8/5/2017 Devils Lake Fire Update

Despite windy conditions on Friday, the firelines held, and the Devils Lake Fire is in the mop-up stage. There is still a possibility that down-drafts from incoming thunderstorms may push sparks across the line or ignite new fire. Much work remains to be done on the Devils Lake Fire. Crews are digging out and extinguishing hot spots around the edges of the fire. Rehabilitation of landscape changes cause by firefighting activities is underway. As the possibility of thunderstorms increases, more resources are being assigned to potential initial attack response.   Thirty citizens interested in the progress of the fire and suppression strategies and tactics filled the local Fire Hall in Bly on Friday evening. Appreciation was extended to the firefighters for their hard work under extreme conditions which has apparently resulted in minimizing the acreage burned. Today’s weather is expected to be slightly cooler with higher relative humidity than the past several days, yet temperatures are still expected to reach the low 90’s. The chance of thunderstorms is increasing. The Fremont-Winema National Forest and the Oregon Department of Forestry are sharing the firefighting costs as Northwest Incident Management Team 6 continues to work under their direction. Forest fuels remain extremely dry and flammable, so please be very careful with activities of any kind that may produce sparks. Please note the new email address for Fire Information, listed in the “Fire at a Glance” column.

Fire at a Glance Size: 1694 acres     75% on USFS-protected land     25%  on ODF-protected land       Containment: 25% Location: 5 miles southeast of Bly, Oregon Cause: Lightning Personnel: 577    (195 Federal, 36 State (ODF), 346         Private) Resources: 18 Crews 16 Engines 5  Dozers 9 Water tenders 2 Skidgins Aircraft: 1 Type 1 heavy helicopter 1 Type 2 medium helicopter 1 Type 3 light helicopter Fire Information: 541-353-2292 DevilsLakeBly2@gmail.com Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5449/  (Click “Maps” for the closure map)