NOTE: The Enterprise is making coverage of this fire information available to all because of the emergency circumstances.
UPDATE 8:15 p.m. Friday, July 19 – An updated evacuation map shows a Level 3 for areas east of U.S. Highway 26 from near Brogan to almost Jamieson.
The lightning-caused Durkee Fire was burning rapidly south towards Malheur County Friday night and is expected to continue moving into the Willow Creek Road area through the night, according to fire officials.
“The Durkee Fire has advanced to the south at an alarming rate toward Brogan. It has jumped Durbin Creek Road and is proceeding south along the ridge line north” of U.S. Highway 26, according to a Facebook post from the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office.
The official evacuation map for Friday, July 19 listed a Level 3 – “Go” – status for an area north of Willow Creek Road, just northwest of Brogan. The area is sparsely populated and is northeast of the Cow Valley Fire area.
Residents on the north side of U.S. Highway 26, just north of Thomasello Road and Hill Road “are advised to evacuate at once,” the sheriff’s office post said. The roads are roughly east of Brogan, running along the area between irrigated farmland and dry slope rangeland.
The “Go” area had been extended south to nearly Jamieson by Friday evening, according to updated maps.
“Fire crews are battling winds and environmental factors that make it incredibly difficult to keep up with,” the post said.
The fire, which started southwest of the community of Durkee in Baker County on Wednesday, July 17, by Friday afternoon had covered 15,577 acres. The rapid growth of the fire meant that figure was outdated by the time officials could release it.
The fire is burning in an area east of the boundary of the catastrophic Cow Valley Fire. That fire has been contained along much of its boundary, including in the areas from Brogan northwest into the area where it started in Cow Valley.
“There is expected activity through the night because of the winds driving the fire,” a fire incident information specialist said.
The Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal announced Friday afternoon that it was dispatching more crews to join the Durkee Fire. Crews that had been working on the Cow Valley Fire also have been shifted to the new threatening fire.
Forecasters say the area will face windy conditions on Saturday and a weather system with little moisture but with lightning is expected over Malheur County Sunday into Monday.
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