The Rattlesnake Fire is estimated at 5,000 acres with 10% containment. The fire is burning on Prineville District BLM managed lands in the area of South Junction campground and the Warm Springs Reservation. The Rattlesnake Fire is under the unified command of Warm Springs Incident Commander Lionel Smith and Type 3 Central Oregon Fire Management Service (COFMS) Incident Commander Larae Guillory.
Current Situation – On the Warm Springs Reservation, crews feel confident about the lines and have started the mop up stages while progressing into the interior. On the north and northwest flanks of the fire across the Deschutes River, hand crews worked with Heavy Air Tanker support to tie lines together utilizing retardant drops. The eastern flank is in difficult to manage terrain for firefighters. Aviation resources continued to assist the fire throughout the day, predominantly on the steeper and inaccessible drainages, while fire crews utilized dozers and burned out some interior islands to bring the fire to control lines. The south flank is also a very active area burning quickly is grassy and shrub fuels.
Closures – South Junction road and South Junction Campground are closed for updates check with Wasco County Sheriff’s office.
Evacuations – Trout Creek Campground and boat ramp on the Deschutes River is currently under a Level 2 (SET) evacuation. It is advised that boaters not use the Trout Creek boat ramp as a put-in or take-out at this time. If there are questions, please contact the Prineville BLM at (541) 416-6700.
