Single Publication

Warner Peak Fire Daily Update

Saturday, August 10, 2024

Location of Origin: 6 miles East of Plush, on the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge

Start Date: August 5, 2024

Size: 39,923 acres                                                       

Percent Contained: 0%

Cause: Undetermined, Under Investigation                 

Fuels: Brush, Tall Grass

Resources Assigned: 4 Crews, 14 Engines, 3 Helicopters, 8 Single Engine Air Tankers, 1 Type 1 Airtanker, 3 Water Tenders, 2 Bulldozers

Operations: Yesterday, firefighters were challenged by very active fire behavior on the east and northeast portions of the fire. Several spot fires were caught and contained on the eastern side, where firefighters were successful in halting spread at existing roads for most of the day. At approximately 5 p.m. a spot fire escaped and grew rapidly towards the northeast, keeping crews and aerial resources busy until dusk. A full night shift was staffed last night to take advantage of favorable weather conditions for strategic firing operations along the Hart Mountain Road from Blue Sky Road west to the Refuge entrance. Firing serves to strengthen a control line by removing fuels in advance of natural fire growth. This slows fire progression when it encounters the reduced fuel load and reduces the likelihood that natural fire will cross a control line. Crews also performed firing operations around the Refuge Headquarters and worked diligently through the night to hold the line and protect the Headquarters. On the west side, firefighters focused on preventing growth from the origin near Hart Lake further west towards Plush and were successful in those efforts. Firefighters on the southern edge worked on building and reinforcing fire lines using the South Boundary Road as a control line and will continue that work today. Additional resources arrived yesterday, including crews, engines, and two bulldozers that were put to work improving roads to be used as fire line on the south and west perimeters.

The Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 1 is en route to manage the Warner Peak Fire. They will assume command on Sunday at 6 a.m.

Closures: The Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge is closed for the safety of the general public.

Weather: No significant weather pattern changes are expected over the next few days, so expect similar conditions again today. Temperatures will gradually trend cooler into early next week and daytime humidity will trend slightly higher. Isolated thunderstorms are looking less likely for this weekend.

Smoke: Wildfire smoke may impact the community of Plush. Go to fire.airnow.gov/ to see the latest smoke conditions in your community. 

Official fire information can be found on these sites:

• Inciweb: https://inciweb.fs2c.usda.gov/incident-information/orshr-warner-peak 
• Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/hart-mountain-national-antelope 
• The South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SCOFMPFIREINFO