The Golden Fire, which began on Saturday, July 22, continues to blaze near the Klamath County community of Bonanza, Oregon. However, additional relief is arriving as the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Incident Management Team 2 and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s (OSFM) Blue Incident Management Team have joined forces to combat the wildfire.
At 6:00 p.m. this evening, both teams assumed unified command of the fire, bringing together their expertise to tackle this challenging incident that has already consumed an estimated 2,500 acres with no containment. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Governor Kotek declared a conflagration on Saturday evening, enabling the OSFM to mobilize additional structural resources to support the ongoing firefighting efforts. Mutual aid task forces from Lake and Klamath Counties, along with immediate response task forces from Deschutes and Jackson Counties, were among the initial responders. Today, more OSFM task forces from Clatsop, Yamhill, Lane, Marion, Douglas, Polk, and Washington counties have also arrived to lend their support.
As the battle against the Golden Fire continues, weather conditions are posing challenges. The forecast predicts persistently high temperatures and low humidity, which could hinder control efforts. In response, additional equipment and firefighters have been requested and are expected to arrive in the coming days.
For the safety of the public and firefighters, authorities urge residents to avoid the affected area in Bonanza. Fire traffic is expected to increase in the region as the firefighting efforts intensify.
Evacuations remain in place for certain areas:
- Level 3 (GO NOW) East of Highway 140E, south of Polar Bear Lane, and north of Keno Springs Road.
- Level 3 (GO NOW) East of Bly Mountain Cutoff Road and north of Keno Springs Road.
In response to the evacuation orders, the American Red Cross and Klamath County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) have established an evacuation shelter at Bonanza School, located at 31601 Mission Street, Bonanza, OR 97623.
You can track this fire through our 2023 Wildfire Season partner’s Wildfire Aware app.
Source: ODF
