Durkee Fire

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Durkee Fire
BLM at the Durkee Fire on July 21.jpg
A Bureau of Land Management vehicle at the Durkee Fire on July 21, 2024
Date(s)
  • July 17, 2024 (2024-07-17) – August 7, 2024 (2024-08-07)
  • (21 days)
(PDT)
Location Baker and Malheur counties, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates 44°32′52″N117°28′38″W / 44.54778°N 117.47722°W / 44.54778; -117.47722
Statistics [1]
StatusExtinguished
Burned area294,265 acres (1,190.85 km2)
Map
Durkee Fire
Perimeter of the Durkee Fire (map data)

The Durkee Fire was a wildfire burning in Baker and Malheur counties in eastern Oregon. The Durkee Fire was the second-largest wildfire in the United States and was the largest wildfire in Oregon's 2024 wildfire season.

Contents

Background

A lightning strike on private property in Baker County, Oregon, caused the fire on July 17, 2024, at approximately 9:30 am. [1]

Progression

As of August 7,2024, the fire burned 294,265 acres (1,190.85 km2) in Baker and Malheur counties [2] and is 95 percent contained. It is considered a megafire. The Durkee Fire is the largest wildfire in Oregon's 2024 wildfire season and the fifth largest in modern Oregon history. [1]

The Durkee Fire was at one point the largest active wildfire in the United States. [3] InciWeb estimated it will be fully contained by August 8. [1]

Effects

As of July 24,2024, the fire has destroyed 2 homes and 12 other buildings. [2]

On July 20, the fire prompted the evacuation of Huntington, Oregon, a city home to about 500 people. On July 24, gas service to residents in the town was shut off. [3]

The fire has prompted intermittent closures of Interstate 84 in Oregon (I-84), [4] including from Pendleton to Ontario on July 24. [5] The Durkee Fire is active to the west of I-84, but a separate smaller fire called the Thompson Fire has been active to the east of the road. [6] Additionally, the Cow Valley Fire is to the southeast. [7]

Idaho Power, a major electricity company in the area, warned customers to prepare for outages, and 7,000 of its customers had no power by the afternoon of July 24. [3]

The fire has killed hundreds of cattle. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Durkee Fire". InciWeb . United States Forest Service. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Terry, Lynne (July 25, 2024). "Firefighters in Oregon battle biggest blaze in country, with thousands facing evacuation orders". Oregon Capital Chronicle . Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Boone, Rebecca (July 24, 2024). "Oregon fire is the largest burning in the US. Thunderstorms and high winds are exacerbating it". Associated Press . Boise, Idaho. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  4. ↑ Tuttle, Zoe; Armstrong, Zack (July 23, 2024). "I-84 eastbound lanes reopen after closure due to wildfire in eastern Oregon". KGW . Boise, Idaho. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  5. ↑ Urness, Zach; Deins, Elliott; Robledo, Anthony (July 25, 2024). "Oregon wildfire map: Track 38 uncontrolled blazes that have burned nearly 1 million acres". USA Today . Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  6. ↑ Macuk, Anthony; Raineri, Joe; Cook, Katherine (July 24, 2024). "Durkee Fire in eastern Oregon is the largest fire burning in the US". KGW . Portland, Oregon. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Durkee, Cow Valley, and Bonita Fires Update for Friday, July 26, 2024". InciWeb . United States Forest Service. July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  8. ↑ Baker, Graeme (July 26, 2024). "'Firenado' rips through California in year's biggest blaze". BBC . Retrieved July 27, 2024.
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