ODF release, July 20, 11:18 a.m. – Wallowa, ORE. – The Elbow Creek Fire, located about 17 miles northwest of Wallowa, has grown to 17,260 acres. Containment is estimated at 15 percent. The north and east sides of the fire are in excellent shape as crews transition into mop-up operations. The primary focus for crews remain on the south and west sides with overnight growth into the Deep Creek and Sickfoot Creek drainages. Wildland firefighting crews will continue to establish and strengthen containment lines and seek opportunities for burnout operations on this portion of the fire. One helicopter is assisting with suppression efforts with options available from other fires if needed. Structural task forces based in Troy and Promise, which were brought in by the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office, have prepped structures in the area by reducing flammable vegetation around homes. With defensible space measures complete, the task forces are now assisting wildland firefighters with fire line construction. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect until Wednesday morning. While no lightning was reported in the fire area Monday, the ongoing threat of thunderstorms could bring erratic winds, further challenging fire suppression efforts. Level 2 and 3 evacuation notifications by the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office remain unchanged. Additional information regarding evacuations is available on the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Wallowa-County-Sheriffs-Office-147212815486187). Several fires continue to burn throughout Oregon and fire danger remains extreme. Fire officials continue to ask the public for assistance in preventing human-caused fires by following all fire regulations and restrictions. Log on to oregon.gov/odf for up-to-date fire restrictions in your area.
