DAYVILLE — Aided by favorable weather conditions, fire crews are working to shore up containment lines around the Rail Ridge Fire as a new incident team takes command, fire managers said in an update issued Friday, Sept. 20.

The lightning-sparked wildfire, which has been burning south of Dayville since Sept. 2, has consumed an estimated 162,000 acres and is 50% contained. A total of 1,182 personnel are working to suppress the blaze.

Alaska Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the Rail Ridge Fire at 6 a.m. Friday, taking over for California Team 10, which had been heading the firefighting effort for the previous two weeks.

Operations will continue to focus on strengthening existing suppression lines and establishing shaded fuel breaks while reducing fuel loading along potential containment features, fire officials said. Firefighters will continue to create containment depth around the perimeter, patrolling for heat sources and implementing suppression repair tactics.

As fire behavior moderates with improved weather conditions, crews on the north and northeastern edges of the fire will move into recovery efforts, including road repair and grading and restoring areas affected by firefighting activities. They will also focus on interior mop-up, gridding and cold trailing to eliminate any potential threat to containment.

Closures and Evacuations

All Level 1 and 2 evacuation zones have been lifted for Grant County, and Level 3 “Go Now” zones have been downgraded to Level 2 “Be Set” status. For Crook and Wheeler counties, all evacuation advisories have been lifted.

For current evacuation levels in all counties, visit https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire.

A Red Cross evacuation shelter has been set up in the Carey Foster Hall at Crook County Fairgrounds, on Southeast Lynn Boulevard in Prineville. Information number: 1-800-RED-CROSS.

The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have implemented closures in the area of the Rail Ridge and Wiley Flat fires. For more details and closure maps, visit https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire.

Acres: 162,345

Containment: 50%

Detection Date: Sept 2, 2024

Cause: Lightning

Total resources: 1,182

Crews: 29

Engines: 64

Dozers: 17

Helicopters: 4