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Shoe Fly Fire grows overnight, ODF Team 1 takes command

MITCHELL, Ore. – As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 3, 2024, Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Incident Management Team 1 assumed command of the Shoe Fly Fire. The fire was first reported early Monday morning, burning in grass, brush and timber north of Highway 26 near Girds Creek. Firefighters from ODF’s Central Oregon District, Wheeler County Fire and Rescue, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Twickenham Rangeland Fire Protection Association initially responded, along with local landowners. 

Numerous fires were reported following thunderstorms late Sunday evening and overnight. Many of these fires were caught during initial attack. Near record-dry fuel conditions challenged firefighters on the Shoe Fly Fire, combined with limited available resources and erratic winds from passing thunderstorms on Monday. This resulted in growth on all flanks of the fire and prompted burning throughout the night. Infrared imagery Tuesday morning mapped the fire at 20,247 acres.