JUNTURA, Ore. — A calf is safe and back with its mother after spending two nights alone after a rancher realized it was unaccounted for. The rest of the cows were pulled from an allotment in the Indian Creek Fire zone last week, and the rancher was not able to go back and look for the missing calf.
Fire officials were notified, and the calf was found on Sunday by crews. The calf was brought to Incident Fire Operations trainee Russell Hamilton, of Spokane. Hamilton escorted the calf outside the fire zone to be reunited with its mother.
Firefighters said they are gaining the upper hand on the fire, which is burning outside Juntura, Oregon. Officials say there is still a lot of work to be done, however.
“We had a really good day [Monday],” Operations Chief Brent Meisinger said. “We’ll keep on deepening our lines over the next several days.”
In a news release, officials say the fire will not be considered contained until a 100-foot control line is around every area where a reignition could potentially spread into unburned vegetation outside the fire boundary. Monday evening, the fire was estimated to be 47,657 acres with 28 percent containment.
