Lightning triggers fires

The Cougar Ridge fire, burning in rough, remote country, quickly grew from 100 to about 600 acres. USFS photo

Judy Wing, public affairs officer for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, said this morning the Cougar Ridge fire, 11 miles southeast of Wallowa, was first reported about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday. The blaze, burning in rough, remote country, has grown quickly, she said.

“It was about 100 acres immediately and now it’s about 600 acres,” Wing said. “The closest road is about two miles, so there’s limited access.”

“We’ll have aircraft up as soon as possible,” she said.

Another large fire is burning on the right side of Mount Fanny at Meadow Mountain, in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Wing said only limited information was available this morning.

“It’s putting up a lot of smoke and that’s about all we know right now,” she said.

The fire is burning about 14 miles east of Union.

Between 4:45 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesday, 18 fire incidents  were reported across the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and on Oregon Department of Forestry-protected lands.

Local firefighting resources have contained some of the fires and more resources are en route to other fires, according to Forest Service reports. Most of the fires are less than an acre in size.

Wing said varying amounts of rain fell throughout the area Tuesday.

“There was an inch of rain at Sparta Butte, though other places received less,” she said.

Due to the current fire conditions, forest visitors are asked to be extra cautious with fire. Sparks from a campfire, cigarette, chainsaw or an overheated muffler can spread quickly and start a catastrophic fire during high fire danger conditions.

Land protected in the ODF’s Northeast District have a Regulated Use Closure in effect. Specific information on the restrictions are available at www.odf.state.or.us.

For additional information check with Forest Service offices of visit www.fs.fed.us/r6/w-w.

Report an unattended campfire or wildfire by calling 9-1-1.