Grant County, OR – Federal land managers have expanded temporary closures across portions of the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman national forests as firefighters continue battling the Salmon, Olive Butte and Anthony fires in eastern Oregon.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the expanded closure encompasses all three fire areas and is intended to protect the public while allowing firefighting operations to continue safely. Officials urged hunters, recreationists and other visitors to avoid the affected areas.
Fire officials said conditions are behaving more like those typically seen in August despite it being early in the wildfire season. Critical fire weather and additional lightning are expected this week, increasing the potential for rapid fire growth. Authorities said the fires are burning in steep terrain with heavy fuel loads and have shown long-range spotting ahead of the main fire.
The closure was coordinated with county governments, law enforcement, fire agencies and the Oregon Department of Forestry. Officials said closure boundaries and evacuation levels may change quickly as fire activity evolves.
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation notices affecting the Greenhorn and Granite communities. Residents are encouraged to monitor local emergency notification systems, including Baker County Alert and Grant County Everbridge, for the latest evacuation information.
The Forest Service said the temporary restrictions are necessary to protect firefighters and the public and asked people to stay out of the closure areas until the orders are lifted.
Maps of the closure areas and additional updates are available through the websites for the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman national forests, as well as the official incident pages for the Salmon and Anthony fires.
