More than 600 firefighters are now battling the Grizzly Bear Complex fire in northern Wallowa County as it crossed the 65,000-acre threshold on Sunday.

An active day is expected again on Monday, according to the U.S. Forest Service, as dry, hot weather conditions could result in a column forming by late afternoon.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the second straight day, and the only missing ingredient to an extreme situation according to the fire behavior analyst, is the wind, which is expected to be lighter again Monday.

Due to the red flag warning, evacuation levels are expected to remain the same for communities impacted by the wildfire.

According to a press release from the U.S. Forest Service, overnight operations helped reinforce three and a half miles of containment lines. Officials are optimistic that a line on the east end of the fire in the Grouse Flats area south to Troy will stop the advance of the fire. On the southern perimeter of the fire, crews are using Forest Road 62 as a containment line.

Ski Bluewood, a ski resort near Dayton, Washington, is being used as base camp on the north side of the fire, and a command post has been set up in the town.

The release states that firefighting operations are spread over a wide geographic area, presenting logistical and transportation challenges for the incident management teams. Base and spike camps act as staging areas for personnel and equipment around the perimeter of the fire.

A spike camp in the Elk Meadow area will be moved further away from the fire line as the fire has moved in that direction.

Since the majority of fire has moved beyond the communities of Troy, Grouse Flats, and Eden Flats, the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office is expected to release one structure protection task force Monday morning and possibly one additional task force Monday afternoon. There will be two task forces working day shift in these areas Monday, and one for night shift.

Public information meetings were held Sunday afternoon in Anatone, Washington, and Flora, with almost 300 community members in attendance. Incident commander Brian Gales remarked that he was humbled by the community response and gratified by the support the firefighters have received.

Due to better than expected weather conditions and firefighter efforts, the Falls Creek Fire has not spread north of Falls Creek or east of Hurricane Creek. On Sunday, firefighters focused on identifying structure protection needs, as well as constructing fire lines along Hurricane Creek Trail and the ridge south of Falls Creek.

The Falls Creek Fire, last reported size of 200 acres, is located four miles southwest of Joseph, burning on both Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and Private Lands Protected by Oregon Department of Forestry. The cause is undetermined. A red flag waring is in effect until 9 PM tonight for hot, dry and unstable air conditions. The fire is currently zero percent contained.

A Type 3 Incident Management Team, led by Incident Commander Francis Tyler is currently managing the fire. Today’s objectives include improving natural barriers and existing hand lines, identifying possible burnout locations, prepping and plumbing structure protection systems, and evaluating contingency locations north of Falls Creek.

Last night’s public information meeting was a success, with firefighters, local and federal officials, and local citizens sharing information. Several citizens expressed interest in volunteering opportunities. We greatly appreciate the support but at this time we ask that people focus on supporting family, friends, and neighbors affected by the devastating fires in the region. People can also help by supporting the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, http://www.wffoundation.org/ .

Wallowa County officials have issued a Level 1 evacuation notice for the residents of Hurricane Creek Road. Questions regarding evacuation notices and the evacuation process can be directed to the Wallowa County Communication Center at 541-426-3131. Any changes to the evacuation notice will be coordinate by Wallowa County Communication Center.

Road closures have been implemented for public and firefighter safety and include:

• Upper Hurricane Creek Road (Open to local traffic only)

• Forest Trail 1807 (Hurricane Creek) and Forest Trail 1753 (Falls Creek)

Fire officials want to remind everyone that the current fire danger rating remains at EXTREME and Public Use Restrictions involving campfires and chainsaw use are in effect on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Regulated closures are in effect on State and private lands protected by Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) in northeast and central Oregon.