(Update: New information on evacuation levels, map; reports of reduced fire size)
CULVER, Ore. (KTVZ) — A new wildfire was reported Sunday afternoon in the Crooked River National Grasslands east of Culver, quickly spreading to at least 260 acres, while air and ground battles intensified and evacuations and pre-evacuation warnings were issued for the fire threatening Bonneville Power Administration power lines.
The Ochoco Fire (Incident 675) was reported around 1:45 p.m. east of Highway 97, west of Highway 26 and north of the Haystack Reservoir, said Jefferson County Fire and Emergency Services Chief Jeff Blake and Central Oregon fire officials. The BLM and Forest Service also participated in the firefighting effort, he said.
The Central Oregon Fire Management Service said in a tweet just before 6 p.m. that the fire had expanded to an estimated 500 acres, but a later report on WildCAD indicated that the estimated size had been reduced to 260 acres.
“A Type 3 incident commander has taken command of the fire,” COFMS said. “Air strikes and several firefighting aircraft are now supporting ground crews. Power lines are under threat.”
While firefighting aircraft dropped flame retardants to slow the spread of the flames, a firefighting helicopter collected water from the nearby Haystack Reservoir to provide support.
The cause of the fire is unknown, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Sunday evening.
Thanks to the hard work of emergency crews in containing the fire, it said, the Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuation alert zone has been reduced to an area north of Jericho Lane and east of Bear Drive. The agency said the upper half of Jericho Lane and the west side of Bear Drive are at Level 2 (Be Set) and south of Jericho Lane is at Level 1 (Be Ready).
The revised map of Jefferson County evacuation zones:
We will provide more details as they become available. For more information visit: https://app.watchduty.org/i/31320
