A firefighter walks away from a dozer Thursday afternoon, July 25, 2024, at the Charlie Brown Fire off Promise Road north of Wallowa. The Charlie Brown Fire now is one of five fires burning near Wallowa that has been combined into the Winding Waters Complex. 

WALLOWA — The five wildfires burning near Wallowa have been combined into the Winding Waters Complex, and command of the incident was transferred Saturday, July 27 to the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center.

The entire Winding Waters Complex comprises about 565 acres combined; since fires are not burning everywhere within the complex, the acreage estimates of the five fires in the complex do not add up to 565.

The five fires are:

• The Charlie Brown Fire, which is estimated at about 34 acres, stayed in its footprint Friday night into Saturday morning, according to an ODF Facebook post.

• The Courtney Creek Fire, which is estimated at about 59 acres, but also stayed in its footprint on Friday night.

• The Water Fire, which is mostly burning in grass and is estimated at about 40 acres. It is 100% surrounded by dozer lines.

• The Mountain View Fire, which is estimated at 200 acres but is 100% lined by dozers.

• The Big Canyon fire, estimated at 80 acres. The Big Canyon Fire is particularly difficult for firefighters to battle and has “growth potential,” ODF said in its Facebook post.

All five fires were started by lightning, ODF said.

“Active fire behavior is creeping and torching in spots, and it is proving to be challenging with weather, terrain and limited resources,” ODF said in its Facebook post.

The fires are burning in land that is protected by ODF, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and industrial timberlands.

In addition to ODF firefighting resources, the blazes have been fought by rural fire departments, industrial operators, private contractors and landowner representatives, ODF said, adding that the other organizations “have played a huge role in suppressing these fires during such a difficult time procuring resources.”

In particular, ODF gave credit to Henderson Logging, BTO Logging, Hafer Brothers and Tanzey Forest Improvement. “Your support has been invaluable, and we are deeply grateful,” the Facebook post said.

The agency reserved special thanks for the community of Wallowa for its “incredible support. The local restaurants and stores have gone above and beyond to support the firefighting community, and we are truly grateful for their generosity.”

J.B. Brock from the La Grande Unit of ODF’s Northeast Oregon District is the incident commander. The transfer of command “is a crucial part our operational strategy, ensuring a seamless transition and continuity of efforts,” the Facebook post said. The base of operations is at Wallowa School.