BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT OR-030-2015-018
Contact:
Larry Moore
(541) 473-6218/(336) 341-8209
Type 3 Team Deployed to Lime Hill Fire
Vale, Ore. – The Lime Hill Fire began yesterday off of Interstate-84 at an initial report of about 600 acres.
The fire has now grown to more than 12,000 acres. The cause of the growth was primarily a sustained wind
of about 20 miles per hour throughout the night.
“The wind just moved the fire faster than we could keep up with it,” said Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) Vale District Engine Captain Fred Tucker.
As of this morning the High Desert Type 3 Team has taken command of the fire and is conducting
operations out of their Incident Command Post at Huntington High School. The priority for now is to
continue to protect the town of Huntington, limit impact to priority Sage-grouse habitat in the affected area
and to coordinate suppression with the Burnt River Rural Fire Protection Association (RFPA). In addition,
an area of particular focus will be the northeast corner of the fire, where open line and tough terrain make
containment in the area difficult.
The City of Huntington issued a Level One Evacuation Notice yesterday evening due to the possibility that
the fire could jump the highway and move toward the City. Deven Deck, Public Works Director for
Huntington, said that the order has been rescinded.
Interstate-84 between Ontario and Pendleton was also closed, but has since reopened as immediate danger
to the public passing through the affected area has abated.
There are currently 23 engines on site at the Lime Hill Fire, made up of a combination of government and
contract resources. Also on scene are seven water tenders, five bulldozers and one Type Two Initial Attack
crew. There are numerous air assets as well, including five Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs), two heavy
air tankers and two helicopters with two more helicopters expected to arrive this afternoon. The total
personnel on site under the command of the High Desert Team is now at more than 150 people.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Vale BLM officials are investigating.
If you see or suspect a wildfire, call the Vale BLM Fire Dispatch Center at 541-473-6295. For more
information on reporting wildfires in Malheur and Baker counties, as well as Northeast Oregon, visit
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/fire/report-fire.php.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land,
known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The
BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's
mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future
generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2014, the BLM generated
$5.2 billion in receipts from public lands.
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