WARM SPRINGS, OR -- The Nena Springs Fire continues to grow on the north end of the Warm Springs Reservation. As of Thursday night, it was estimated at about 23,000 acres. The fire was discovered Wednesday afternoon and has prompted evacuations on the reservation.
While the Nena Springs Fire is near Wasco County and not actually inside the area managed by the Central Oregon Fire Management Service, Alex Robertson says his agency is sending resources to help, through the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center in Redmond. "It's been burning actively. We know it's moving to the south in the reservation. We're very concerned about that fire, because there are a couple of places that if it turns, they get a wind shift or it changes directions, there's a potential it could come off the reservation and impact some BLM lands and some other private lands. So, all of us are paying very close attention in supporting Warm Springs and their efforts to handle that fire."
About 40 homes were issued Level 3 evacuation notices, with orders to leave. Highway 3, from Kah-Nee-Ta to Simnasho is closed to all traffic and the community of Simnasho is at Evacuation Level 2, which means residents need to be set to leave if the fire shifts. A Type-2 Incident Management Team took control of the firefighting operation Friday morning.
Central Oregon remains under a red flag warning through Friday at 10 p.m., due to the high risk of abundant lightning and gusty winds.
Photo: Alyssa Macy/Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, courtesy KWSO Facebook.
