Telephone Fire Quick Facts

Size: 54,034

Start Date: July 22, 2024

Location: 12 miles NE of Burns, OR

Containment: 95%

Cause: Lightning/Natural

Falls Fire Quick Facts

Size: 151,680

Start Date: July 10, 2024

Location: 13 miles NW of Burns, OR

Containment: 89%

Cause: Human-caused, under investigation

Structures Triaged: Residences: 386 / Commercial: 119 / Outbuildings: 760

Sand Mountain Fire Quick Facts

Size: 7,582

Start Date: July 25, 2024

Location: 17 miles SW of Seneca, OR

Containment: 100%

Cause: Lightning/Natural

BURNS — Crews made major gains in corralling the Telephone Fire, bringing all three major wildfires burning in southern Grant and northern Harney counties to 89% containment or better, according to an update issued by fire managers on Thursday, Aug. 15.

The Telephone Fire, burning 12 miles northeast of Burns, is holding at 54,000 acres and is now 95% contained, up from a reported 65% one day earlier.

The Falls Fire, burning 13 miles northwest of Burns, is holding at 152,000 acres and 89% containment. And the Sand Mountain Fire, burning 17 miles southwest of Seneca, is holding at 7,600 acres and is 100% contained.

A total of 965 personnel are assigned to the fires. Available resources include: 26 hand crews, 33 engines, 9 bulldozers, 31 water tenders, 1 masticator, 12 skidgines and one Type 1 helicopter.

Fire managers listed the following priorities for Thursday:

1) Initial Attack (IA) is the highest priority to keep all new fires as small as possible.

2) Northeast portion of the Falls Fire; increasing mop up depth and spot containment.

3) Northwest portion of the Telephone Fire near Gobbler’s Knob and King Mountain; increasing mop up depth and spot containment.

Telephone Fire: On Wednesday, the eastern side of the fire was monitored and patrolled. Ranchers, firefighters and cooperators worked together to drive cattle across Highway 395 to safer, unburned areas for grazing. Mastication on the 2830 Road continued along with work on the 28 Road shaded fuel break.

On Thursday, crews will continue monitoring and patrolling the fire area and focusing on the backhaul of equipment. Backhaul — the process of returning equipment and supplies on a wildfire to a central point for redistribution — is an essential part of wildfire logistics and ensures that resources are efficiently managed and available for changing fire conditions or future incidents.

Firefighters will continue with mastication on the 2830 Road near the Little Black Rock area.

Falls/Sand Mountain Fires: On Wednesday, firefighters in the northeast focused on securing the fire’s edge by burning out small pockets of unburned fuels using an unmanned aerial system in the Five Hundred Flat Area. Crews continued felling operations to remove hazardous trees on the 37 Road.

Thursday, with increased containment across the fire, the perimeter is in patrol and monitor status. Additionally, crews will be using road graders to repair sections of the 43 and 41 Roads in the Parker Creek and Spring Canyon areas.

Weather: Portions of the Telephone Fire received 2/10 of an inch of helpful wetting rain. Temperatures on Thursday are expected to be slightly cooler with higher relative humidities than recent days. There is a chance of thunderstorms with additional wetting rains and lightning in the afternoon. Despite the recent precipitation, conditions are still favorable for fire growth in the event of new starts.

Evacuations: There were additional changes yesterday to the evacuation orders for Grant and Harney counties. For the most accurate evacuation information, visit the Harney County Sheriff’s evacuation map: https://bit.ly/FallsFireEvac, or the Grant County Emergency Management Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068819321423

Closures: The Malheur National Forest has reduced the South Area Closure. However, to continue protecting public health and safety, fire managers will maintain a portion of the southern part of the forest under closure due to fire activity and fire suppression operations. This Forest Order rescinds and replaces the previous southern area closure. A closure map and the closure order are available on the Malheur National Forest website (https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/malheur/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1198892) and in local U.S. Forest Service offices.

Investigation: The U.S. Forest Service is seeking the public’s assistance with any information pertinent to the start of the Falls Fire on the Malheur National Forest. Submit any relevant information to SM.FS.R6TipHotLine@usda.gov.

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): TFRs in the area have been changing; pilots should check the latest information on the Federal Aviation Administration TFR website prior to flying: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr_map_ims/html/index.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Falls-Fire-2024-61562126623985/

Falls Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ormaf-falls-fire

Telephone Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ormaf-telephone-fire

Fire Information Line: 541-208-4370, staffed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Email: 2024.Falls@firenet.gov

Harney County Non-emergency Evacuation Questions: 541-589-5579

Air Quality Questions: 541-573-2271. Air quality information, searchable by ZIP code: https://fire.airnow.gov/

Smoke Outlooks: https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook