Rail Ridge Fire growth pauses at 61,433 acres; 150 firefighters assigned
Published 8:35 am Thursday, September 5, 2024
- rail ridge topo map 240904
DAYVILLE — After blowing up to 61,000 acres in its first two days, the Rail Ridge Fire showed little additional growth on Wednesday, Sept. 4, according to an update from fire managers.
The fire burning 7 miles south of Dayville was an estimated 61,433 acres as of Wednesday evening, with 150 firefighters assigned to battle the blaze.
Evacuation notices have been issued for areas near the fire zone from Highway 26 in the north to the Izee-Paulina Highway in the south, including a Level 2 “Be Set” advisory for Dayville.
For the latest information on evacuation notices, visit the Grant County Emergency Management Office Facebook page.
The fire started on Monday near the South Fork of the John Day River around Martin Creek and quickly moved into the Murderers Creek drainage. Evacuations for all of Aldrich Mountain remain in effect.
Several other lightning-caused fires combined with the Rail Ridge Fire. Wildfires designated as the 778 Fire, 761 (Rail Ridge) Fire, 779 (Powell) Fire and 796 (Black Canyon) Fire are now being managed as one wildfire response.
Full suppression strategy will be used where possible and with firefighter and public safety in mind, fire officials said. If a resident is not already signed up for evacuation alerts, they can contact their local county sheriff’s office.
Firefighting operations on Wednesday focused on aggressively building fire perimeter where safe for fire personnel. Natural barriers, existing roadways, and established fuel breaks continued to be utilized to stop or slow spread along the perimeter of the fire.
Conditions remained too smoky for aircraft operations, but smoke shading and light winds provided opportunity to make progress in slowing fire spread and establishing control lines for upcoming operations.
Wednesday afternoon and into the night, fire managers planned to use strategic burning operations from control lines to remove unburned fuels between defensible barriers and the active fire front.
On the north end, the focus was on stopping the fire from spreading into the Deep Creek drainage to keep the fire away from structures in this area. Along the west side of the Rail Ridge fire, managers planned to use firing operations in the same way to connect lines that were built over the last few days.
Crews were instructed to continue strategic structural point protection, as safe to do so, while continuing to stop the fire’s spread along these planned lines.
A warming and drying trend will continue to dry out fuels in the coming days, further increasing the likelihood of new ignitions and active fire behavior.
Size: 61,433 acres
Location: South Fork of the John Day River near Martin Creek
County: Grant, Crook, Wheeler
Start Date: Sept. 2, 2024
Containment: 0%
Cause: Lightning
Total Personnel: 150
