The Durkee Fire was a

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

burning in

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient histo ...

and Malheur counties in eastern

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. The Durkee Fire was the second-largest wildfire in the United States and was the largest wildfire in Oregon's 2024 wildfire season.

Background

A lightning strike on private property in

Baker County, Oregon Baker County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,668. The county seat and largest city is Baker City. The county was organized on September 22, 1862, when a portion of Wasco C ...

, caused the fire on July 17, 2024, at approximately 9:30 am.

Progression

the fire burned in

and Malheur counties and is 95 percent contained. It is considered a

megafire A megafire is an exceptional fire that devastates a large area. They are characterised by their intensity, size, duration and uncontrollable scale. There is no precise scientific definition. A megafire may or may not be a firestorm. Defi ...

. The Durkee Fire is the largest wildfire in Oregon's 2024 wildfire season and the fifth largest in modern Oregon history. The Durkee Fire was at one point the largest active wildfire in the United States. InciWeb estimated it will be fully contained by August 8.

Effects

the fire has destroyed 2 homes and 12 other buildings. On July 20, the fire prompted the evacuation of

Huntington, Oregon Huntington is a city in Baker County, on the eastern border of Oregon, United States. It is located on the Snake River and along Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 30. The population was 502 at the 2020 census. History Henry Miller settled in the a ...

, a city home to about 500 people. On July 24, gas service to residents in the town was shut off. The fire has prompted intermittent closures of

Interstate 84 in Oregon Interstate 84 (I-84) in the U.S. state of Oregon is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the state from west to east. It is concurrency (road), concurrent with U.S. Route 30 in Oregon, U.S. Route 30 (US 30) for most of its length and ...

(I-84), including from Pendleton to

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

on July 24. The Durkee Fire is active to the west of I-84, but a separate smaller fire called the Thompson Fire has been active to the east of the road. Additionally, the Cow Valley Fire is to the southeast.

Idaho Power Idaho Power Company (IPC) is a regulated electrical power utility. Its business involves the purchase, sale, generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in eastern Oregon and southern Idaho. It is a subsidiary of IDACORP, Inc. The ...

, a major electricity company in the area, warned customers to prepare for outages, and 7,000 of its customers had no power by the afternoon of July 24. The fire has killed hundreds of cattle.

References

External links

Durkee Fire on InciWeb
{{Oregon wildfires 2024 Oregon wildfires July 2024 in the United States August 2024 in the United States Baker County, Oregon Malheur County, Oregon