Fire crews in Oregon are enjoying a reprieve as they mop up the large fires that scorched hundreds of thousands of acres of rangeland and focus on three other large blazes that are not fully contained.
The weather has helped, with lower temperatures and precipitation in parts of the state. Temperatures in southeast Oregon, charred by the largest fire in the state in nearly 150 years, are forecast to range in the upper 80s and lower 90s on Tuesday, compared to triple digit heat last week.
"That a relief," said Carol Connolly, spokeswoman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. "I think we've turned the corner."
Firefighters have contained the Long Draw fire in the southeast corner of the state at nearly 560,000 acres, as well as the Bonita Complex fire northwest of Westfall, covering more than 18,000 acres.
But the fire season is far from over. Connolly said forecasters expect the return of extreme weather in 10 days.
On Monday, 24 new fires ignited in Oregon but all but one were put out by local crews, Connolly said. Only one -- the West Crater fire north of Rome -- has spread, scorching 1,500 acres. That blaze is 20 percent contained.
The Miller Homestead fire, covering about 160,000 acres, is 85 percent contained.
"The fire is looking really good," said Sonya Capek, spokeswoman for the incident management team. "Crews are continuing to mop up and check the lines and protect unburned pockets of fuel for grazing and wildlife habitat."
More than 600 firefighters and support staff were assigned to the fire but crews are being demobilized in preparation for a transition to a local team. Capek said the fire should be contained in the next day or two, depending on the weather.
"It depends on thunderstorms and wind," she said.
The only other large fire in Oregon that remains uncontained is burning northeast of Madras. The Lexsfall fire, running through grass and brush, covers nearly 1,700 acres and is 60 percent contained.
In Washington state, two large fires are burning:
The Douglas County complex southwest of Mansfield, Wash., has swept through more than 2,500 acres. It's 80 percent contained.
And the Foster Creek fire south of Bridgeport, Wash., is 70 percent contained at nearly 1,300 acres.
-- Lynne Terry
Follow me on Twitter @LynnePDX
Copyright 2012 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
