Contact: Tara Martinak (541) 573-4400
Release No. OR-BU-14-17
July 14, 2014
Thunderstorm brings extensive lightning, new wildfires
HINES, Ore. – The July 13 storm that passed over much of Harney County produced over 1,000
lightning strikes and started least a dozen new wildfires. An Air Attack plane surveyed the scene
yesterday evening, reporting visible smoke columns from just about every corner of the county.
This morning, firefighters are mostly concentrated on two separate groups of fires, where several
small incidents exist in close proximity – one group is in the Lamb Ranch/Bartlett Mountain/Warm
Springs Reservoir area, and the other is in the Beaver Table/Twin Reservoir area near Venator. A new
incident near Miller Canyon north of Riley has also earned some attention from both ground and air
firefighting resources. Fire activity is expected to be very high this afternoon and evening, as
temperatures rise and winds pick up from the north/northwest. Additional information will be
released as conditions change.
Despite the rain that came with Sunday’s storm, firefighters will be busy throughout the week, chasing
smoke reports and responding to new starts that surface with the return of hot and dry conditions.
The Denio Basin fire, located in the Pueblo Mountains just north of the Nevada border, is mostly
contained at 1,665 acres.
Fire danger is HIGH and public use restrictions are in effect across Harney County. The Industrial
Fire Precaution Level is a level two, which limits personal woodcutting to those hours after 8 p.m. and
before 1 p.m. Residents should expect increased firefighting equipment on roadways and in the air,
and avoid active wildfire areas at all times. Use extreme caution when traveling through and
recreating in the outdoors this time of year.
To report a wildfire, call 573-1000.
For more information on current wildfire activity, call 573-4519.
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 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.
-BLM-