ODF Central Oregon District/John Day Unit resources also responded to three small fires in the region Saturday: a lightning-caused fire near Ritter that was held to under an acre, a lightning-struck tree afire north of Mount Vernon and a one-acre fire northeast of Monument, the cause of which is currently under investigation.
The Catlow Fire was reported Saturday burning in Harney County about 29 miles northwest of Fields. The fire burned 5,300 acres of brush before being fully contained Sunday by the Bureau of Land Management.
The Murderers Creek Complex fire is located approximately 10 miles south of Dayville on the east side of the South Fork John Day River. This complex fire, made up of three incidents, is 1,090 acres in size on Monday and began Saturday due to lightning. Fire is burning in timber on a mix of ownerships, including some private lands and some BLM ownership, including the Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area and the Malheur National Forest. An interagency management team assumed command of the fire Sunday. Hunters and recreationists have been asked to leave the area as a precaution, and FS Roads 2170, 2150 and the road leading into the Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area (Murderers Creek Road) remain closed. No estimate on when the fire may be contained.
Other large fires within Oregon have moved into an intermittent reporting status; any new details would be reported through InciWeb at: www.inciweb.org/state/38
For information on wildfires in all jurisdictions within Oregon, go to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center website, www.nwccweb.us/
Kevin Weeks
Oregon Department of Forestry