Fox Fire containment reaches 10 percent as crews brace for critical weekend weather

Firefighters have increased containment on the Fox Fire to 10 percent today as the blaze reaches 71,213 acres. The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 3, under the command of Ken Watkins, reports that 384 personnel are currently working to secure the fire's boundaries 12 miles northeast of Huntington.

On Wednesday, crews prepped fire lines on the northern edge and conducted strategic ignitions along Daly Creek Road, working south from the burned area of the Powder River Fire toward Manning Creek. Firefighters successfully held Sisley Creek Road, and heavy equipment operators strengthened dozer lines originally built by local crews in Manning Creek.

Mop-up operations continue around the town of Huntington and along Snake River Road. Containment has successfully increased in the section stretching from Fox Creek to Quicksand Creek.

Today, crews will use engines, sprinkler systems, and strategic ignitions to hold Sisley and Daly Creek roads in an effort to reduce fire intensity. As a contingency, if the fire crosses these roads, heavy equipment will continue improving a dozer line in Manning Creek extending toward Big Lookout Mountain.

Engines also remain active along the Snake River corridor, patrolling and extinguishing any remaining heat from Huntington to the Brownlee Reservoir.

Fire managers are preparing for a challenging weekend as hot, dry, and windy conditions persist. Temperatures are expected to remain in the 90s with northwest winds. While no thunderstorms are currently in the forecast, the combination of heat and wind could bring critical fire weather through the next few days.

Evacuations and Safety: Evacuation orders remain in effect for the Fox Fire area. The public is urged to follow all directions and updates provided by the Baker County Sheriff's Office.

Several closures and restrictions remain in place:

• Snake River Road: Closed from Huntington to Richland.
• Public Lands: The Bureau of Land Management has issued a closure for all lands west of the Snake River.
• Airspace: A Temporary Flight Restriction is active. Unauthorized drone flights are illegal and will immediately ground all firefighting aircraft.

Smoke continues to impact air quality across eastern Oregon, and travelers should be alert for firefighters and heavy equipment on local roadways. For the latest official updates, the public can visit the Fox Fire Inciweb page.

Note: As noted in our previous articles, the Oregon State Fire Marshal mobilized a task force through immediate response to assist with this incident.