Update as of Thursday morning: The Durkee Fire grew overnight, however rain helped firefighting efforts and evacuation orders were lowered for the town of Huntington. Full updates here.
The Durkee Fire in Eastern Oregon grew to more than 240,000 acres Wednesday, making it the number one fire priority in the nation, doubling in size over the past three days.
The fire is now the largest wildfire in Oregon — and one of the largest in state history — threatening multiple small towns in Baker and Malheur counties, in what’s been an usually active wildfire season for Oregon this early in the year.
Fire officials said the Durkee Fire was still 0% contained as of Wednesday morning, one week after being caused by a lightning strike.
The Durkee Fire, which started 5 miles southwest of the town of Durkee, Ore., is now burning at least 240,000 acres as of the morning of July 24, 2024.
Courtesy of the Oregon State Fire Marshal
And now rain — instead of relieving the situation — could make things worse. National Weather Service forecaster Mike Cantin said the storm will create winds in excess of 50 miles per hour with lots of lightning expected to last until 10 p.m. Wednesday night.
Those conditions could potentially start more fires, while making it more difficult for crews to get a handle on Durkee. Lightning strikes have already started a handful of small fires east of the fire.
The fire has also intermittently closed Interstate 84 between Pendleton and Ontario. The high winds increase the risk of flash floods. Even though only half an inch of rain is expected, burnt areas from the fire are resistant to water, possibly creating flood situations.
The Oregon Department of Transportation is recommending that drivers use U.S. Highway 20 to travel to the eastern part of the state.
Active wildfires in Oregon as of Wednesday afternoon.
Winston Szeto / OPB
The storm adds to what’s already a dangerous situation for residents living near the fire, especially those in the 500-person city of Huntington. The Baker County Sheriff’s Office has had evacuation orders for the city for three days.
Those who evacuate can seek shelter at the Four Rivers Cultural Center in Ontario.
In addition to the oncoming flames and smoky air conditions, Idaho Power has also shut power off for all of Huntington. City officials said they don’t expect power to return until Thursday at the earliest. Nearly 7,000 customers across the region were without electricity, the utility told the Associated Press.
But many Huntington residents still haven’t evacuated. City Recorder Siobhan Boxberger said as of Wednesday afternoon, most people had not left and many would likely stay.
“It’s not like it’s a ghost town around here,” Boxberger said.
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office said hundreds of people attempting to leave the small city at once could lead to a dangerous situation, and said everyone should leave as soon as possible. If the interstate becomes overwhelmed with flames, that could lead to few options for residents to leave.
Bill Burley, who owns a 40-acre property around Huntington, said he intends to stay put and fight any fires that come toward his property. He can’t pump water due to local power shutoffs, but said he and family members intend to fireproof the area around his property and await help from fire crews if the situation worsens.
Still, he acknowledged that this fire, which has grown rapidly in the past few days, was unlike anything he had ever seen in his 55 years of living in Huntington.
“We are living in pure misery,” Burley said.
Jessica Reed, public information officer for the Durkee Fire incident team, says people who stick around could inhibit their crews from protecting structures.
“People should leave if they’re still there,” Reed said. “They’re putting their lives at risk by staying there.”