Wildfires Scorch Oregon Including Larch Creek Fire – KXL

WASCO COUNTY, Ore. — Anxious neighbors meet in person and online in Wasco County to hear from their sheriff, Lane McGill.

“When you have wildland fires, particularly in this case, it was rapid and evolving, of course. So what we have to do is we’ve got to start implementing evacuation notices.”

He tells his neighbors at a community meeting about the Larch Creek Fire, he had to make quick decisions on how soon to enact Level 3 Go Now evacuation orders.

“The conditions were pretty ripe for a pretty fast fire, and we found that out pretty quick.  Step one is to find out, who needs to go to level three if it’s immediate. We actually did that.”

The Larch Creek Fire is one of the eight largest wildfires tearing through parched Oregon land. Mark DesJardins with Wildland Fire Operations describes the conditions firefighters are coping with.

“The issue today has been the heat of this fire not allowing tankers to get into that area and it’s too steep for dozers to get across there.”

This fire alone has already cost at least $8 million and the price tag’s rising. The Oregon Fire Marshal and Department of Forestry are bringing in resources from New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, Colorado, and Florida to help with the Larch Creek and other fires in Oregon.