The head of the Rail Ridge Fire on Sept. 4, 2024.

DAYVILLE — The Rail Ridge Fire has grown to 146,601 acres as crews near 10% containment of the blaze.

Field observation rather was used instead of thermal imaging to determine the fire’s new acreage according to a press release by fire managers on Monday, Sept. 9. The fire is burning seven miles outside Dayville in the South Fork John Day River drainage.

Of the five megafires (blazes of 100,000 acres or more) currently burning in Oregon, three are burning partly in Grant County. In addition to the Rail Ridge Fire, they are the Falls Fire (152,000 acres) and the Battle Mountain Complex (183,000 acres).

The state’s other two megafires — the 294,000-acre Durkee Fire and the 137,000-acre Lone Rock Fire — are in neighboring counties.

California Complex Interagency Incident Management Team 10 took command of the fire at 7 a.m. Friday, and have seen the number of firefighters working the blaze swell from 258 firefighters on Friday to 739 on Monday morning.

The fire was less active last night due to higher humidity recovery and more stable weather conditions. The priority for firefighters overnight was to continue strengthening lines to the southwest of the community of Dayville. A firing operation was initiated but not completed as conditions became unfavorable for burning.

Yesterday, Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces worked to harden structures. Crews placed mobile water sources and installed sprinkler systems around multiple structures threatened by the fire. During the afternoon fire activity increased and crews moved into position around structures in the Dayville and Fields Creek areas, as well as on the southern edge of the fire.

With a total of nine OSFM task forces now assigned to the fire, structural protection is in place around the clock.  

Today, crews will remain in position at structures directly adjacent to the fire line and in areas that may become impacted. There will be a heavy structural task force presence in the Dayville and South Fork area, as well as at the critical infrastructure at Aldridge lookout.

Wildland crews will work to construct and improve containment lines southeast into Guyson Basin and along the South Fork Road to cut off the fires northern and eastern progression.

Crews made access to the spot fire from yesterday in the South Fork John Day River (east of Little Baldy). That spot grew considerably with westerly winds yesterday evening and is now estimated to be at about 100 acres. Crews are working to contain that spot but are also working on constructing and improving secondary lines along Indian Creek.

Firing operations on the western side of the fire held well yesterday and overnight.

A period of cooler, dryer weather is anticipated to pas through the fire area today into tomorrow, preceding a wetter system which is predicted to enter the area on Wednesday with a chance of rain on Thursday.

Cause: Lightning

Acreage: 146,601 (Field observation from 9/9 6:30 a.m.)

Containment: 7%

Crews: 9

Engines: 113

Dozers: 19

Aircraft: call when needed/air is clear

Total resources: 739