ENTERPRISE, OR__On the morning of June 11, at 6:00 a.m., NW Team 7 transitioned management of the fire back to local agencies. Northwest Team 7 would like to thank the entire Wallowa County community for their support as well as firefighters for all their hard work throughout this incident. Local agencies will continue to monitor conditions and will remain ready in the event there are changes to the current status.

Joseph Canyon Fire –   Start Date: June 4, 2021     Cause: Lightning     Size: 7,610 acres     Containment: 95%  Location: The Joseph Canyon Fire is located in steep rugged terrain of Joseph Canyon area of northern Wallowa County, Oregon.

Status: Weather patterns continued to provide favorable conditions for suppression actions due to cooler temperatures and scattered showers in the fire area yesterday. Minimal fire behavior occurred due to higher fine fuel moisture.

Dry Creek Fire – Start Date: June 3-4, 2021     Cause: Lightning     Size: 1,585 acres     Containment: 95%
Location:  The Dry Creek Fire is located in a remote and rugged part of Hells Canyon, northeast of Joseph, OR.

Status: Weather patterns continued to provide favorable conditions yesterday for suppression efforts due to cooler temperatures and scattered showers in the fire area. Minimal fire behavior occurred due to higher fine fuel moisture and precipitation.

Weather: Cloudy skies are expected, with a slight chance for afternoon showers. South winds of 5-10 mph.

Evacuations: There are currently no evacuation orders associated with the Joseph Canyon and Dry Creek fires.

Closures: The Nez Perce Tribe has temporarily closed the Precious Lands Wildlife Management Area in Northeastern Oregon: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7513/59633/

Fire Season Declared: Oregon Department of Forestry’s Northeast Oregon District proclaimed fire season began Wednesday, June 9, at 12:01 a.m. They have new fire restriction signs located throughout the district, with a Fire Prevention information line; (541) 975-3027 and a QR code which will take you to www.bmidc.org, for current information on fire restrictions.

Prevention Message: Whether we are out in nature or home in our backyards, remember that it’s our role to protect the lands we love by preventing wildfires and recreating responsibly.

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The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest issued the following press release, June 5, 2021. Please be extra cautious when traveling and recreating throughout Eastern Oregon, as fire danger is high early this season, due to drought conditions and low humidity.

JOSEPH, OREGON__Lightning activity from thunderstorms passing through the area Thursday night and Friday morning ignited multiple wildfires in the northeast corner of the state. Responding resources have successfully contained some of the ignitions, however others remain active and uncontained.
The Joseph Canyon Fire, initially reported Friday morning by Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is burning in steep rugged terrain in the Joseph Canyon area of northern Wallowa County, Oregon. Low humidity, warm temperatures, and breezy winds hampered firefighting efforts Friday and the fire rapidly spread through the grassy vegetation within the canyon and crossed over the state line into Washington. The fire continued to burn actively overnight in the flashy fuels and is estimated to be approximately 2,000 acres.
The fire is burning on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management. A local interagency Type 3 team will shadow firefighters today and transition management of the fire to the team at 6 p.m. tonight.
A second fire, Dry Creek, is burning just to the east of the Joseph Canyon Fire. It is estimated to be 328 acres and is located solely on Wallowa-Whitman National Forest land.
All jurisdictions involved share common objectives in managing these fires, which is to fight the fires aggressively while maximizing the safety of the public and all fire staff involved. Due to the remote location and steep rugged terrain, the fires are mostly being fought by air attack. Rappelers, smoke jumpers and air tankers were brought in for initial suppression efforts. Three large airtankers dropped retardant along the perimeter of the Joseph Canyon Fire Friday to slow the fire growth. In addition to firefighter delivery, three Type 2 helicopters were used to drop water on hot spots. These aerial resources will continue to support firefighters on the ground today, as well as the addition of Single Engine Air Tankers. Active fire behavior is expected today with low humidity and increasing winds as a cold front passes through.

CONTACTS: Sara Bethscheider (541-426-5585) or Christie Shaw (541-263-0661)

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Representatives from the Wallowa Whitman National Forest, Federal Highways Administration, Senator Ron Wyden’s office, Tidewater Construction, Oregon Department of Transportation, Baker, Union and Wallowa County governments, the Eastern Oregon Visitors Association and the Baker County Chamber of Commerce were among the crowd of about 25 individuals. Some provided recaps of the project and of the history of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, designated an All-American Road by the FHA in 2000. The importance of the road to the region’s tourism industry, ranching community and commerce was highlighted several times.

Why not mark the progression of fall with a scenic drive around the byway this weekend? There are still plenty of autumn leaves to brighten the landscape and make you want to stop for photo opportunities. Officials caution that wildlife is plentiful, so please slow down and take the time to enjoy this magnificent corridor through our corner of the world. Shops and restaurants are open throughout the byway to sooth a hungry stomach or provide what you want in picnic supplies or souvenirs. Check the Visitor Resources page for information from the chambers of commerce.

Early in August, Portland, Oregon, cycling enthusiast Jonathon Maus spent some time exploring northeast Oregon and the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway by bike. His resulting blogs on BikePortland.org will leave you yearning to park the car, hang up the keys and use just two-wheels to experience our beautiful corner of the state. Following is the prelude to his first two installments and links to the blogs. Thank you, Jonathon, for sharing your adventure!

Jonathon Maus, BikePortland.com Last week I spent five days taking a closer look at bicycling and bike tourism in Wallowa, Baker, and Union Counties as part of a partnership with Cycle Oregon. Starting in the small town of Halfway on Monday, I rode northeast to circumnavigate the Wallowa Mountains and Eagle Cap Wilderness. I camped, rode rocky dirt roads, did some bushwhacking, sampled singletrack on a mountain bike, rolled on an official State Scenic Bikeway, and met the people working to make this region a biking destination. All this week I’ll share stories and photos from the road.

