Current:Home > StocksRail Ridge wildfire in Oregon consumes over 60,000 acres; closes area of national forest-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Rail Ridge wildfire in Oregon consumes over 60,000 acres; closes area of national forest
View Date:2024-12-23 23:59:45
The Rail Ridge Fire in central Oregon has set over 61,000 acres ablaze and is 0% contained.
The wildfire was discovered on September 2, according to USA TODAY's data. It's located in Dayville, around 240 miles southeast of Portland.
There are two forests, the Umatilla National Forest and the Ochoco National Forest, that surround the fire, which is primarily fueled by tall grass and brush.
As of 1:33 a.m., the fire has not been contained and has caused over $115,000 in damages. But only four houses are in the area where the fire is burning.
Storm tracker:National Hurricane Center tracking 3 tropical disturbances in Atlantic
What caused the fire?
The fire was caused by lightning.
Several lightning strikes caused multiple fires, which combined and became the Rail Ridge Fire, according to Central Oregon Fire's website.
Rail Ridge wildfire map
Forest closures
Rail Ridge and another fire, PR778, led to the Malheur National Forest closing areas of the forests from September 3 to December 31, 2024, according to a press release published by the United States Department of Agriculture.
"To protect public health and safety, fire managers have closed the area described below due to fire activity and fire suppression operations," it stated.
Another fire in Oregon
The closure comes as another fire, the Copperfield Fire, brought level 3 “go now” evacuation orders east of Chiloquin and north of Klamath Falls, around 250 miles southwest of the Rail Ridge fire.
The fire quickly grew as strong winds on Monday fanned the flames.
“Due to unfavorable weather conditions, this is a rapidly evolving incident,” Teresa Williams, forester for the Klamath-Lake District, said. “We’re grateful to have the help of the incident management teams in managing and working to contain this fire and protect our communities.”
An evacuation map can be found here. The evacuation center was located at the Klamath Falls Fairgrounds.
National wildfire map
Near-record heat to bring high fire danger late this week
Temperatures across Oregon are forecast to spike near record levels and bring much higher wildfire risk later this week.
Temperatures are forecast to rise above 90 Wednesday and even crack 100 degrees Thursday and Friday. The hot and dry conditions, in addition to winds in the Cascade Mountains, could lead to high fire danger and growth.
However, no extreme east winds similar to 2020 or 2022, which led to major fire destruction and power shutoffs, are currently projected.
One interesting note: the last time the Willamette Valley saw temperatures crack 100 degrees in September was Sept. 2, 2017. That was the same day the Eagle Creek Fire ignited in the Columbia Gorge.
Other fires in central Oregon
- Wiley Flat Fire
- Oak Canyon Fire
- Shoe Fly Fire
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz.
veryGood! (4244)
Related
- Natural gas flares sparked 2 wildfires in North Dakota, state agency says
- LA County voters face huge decision on homeless services funding
- NCAA cracking down on weapon gestures toward opponents in college football
- How much income does it take to crack the top 1%? A lot depends on where you live.
- Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys
- Supreme Court rejects R. Kelly's child sexual abuse appeal, 20-year sentence stands
- Where are the voters who could decide the presidential election?
- Not everything will run perfectly on Election Day. Still, US elections are remarkably reliable
- Hurricane forecasters on alert: November storm could head for Florida
- 'Avoid spreading false information,' FEMA warns, says agency is 'prepared to respond'
Ranking
- Bitcoin has topped $87,000 for a new record high. What to know about crypto’s post-election rally
- Supreme Court declines to hear appeal from Mississippi death row inmate
- Education Pioneer Wealth Society: Empowering the Future, Together with Education Pioneers
- Sandbags, traffic, boarded-up windows: Photos show Florida bracing for Hurricane Milton
- Some women are stockpiling Plan B and abortion pills. Here's what experts have to say.
- Election certification is a traditionally routine duty that has become politicized in the Trump era
- Election conspiracy theories fueled a push to hand-count votes, but doing so is risky and slow
- When does 'Abbott Elementary' return? Season 4 premiere date, time, cast, where to watch and stream
Recommendation
-
'Serial swatter': 18-year-old pleads guilty to making nearly 400 bomb threats, mass shooting calls
-
In ‘Piece by Piece,’ Pharrell finds Lego fits his life story
-
2 off-duty NYC housing authority employees arrested in gang attack on ex New York governor
-
Shop Amazon's October Prime Day 2024 Best Kitchen Deals & Save Up to 78% on KitchenAid, Ninja & More
-
Is Veterans Day a federal holiday? Here's what to know for November 11
-
All NHL teams have captain for first time since 2010-11: Who wears the 'C' in 2024-25?
-
Judge declines bid by New Hampshire parents to protest transgender players at school soccer games
-
Courts could see a wave of election lawsuits, but experts say the bar to change the outcome is high