Cow Valley fire scorches over 114,00 acres, containment at zero percent

UPDATE: As of July 14, 2024

As of 3 p.m., conditions have improved along the Highway 26 corridor and north west of Vale, according to the Malheur County Sheriff's Office. The preparedness in the area has downgraded to "Get Ready" which means to make plans for where you want to go, have a bag ready and put plans in place for livestock.

The City of Vale is not in danger at this time. Only those that live on the Wildland/Urban Interface, north west of Vale, need to follow these warnings.

Westfall area, including Bonita, Indian Valley and Clover Creek areas, have been UPGRADED to the “Get Set” or the next level of preparedness.

Fire activity on the Cow Valley Fire has picked up on the southern side of the fire and preparations should be made in case weather conditions and fire behavior increase. You should have your travel supplies and companion animals ready to go within 10 minutes of notice to evacuate. Plans should be set. Don’t go anywhere yet unless you need extra time to get out and travel.

Evacuees are welcome at the Red Cross Evacuation Shelter in Ontario at the Malheur County Fairgrounds, located at 795 N.W. 9th Street. The fairgrounds can accommodate companion animals, large animals and there is space for dry camping in RVs as well as showers, air conditioning and breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

UPDATE: As of July 14, 2024

As of 6:00 a.m. today, the Cow Valley Fire and Bonita Fire are being managed together by the Oregon State Fire Marshall Red Team and NW Team 6. The Red Team will handle structure protection and defend key infrastructure, while NW Team 6 will focus on suppressing the fire and coordinating firefighting resources like crews, aircraft, and heavy equipment. More resources are being ordered and are expected to arrive in the coming days.

• Start date: July 11, 2024
• Location: 9 miles east of Ironside, OR
• Total personnel: 194
• Fire size: 114,559
• Cause: Human caused, under investigation
• OSFM task forces: 5
• Containment: 0%

COW VALLEY PUBLIC FIRE INFORMATION

UPDATE: As of July 13th, 2024

Equipment operators worked overnight Thursday to create a dozer line aimed at protecting the town of Brogan from the Cow Valley Fire, which is burning on private property and lands managed by the Vale Bureau of Land Management, about 9 miles east of Ironside, Oregon.

Firefighters bolstered the dozer line with a tactical firing operation between Malheur Reservoir and Brogan. Four task forces from the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office are focused on safeguarding 45 homes and establishing defensible space around private properties south of Brogan. The agency’s Red Incident Management Team is set to join the efforts on Saturday morning.

Crews from Vale BLM are actively constructing and reinforcing lines on the south side of the highway, where the fire is most intense. A dozer line reaching the top of Juniper Mountain was completed today, and a hand crew from Snake River Valley will start reinforcing that line on Saturday.

As of Saturday evening, the fire has spread to approximately 114,000 acres. There are currently 120 personnel assigned, utilizing 9 engines, one hand crew, 5 dozers, 2 water tenders, and 16 aircraft. A Hotshot crew and two helicopters are expected to join the response on Saturday.

Highway 26 reopened Friday afternoon, but motorists are advised to be cautious of slow-moving equipment and firefighters in the area, and to avoid the stretch between Ironside and Brogan if possible.

The Northwest 6 Complex Incident Management Team will conduct a briefing on Saturday morning, spend the day familiarizing themselves with the situation, and assume command of the fire on Sunday morning. This transition will provide Vale BLM with additional resources and allow local teams to focus on other fires and emerging incidents.

The Bonita Road Fire, located 9 miles southeast of Ironside, has shown minimal movement today, covering an estimated 2,727 acres. Crews have completed mop-up operations 15 feet from the dozer line, achieving 20 percent containment.

Both fires have been classified as human-caused, prompting investigations by the Bureau of Land Management, Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, and Oregon State Police.

The Cow Valley Fire now covers over 73,000 acres and remains 0% contained.

Evacuation awareness has been set at level 1, meaning residents are safe but encouraged to follow instructions from authorities. The latest updates on the situation can be found on the Malheur County Sheriff's Office Facebook page .

A Facebook page compiling information on the fire has been launched and made available here .

The Cow Valley fire has changed direction and is now traveling east, toward the town of Brogan at a high rate of speed. The fire is on both the south and north sides of the highway. Citizens living in Brogan and in and around the Brogan canyon may be at risk if fire crews can't contain it.

Brogan citizens are strongly encouraged to make preparations to vacate your home, should the order come at a later time. US26 is currently closed at Brogan due to the fire.

According to Larisa Bogardus with the Vale District of the Bureau of Land Management, progress on containing the north side of the fire has been going well as officials shift their focus to the south side.

Bogardus says only two abandoned structures have been lost to the flames, and that no mandatory evacuations are in place at this time.

Idaho Power confirms there are several downed power lines south of the fire which may leave ranchers in the area without power for an extended time period.

Residents are running sprinklers on dry areas as some prepare to leave while other say they'll stay put until the fire arrives.

The American Red Cross of Greater Idaho announced that they will be opening a shelter for those effected in a comment on the Facebook alert from the Malheur County Sheriff's Office. The Malheur County Fairgrounds at 795 NW 9th St in Ontario will be open to house those displaced with space for RVs and housing for large animals.

RELATED | Burn ban in effect for Ontario

More information will come, so return back for more updates.

MALHEUR COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE