7/17/2014 6:45 am Demobilization of White River Fire Begins

July 17, 2014       6:45 a.m.

NEWS RELEASE
WHITE RIVER FIRE

Nearly 460 firefighters and support personnel awoke in the White River Fire Camp this morning but many of them will hit the road today and tomorrow, either to another fire suppression assignment or to return to their home units. The 652-acre wildfire, which burned in a portion of the White River Wild and Scenic area 12 miles west of Tygh Valley, is 95 percent contained. Full containment is expected by Friday morning.

Day shift crews will focus on mopping up interior hot spots on the south side of the White River Fire; the north side of the fire will be patrolled by engine crews. Tonight, there will not be a full night shift operation; engines will patrol the perimeter and use hand-held infrared devices to detect heat.

Firefighters, engines and helicopters assigned to the White River Fire are also poised to respond to new fires, should any occur, in support of the Oregon Dept. of Forestry's protection unit in The Dalles.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect today across the region for westerly winds to 10-20 mph, gusts to 30 mph, and relative humidity below 20 percent.

The cause of the White River Fire, which started July 12, is being investigated.

Fire suppression equipment available to the crews today include:

·         One Type II (medium) helicopter

·         One Type III (light) helicopter

·         Eight engines

·         Two bulldozers

·         One water tender

Costs so far have reached $1.8 million.

The White River Fire is on land protected by the Oregon Dept. of Forestry's Central Oregon District. Much of the land is wilderness inside the White River Wild and Scenic Area, under the administration of the Bureau of Land Management. The Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife administers other lands inside the fire area for wildlife conservation purposes.

Fire suppression operations are run by the Oregon Dept. of Forestry Incident Management Team 1 led by Incident Commander John Buckman. Crews and support personnel from across the state have been running the fire suppression operation out of an incident command post at Wasco County Fairgrounds in Tygh Valley.

OREGON DEPT OF FORESTRY
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 1

Contact: Brian Ballou, public information officer, (541) 621-4156