Single Publication

Resources:  385 Total Personnel | 7 Hand Crews | 7 Engines | 7 Heavy Equipment | 5 Water Tender
1 Fixed-Wing Aircraft | 7 Helicopters

(Dufur, OR) The Boulder Fire started on July 8 near Boulder Lake Trailhead 26 miles southwest of Dufur in the Mt. Hood National Forest’s Barlow Ranger District. The fire is burning in dead and down debris located in steep, rugged and alpine-like terrain. Approximately 234 acres have burned. The change in size is due to improved mapping data. The efforts of firefighters on the ground combined with air resources have been so effective at limiting fire growth that fire managers are beginning to transition to the mop-up phase of suppression operations. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. A temporary flight restriction is in place. Public and firefighter safety are the highest priorities on the Boulder Fire. 

Community Meeting: A community meeting is scheduled for this evening, July 13, at 7 p.m. in the Wamic Community Hall (80192 Emigrant St. in Wamic, Oregon) and on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/mthoodnf

Yesterday, firefighters continued to work on handlines and hose lays around the fire’s eastern side. While checking for heat beyond the southeast corner of the perimeter, fire crews found and extinguished a new hot spot as well as one that had reignited from the day before. Firefighters used heavy equipment to progress on containment. On the west side, firefighters completed a hose lay along the entire western perimeter and reinforced bulldozer lines throughout the division.  Helicopters, dipping from Little Boulder Lake in the center of the fire area, used bucket drops to cool hot spots.  Unburned fuels were removed from the northern edge using controlled fire, resulting in 5% containment by the end of yesterday’s shift. 

Today, fire crews plan to finish digging handlines, improving containment lines such as roads and bulldozer lines, and installing hose lays in preparation for mop-up operations. Mop-up efforts include carefully checking along containment lines and adjacent areas to locate and extinguish all heat sources so these lines will hold under current and expected fire behavior. Firefighters will also patrol for hot spots and use air resources as needed.                  

Weather: Conditions are forecast to continue warming and drying through the weekend, and fire managers are preparing for potentially critical fire weather early next week. 

Closures and Restrictions: Many of the roadways, campgrounds and trails north and east of Forest Road 48 in the Barlow Ranger District are closed. Due to the high fire danger, open fire and target shooting restrictions have been implemented. For more information or to view the full closure order, visit the Forest webpage at www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/mthood/alerts-notices.

Evacuations: Boulder Lake Campground, Little Boulder Lake, Bonney Meadows Campground, Badger Lake Campground, Camp Windy, and Post Camp Campground are under a Level 3 –Go Now evacuation. Evacuation levels are Level 1 – Be Ready to Evacuate, Level 2 – Be Set to Evacuate, and Level 3 – Go Now. More information is available from the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office at www.facebook.com/WascoCountySheriff.

Public Safety: Firefighters and heavy equipment are working on and around the area roadways, including Forest Road 48. Motorists can help keep firefighters and visitors safe by driving carefully and avoiding these areas. Timothy Lake, a popular recreation site, is being used by water-scooping aircraft. Firefighters are using the Rock Creek OHV Area as a staging area. For everyone’s safety, the public is asked to stay clear of these fire suppression operations.

Smoke: Currently, there are no significant smoke impacts from the Boulder Fire. For air quality updates, visit www.oregonsmoke.org or airnow.gov.