First installment: Five Days In Eastern Oregon; Halfway and an adventure to Ollokot

Second Installment: Five Days in Eastern Oregon; Riding Rails and talking tourism in Joseph

more to come…

See more fantastic photos of the journey on flickr.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS: The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is currently in a Seasonal Campfire Restriction and at 12:01 a.m. (PDT) on Saturday, July 19, 2014 will go into Phase A of the Public Use Restrictions. For detailed information about these regulations, visit: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5429097.pdf.

Here is the latest report concerning a fire that is currently burning in the Eagle Cap Wilderness:

The Hurricane Fire is located approximately 4 miles southwest of Joseph, Oregon in the Eagle Cap Wilderness; east of Hurricane Creek and north of Dunn Creek. It was detection July 13, 2014, and was caused by lightning. As of this morning, it is 120 acres in size and containment is at 0%.

TODAY’S MESSAGE: One Type 3 helicopter with a 14 person crew will arrive today and be incorporated into the suppression. Suppression activities on the fire are extremely difficult due to very steep terrain that provides minimal helicopter landing sites for transporting crews, limited creek crossing opportunities for crews needing to cross Hurricane Creek to access the fire, and steep, rocky slopes challenging crews hiking to the fire.

The Management Team is working closely with the Oregon Department of Forestry to coordinate protection of private land along Hurricane Creek.

A second fire in the area,the Hurricane Creek 2 Fire, is located west of Hurricane Creek. It is being monitored from the air.

YESTERDAY’S ACTIVITIES: The Hurricane Fire burned actively through the day. Crews continued to work along the west edge of the fire, improving the line and mopping up hot spots within the fire area. They also worked the area along the southwest portion where retardant was dropped on Monday to check fire intensity, and scout for additional spots. Crews mopped up the three acre spot fire north of the main fire. Two crews brushed out along the Hurricane Creek Road, improving safety for fire equipment and creating a wider fuel break.

TODAY’S PLANNED ACTIVITIES: Crews will continue line construction and suppression work along the west, north, and south edges of the fire and to mop-up the spot fire just north of the main fire. Brush out operations along the Hurricane Creek Road will continue. Fuel reduction work will be done along the Forest Service land boundary east of Hurricane Creek. Air support will be used, as appropriate, to assist suppression efforts on the fire. Spot fires in the vicinity of the fire will be monitored.

WEATHER: The skies will be clear and sunny on Thursday. Temperatures will be a bit cooler but winds will increase and vary from 8 to 14 out of the west.

AREA/ROAD CLOSURES: The Hurricane Creek Trail (#1807) is closed from the Hurricane Creek trailhead near the Falls Creek Forest Camp to the trail’s junction with Trail #1824 near Billy Jones Creek. To see the updated closure, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman.

The Hurricane Creek Road is closed to the general public beginning at the Hurricane Creek Grange, due to fire activity in the area and unsafe conditions on the road related to fire incident traffic. Owners of homes and property along the road will be allowed access.

RESOURCES ASSIGNED TO THE FIRE: Currently 96 people are assigned to this fire including 12 smoke jumpers, 4 helitac crew, 4 district fire personnel, 2 Type 2 crews, and other support personnel. Also 1 Type 1 and 1 Type 3 helicopter are assigned to the fire. A Type 1 crew has been ordered.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Baker City, OR – With the Memorial Day weekend around the corner, National Forests are gearing up for the start to the traditional Northwest recreation season. A wide range of activities awaits in Oregon and Washington’s 16 national forests, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and Crooked River National Grassland: camping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, caving, hunting, mushrooming, bird watching, and simply driving for pleasure to name a few. Summer is a great time in the Northwest to get outdoors and explore the forest you haven’t quite made it to yet.

On the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, there are campgrounds, trailheads, boat launches, and many other undeveloped attractions awaiting you. Unlike some public lands, you can camp nearly anywhere in your national forests – please just leave your site cleaner than you found it.

A lot of snow remains at higher elevations on the Wallowa-Whitman, such as in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and on some of the upper mountain roads; however this is a great time of year to visit Hells Canyon and the lower elevation trails around Baker City, Enterprise, and La Grande. Some campground and trailhead maintenance may be delayed due to addressing safety concerns, such as hazard trees, rocks on roads, water testing, etc. so before travelling, please check with the local Ranger District to obtain current information. You may also find current condition information on the Forest web site at this location: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ConditionReports.

If you are looking to travel the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, please be advised that Forest Service Road (FSR) 39 is under construction beginning at the junction of Highway 86 (out of Halfway, OR), going north on FSR 39 for 13 miles to the junction with FSR 66. This section of the road is referred to as the North Pine section and is closed to all travel at this time. The detour route (FSR 66) for the construction is still inaccessible due to high elevation snow levels. However, travel to Hells Canyon Overlook is accessible via FSR 39 from Joseph, Oregon. Please see the Forest web site for complete construction information and schedule of operation: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/WallowaMtnLoopRd.

Some campgrounds require reservations – www.recreation.gov – and some trails require a pass to help us keep them maintained – Passes and Permits in Your Northwest Forests. However, all 24 million acres of National Forest System lands in the Northwest belong to you and beckon for you to come visit.

Good news: There are three fee-free days and a fee-free weekend left this year, two coming up in June:

• National Trails Day – June 7
• National Get Outdoors Day – June 14
• National Public Lands Day – Sept. 27
• Veterans Day Weekend – Nov. 8-11

For other Oregon and Washington Forest’s recreational opportunities and restriction information, check out what’s available at: Your Northwest National Forests.

Wallowa-Whitman Ranger District’s Contact Information:

*Photo by Sarah B. Anderson