TROY — Evacuation notices for the Cougar Creek Fire have been lifted, and Grande Ronde Road should reopen soon, fire officials said Monday, Aug. 12 in their daily update.

A Level 2 (“Be Set”) evacuation notice for parts of northern Wallowa County was declared shortly after the fire started burning on July 15. In Wallowa County, all of Grouse Flat from Bear Creek Road north to the state boundary and the Garfield County, Washington, line south to the Grande Ronde River was included in the evacuation notice.

In Washington state, certain areas were under Level 1 (“Go Now”) and Level 3 (“Be Ready”) evacuation notices. All of those were lifted as of Monday as well.  

Since the fire was first reported on July 15, Grande Ronde Road from Troy to the Highway 129 junction in Washington has been closed. 

The Cougar Creek Fire, burning southwest of Clarkston, Washington, 1 mile west of the intersection of Highway 129 and Grand Ronde Road, now covers 23,614 acres and is 50% contained. Cause of the fire remains under investigation.

In all, 373 people are assigned to the fire, including five crews, three helicopters, 30 engines, 12 water tenders and eight pieces of heavy equipment.

On Sunday, the update said, firefighters continued firing operations to increase depth on containment lines on the northwestern fire perimeter. A helicopter-mounted PSD (plastic sphere dispenser) dropped 5,000 combustible “fireballs,” roughly the size of ping-pong balls, to initiate firing operations on interior areas of the fire.

On the south end of the fire, firefighters worked to remove structure wrap and collected and removed equipment no longer needed. Fire crews continued to secure and hold fire control lines in areas of recent burnout operations. A masticator and grader continued work on FSR 4039 to reduce woody debris and repair damage from heavy equipment.

On Monday, firefighters planned to assess interior areas burned out yesterday. Crews will continue to monitor the fire perimeter and mop up hotspots near containment lines.

A handful of senior firefighters from Australia and New Zealand have joined the Cougar Creek Fire crew to assist with fire management.

Although evacuation notices have been lifted, the temporary flight restriction prohibiting drone flights over the fire remains in place; firefighting aircraft cannot fly with unauthorized drones present.

The next in a series of weather disturbances was scheduled to move through the region, increasing the chances for showers and thunderstorms Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning. Forecasts say the storm will result in cooler temperatures and widespread measurable rain.