Boulder Fire Contained, Safety Measures Still in Place
By Cole Goodwin
Dufur, OR, July 19, 2023—After nearly two weeks of relentless effort by firefighters, the Boulder Fire, is 100% contained. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and at this time it appears that the fire burned an estimated 233 acres.
Chief Alan Lawson, Incident Commander of Northwest Incident Management Team 10, commended the firefighters for their efforts in gridding the ground to locate and extinguish any remaining heat.
Flight restrictions over the fire have been lifted. However firefighters and heavy equipment will continue to be in and around the area including on Forest Road 48. Many roadways, campgrounds, and trails north and east of Forest Road 48 in the Barlow Ranger District are still off-limits.
Evacuation orders are still in place for: Boulder Lake Campground, Little Boulder Lake, Bonney Meadows Campground, Badger Lake Campground, Camp Windy, and Port Camp Campground, all under Level 3 – Go Now evacuation status. Local residents are advised to be prepared for possible evacuations at Level 1 – Be Ready to Evacuate and Level 2 – Be Set to Evacuate.
The Forest Service has also implemented open fire and target shooting restrictions due to the high fire danger. Full closure orders can be accessed on the Forest Service webpage at www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/mthood/alerts-notices.
For more information, visit the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WascoCountySheriff.