DAYVILLE — Recent rains have tamed the Rail Ridge Fire somewhat, but some fuels in the fire’s interior continue to burn, fire managers said in an update on Thursday, Oct. 17.

The fire, burning south of Dayville, has now passed the 176,000-acre mark and remains 89% contained, with 577 personnel assigned to battle the blaze.

The Rail Ridge Fire continues to be managed with a full suppression strategy as fire crews continue to secure direct lines and mop up where feasible, fire officials said. Incident objectives include the protection of human life, properties, communities, and critical infrastructure.

Other values at risk include the Dayville watershed, private economy (grazing), and natural resources (timber and wildlife habitats). These values will be protected through appropriate risk management considerations, keeping public and responder safety as the top priority, according to fire officials. The suppression repair plan, to return lands impacted by firefighting efforts back to pre-fire conditions, is underway.

During the last 36 hours, precipitation across the fire area has resulted in significantly diminished fire behavior. Local incident weather stations report rainfall totals of 0.13 inch to 0.30 inch. Current conditions include mostly cloudy skies, high relative humidity, temperatures in the mid-40s and gusty northwest winds on ridgetops.

Fire activity shows areas of mostly smoldering fire behavior. Overall, scattered interior heat sources have diminished as heavy fuels (stump holes, log ends) continue to be consumed due to long-term seasonal drying. Rain showers and snow at elevations over 4,000 feet are expected Thursday with wind gusts in the 20-30 mph range. Lows overnight will dip into the 20s.

On Wednesday, crews working on the northeast edge of the fire scouted and assessed the area for suppression repair needs. They were able to make some progress on minimizing damage to soil, water, and other resources directly caused by fire suppression activities. On Forest Service Road 2150, hazard tree falling continued, as well as building water bars on dozer lines and repairing fences.

The main task for firefighters in the northwest was to assess roads for safety and access, as there was very little fire activity in the area. To the west, crews completed a lot of mop-up and cleaned up slash piles.

Firefighters are continuing to work Thursday on prepping FS Road 3850, tying the dozer lines into the road system. They are pulling water handling equipment such as hoses and pumps and beginning backhaul operations as appropriate. The Roads Group is repairing roads and any blocked culverts.

All fire crews are working closely with the resource advisers from the USFS, BLM and ODF to ensure repair activities are completed to the specifications of the agencies and local stakeholders.

Aircraft is available for reconnaissance, suppression, and medical support if necessary, and includes three Type 1 helicopters and one Type 3 helicopter.

Information on Forest Service and BLM closures, evacuation zones and fire restrictions for the Rail Ridge Fire area can be found at https://linktr.ee/RailRidgeFire.

Acres: 176,383

Containment: 89%

Detection: 09/02/24

Cause: Lightning

Personnel: 577