Mission, OR – The Board of Trustees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) has approved the closure of a number of off-reservation properties owned by the CTUIR in order to protect people, structures, and land by reducing the risk of catastrophic fire events that could occur from human causes. The closure applies to the Rainwater, Wanaket, McCoy Meadows, and Looking Glass properties and prohibits public access to these properties.
Extraordinary conditions are accumulating at a point that is still early in the season, beginning with very little spring precipitation, record breaking heat, low relative humidity, and tinder-dry fuels. These factors are coming together to create an incredibly dangerous fire season. With large fires already burning throughout many areas of the West, fire protection and firefighting resources are extremely limited.
For these reasons it is critical to enact these closures of CTUIR off-reservation properties and for everyone to exercise the utmost caution when engaging in outdoor activities.
