Source: Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center
Firefighters are continuing to fight a new wildfire ignited by the lightning storm that passed through Central Oregon Monday afternoon. The Deadman Canyon Fire has grown to approximately 1600 acres, and is burning in a remote area east of Highway 97 and north of Hwy 293 (Please note: the previous release incorrectly identified this road as Highway 218); approximately 3 ½ miles northeast of the junction of Hwy 97/293. Several buildings remain threatened.
Due to fire traffic along Highway 293 and the location of the fire, Oregon Department of Transportation will be closing Highway 293, between the junction of Highway 97and Hwy 293 and Antelope. Traffic traveling to Antelope or farther to Fossil should take Highway 218 south from Shaniko to Antelope.
The fire has no estimate of containment at this time.
The Deadman Canyon Fire is staffed with two heavy airtankers, three helicopters, two single-engine tanker planes, one lead plane, one Hotshot crew and several additional handcrews. In addition, the fire is staffed by nine fire engines, ten smoke-jumpers, rappellers from helicopters, one dozer, and two water tenders.
Fire crews from the Prineville BLM are being assisted by Jefferson County Fire District #1, as well as by many local landowners. An incident management team will assume command of the fire Wednesday morning. The fire is burning in juniper, sagebrush and grass vegetation in an area with limited access.
(A revised acreage estimate at 7:00 Wednesday morning places the size of the fire at 3,500 – NW Coordination Center report)