke across the region is primarily from wildfires burning outside the SCOFMP management area.
Fire crews are actively engaged in suppression and mop-up operations on several fires. Additional resources have been requested to support ongoing firefighting efforts.
South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership
The Oregon Department of Forestry is asking residents to report any signs of smoke they observe in their area as soon as possible. Red Flag warnings and fire weather conditions persist across the state.
Washington State has also seen an influx of wildfires, with the Bear Gulch Fire in the Olympic National Forest growing to 327 acres.
The Pomas Fire in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has grown to nearly 3,000 acres. There are now over 600 firefighters on that incident.
It’s starting to look like the Pacific Northwest is about to get really busy. Last year, Oregon had a record wildfire season, which led to their firefighting budget needing to be bailed out.
And looking at the wildfire outlook for the rest of July, it’s a good probability that it will once again be a very active summer across the PNW.
FIREFIGHTER ATTACKED BY GRIZZLY BEAR IN CANADA:
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Jumpers! Call the jumpers!
I’m so serious. Break Shot crews into 5 person IA squads, each with a saw or two. Send sticks of three jumpers. Put the damn things out before Dirty August when the fire inventory will be too hot to handle. IA is more re fun than months or firing and retreating. Hit it a lick!