Big Meadow Fire (Wildfire)

 Late season wildfire reaches 2,600 acres Wildfire season isn’t over yet. On Thursday, September 9, Harney County received abundant late afternoon and evening lightning, and two positive strikes in the Dry Mountain area north of Riley sparked separate wildfires with surprising acreage for this time of year. Quick response from the Silver Creek Rangeland Fire Protection Association, Burns Interagency Fire Zone and private contractors kept the Silver Creek fire at 86 acres before being fully contained on September 11. The Big Meadow fire, burning in heavy timber, with limited ground access due to rocky and rough terrain, is still active at 2,600 acres and only 15 percent contained. Once smoke and weather conditions improved on Friday, September 10, a multitude of air resources were able to fly and provide significant suppression support at Big Meadow. Very Large Air Tankers (8,000-gallon capacity), Large Air Tankers (2,000 to 4,000-gallon capacity), Single Engine Air Tankers…