PRINEVILLE, Ore. – Progress around the Marks Creek Fire continues as the entire fire has been plumbed and the depth of cold line continues to build into the interior of the fire. The north tip of the fire has cold fire line up to 200 feet deep while the rest of the fire averages 50 to 150 feet deep.
Overnight, the eastern side and southern edges of the fire will be worked using the infrared handheld units identifying any hot spots in the interior. Any spots found will be flagged for the day shift to extinguish.
Progress will continue with cooler weather and rain expected over the fire area overnight and tomorrow. The crews will adjust their tactics to account for changing conditions on the fire line.
Highway 26 remains open; however, firefighters and heavy equipment are entering and exiting the roadway in multiple areas along the fire perimeter. Please drive with caution and slow down in the fire area to ensure firefighter and public safety.
Evacuations: Crook County Sheriff’s Office evacuation orders remain in place. An evacuation map is available on the Crook County Sheriff’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CrookCountySheriff/.
Local Area Closures: The U.S. Forest Service has implemented a temporary forest closure. For more information, please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/ochoco/alerts/marks-creek-fire-area-closure.
This will be the final evening update. Morning updates will continue until the team transitions the fire back to the local unit.