Durkee Fire balloons to 182 square miles, Gov. Kotek invokes Conflagration

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for Durkee Fire in Baker County as officials say it has ballooned to 116,431 acres, or about 182 square miles, Sunday morning, with 0% containment.

The Conflagration invocation was requested by the Oregon State Fire Marshal, meaning that additional resources from around the state – such as fire crews from outside the local vicinity – can be redirected to help fight the fire.

Baker and Malheur County currently have level 2 and 3 evacuation notices in place. Additional information about evacuations can be found on the social media pages for the Baker County Sheriff’s Office and the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office .

This all comes after a “Red Flag Warning” is in effect for various dry areas of Oregon amid forecasted lighting and guys winds over the next 24 hours, officials said.

“This latest round of weather is extremely concerning,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Our firefighters are doing everything thing they can to rise to this immense challenge, but they are taxed, and we need our fellow Oregonians’ help. Please take precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire, be familiar with evacuation levels, and have a go-kit ready in case you need to leave your home.”

There are still 81 active wildfires in Oregon, overall, totaling 504,692 acres — or 788 square miles — as of Sunday morning, officials said. In addition to the Durkee Fire, the Oregon State Fire Marshal has directed resources to help fight the Lane Rock/Boneyard Fire, the Falls Fire and the Battle Mountain Complex Fire in various counties across the state.

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