Wallowa County Commissioner Todd Nash shared some news from the Oregon Department of Forestry that shines a ray of hope on the Elbow Creek Fire: Troy appears to be safe.

“Had some positive news from Joseph Goebel who is the point person from ODF,” Nash told the Chieftain late Saturday morning, July 17. “He felt like the city of Troy was safe for the time being.”

In the latest update on the fire from officials Saturday morning, they said the fire had not yet reached Wildcat Creek to the east, and that crews were working Saturday to hold the fire’s east spread at that point. 

The confluence of Wildcat Creek and the Grande Ronde River is approximately four miles from Troy. 

“We don’t want to see any structures burned down,” Nash said. “We’ve had a few really good breaks, and obviously some bad ones.”

It has been spreading to the west and east, and has had some spread to the north, but air attacks have helped suppress that movement, officials said.

The fire, which started Thursday afternoon, has burned 10,941 acres, and is currently the third-largest burning in Oregon.