UKIAH — Containment on the Battle Mountain Complex grew to 43%, as firefighters expanded mop-up operations overnight from Tuesday, Aug. 6, into Wednesday, Aug. 7.

The Oregon Department of Forestry also reported Aug. 7 is Incident Management Team 3 21st and last day on the Battle Mountain Complex. The Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 3 will take command of the fire at 6 p.m.

The Oregon Department of Forestry in its update also reported firefighters will take advantage of favorable north winds to conduct burnout operations around Ellis Creek within the Potamus drainage.

“Burning the vegetation up to control lines ensures that materials burn at a lower intensity than if they burned uncontrolled,” according to ODF. “This also removes potential fuels up to control features along the ridgetops where it’s flatter, more defensible and easier to patrol through the summer.”

Crews also expand suppression repair work along more portions of the perimeter. Suppression repair work consists of knocking down berms bulldozers had built and using waterbars to divert runoff to minimize potential soil erosion.

Residents should continue to expect to see some smoke in the interior of the fire perimeter as unburnt vegetation burns within the fire’s footprint. Crews will patrol the fire perimeter throughout the summer.

For up-to-date evacuation information

Evacuation levels have decreased in many areas. Learn more about evacuation levels for each county:

Umatilla County — The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or sign up for the Umatilla County Emergency Alert System.

Grant County — The Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s RAPTOR site or sign up for alerts here.

Morrow County — The Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s RAPTOR site.

Public land closures

The Bureau of Land Management has closed public lands along the John Day River from Kimberly to Dale, and from Kimberly to Service Creek. Find more information here.

The Umatilla National Forest has implemented a closure for public lands within the Heppner Ranger District and the North Fork John Day Ranger District. More information is available here and here.

Total estimated complex size: 182,241 acres

Monkey Creek Fire: 177,757 acres

North Fork Owens Fire: 4,484 acres

Total containment 43%

Cause: under investigation

Estimated cost: $54,099,124

All resources

Hand crews: 55

Engines: 70

Water tenders: 39

Dozers: 24

Helicopters: 8

Total personnel: 1,805

Mop-up consists of firefighters working around the perimeter of a fire and into the burn to extinguish lingering hot spots to create a cooled buffer so materials don’t reheat and cross control lines, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.