As of Wednesday morning, the Elk Fire is estimated at 2,000 acres with 0% containment. Wildland and structural firefighting crews are working together to improve situational awareness, with more accurate mapping expected as work continues along the fire’s perimeter.
Over the past two days, neighboring structural fire resources from Klamath and Lake counties were mobilized to assist local crews in suppression efforts. Due to the fire’s rapid growth and high potential, Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act at 12:07 p.m. Wednesday, authorizing the Oregon State Fire Marshal to mobilize additional structural firefighting resources.
Two Oregon State Fire Marshal structural task forces arrived Wednesday night, with three more arriving Thursday morning to support suppression efforts. The mutual aid task forces from Klamath and Lake counties are returning home Thursday to protect their local communities.
Overnight operations focused on scouting and building fireline using bulldozers and hand crews. Firefighters made steady progress despite challenging terrain and reduced visibility.
Thursday, wildland and structural crews will continue working together to secure containment lines, slow the fire’s spread, and protect homes, outbuildings, and critical infrastructure, including a high-power transmission line to the east. Repairs are also ongoing to a fiber optic line that provides internet and phone service to areas east of the fire.
Additional firefighting resources are arriving throughout the day, allowing crews to engage the fire on multiple fronts.
Forecasted weather includes temperatures in the upper 80s and breezy winds, which may increase fire activity.
The Elk Fire is now under unified command between the Oregon State Fire Marshal Red Incident Management Team and the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team 1.
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is managing evacuations. Community members should stay informed about current evacuation levels and be ready to leave if necessary. For the latest evacuation updates, visit: https://protect.genasys.com/search.
American Red Cross Shelter:
Living Springs Church
31897 Mission Street
Bonanza, OR 97623
Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR):
A TFR is in effect from the surface up to 6,500 feet and will remain in place 24 hours a day until further notice. For complete information, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_5_2600. Flying drones near wildfires endangers pilots and interferes with suppression efforts.