PRINEVILLE — The Crazy Creek Fire grew somewhat on Monday as  interior pockets of fuel continued to burn, but the fire perimeter remained the same, fire managers said in an update on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

Burning 5 miles north of Paulina in Crook County, the Crazy Creek Fire increased by 2,091 acres burned to 86,603 total acres while firefighters held problem areas in check, officials said. The fire is now 63 percent contained, with 1,084 personnel assigned to combat the blaze.

Changing weather conditions such as slightly cooler temperatures and slightly higher relative humidities created improved conditions for containment Monday. This trend is expected to continue for the next several days, officials said.

Firing operations and Monday’s increased fire activity accomplished a lot in reducing the size of the interior islands. The fire activity is higher along the northeast side of the fire in Little Summit, Wolf, and East Wolf Creek.

Active fire behavior is expected to continue over the next several days with potential spotting over containment lines. Firefighters will continue to patrol for the threat of spot fires outside of control lines.

An overnight flyover of the Kitty Creek Fire, south of Mitchell in Wheeler County, confirmed that it is out.

Evacuations: The Crook County Sheriff’s Office has lowered the evacuation level to Level 2 for the area of Highway 380 north to SE Puett Road. The area north of SE Puett Road around the perimeter of the fire is still at Level 3.

The area south of Highway 380 is now lowered to Level 1. Please review the Crook County Office of Emergency Management evacuation map for further details.

Weather: Slightly cooler weather is forecasted over the next couple of days with high temperatures in the 80s, low relative humidities, partly cloudy skies, and light wind gusts of up to 20 mph in the afternoon.

Importance of Fire Prevention: All public lands in Central Oregon, including the Ochoco National Forest, are in Stage 2 Public Use (Fire) Restrictions. All open flames, including woodstoves and charcoal briquette fires, are prohibited. In times of high fire danger, it is crucial for everyone to follow prevention measures to avoid additional strain on overburdened resources.

Fire Restrictions and Closures: The Ochoco National Forest has implemented a forest closure for the Paulina Ranger District. The Bureau of Land Management has issued a temporary closure for public lands in Crook and Grant counties.

More Information:

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orocf-crazy-creek

Facebook: Facebook.com/Crazy Creek Fire

Central Oregon Wildfire Information: https://centraloregonfire.org/

Crook County Emergency Information Map: https://arcg.is/1ij0vb

Acres: Crazy Creek – 86,603; 63% contained

Kitty Creek – 73; 100% contained

Location: Crazy Creek: 5 miles north of Paulina, Oregon; 498/Kitty Creek: 7 miles south of Mitchell, Oregon

Start Date: July 22, 2024 Personnel: 739

Resources: 20 crews | 1 helicopter | 39 engines | 12 bulldozers | 19 water tenders | 3 masticators | 37 skid steers