JOHN DAY — Some Malheur National Forest lands between Mt. Vernon and Long Creek are being closed as a safety precaution due to wildfire activity in the area.

The Malheur National Forest has issued an area closure for the Courtrock Fire on the Blue Mountain Ranger District, forest officials announced.

The closure area includes the two portions of the Malheur National Forest that run west of Highway 395 , north of Mt. Vernon and south of Long Creek, in the Fox Valley area, including all roads, trails, and camping locations within the fire closure area.

Fire managers have closed the area around the fire To protect public health and safety due to fire activity and fire suppression operations.

This closure will be effective starting Thursday, Aug. 1, and will continue until further notice.

This Forest Order rescinds and replaces the previous the Temporary Malheur Forest Closure Order.

A detailed map of the closure is available on the Malheur National Forest website and at forest offices.

For additional information about the Courtrock Fire, visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/or95s-courtrock-fire .