NOTE: The Enterprise is providing wildfire coverage for free to all as a community service.
With the Cow Valley Fire burning out of control, residents along a 13-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 26 were put on alert Saturday afternoon to be ready to evacuate.
And the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office also put the entire communities of Vale and Westfall on notice to prepare for an evacuation.
The wildfire, which started roughly 45 miles northwest of Vale on Thursday, measured 114,391 acres by Saturday morning, July 13, and was burning south toward Vale.
The sheriff’s office said that those along Highway 26 from Brogan to Willowcreek are at a Level 2 evacuation level.
“Level 2 evacuation means that there is high danger in the area and residents should prepare to leave at a moment’s notice. Residents are encouraged to stay alert, and ensure their vehicles are packed and preparations are in place to quickly move people and livestock if necessary. If you or your family require additional time to evacuate, now is the time to do so,” according to the sheriff’s office notice.
The notice explained that the Level 1 notice for Vale and Westfall “means that residents should prepare to evacuate and stay informed on current evacuation.”
People were advised that “to ensure your safety and comfort during an evacuation, prepare an overnight bag and a change of clothes, as well as medications, phone chargers and pet supplies.”
The American Red Cross established a fire victims’ evacuation center in the air-conditioned Girvin Hall at the Malheur County Fairgrounds in Ontario, providing cots, showers and other comforts.
Jennifer Bivert, a community disaster program manager with the American Red Cross, said the fairgrounds can accommodate animals or livestock.
For information about the shelter or to volunteer, call 1-800-redcross.
Bivert said the fairgrounds is collecting donations of feed and hay for the evacuated animals. Those looking to donate can call 541-889-3431. Adele Schaffeld, director of the Malheur County Building Department, is organizing the donation drive.
Troy Lindquist, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said early this evening that the wind will blow up to 20 mph from west to east toward Vale. Overnight, the wind will slow to 10 mph and pick up tomorrow, blowing up to 20 mph from the west, moving east, again toward Vale.
He said the hot, dry, and windy conditions are “not a good environment for fire growth.”
On Saturday, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning lasting from the afternoon until Monday, July 15, due to the “potential for “abundant lightning this evening and again Sunday.”
The thunderstorms, the red flag warning forecasts, are expected to be dry thunderstorms with “abundant lighting” and are possible this evening and into Sunday.
Lindquist said the weather service expects the thunderstorms to be primarily south of Vale, closer to Rome and south of the Owyhee Reservoir.
This story will be updated as details become available.
Reporter Steven Mitchell contributed reporting.
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