County reports 85% containment of Upper River fire; 14 homes destroyed

County emergency staff briefed commissioners on June 23 that the Upper River fire is substantially contained and that recovery operations and assistance are underway.

A county briefing said the incident is about 85% contained with a final fire perimeter of 213 acres. Officials reported 14 primary homes were destroyed (one of them vacant and the ignition point) and seven secondary structures were lost; damage assessments for partially damaged homes were continuing. The county also received a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) to help with overtime and response costs.

The presenter said the incident-management team demobilized and command moved to a DNR Type 4 incident command team, with the local Fire District 9 remaining involved. "They did two overnight infrared flights specifically looking for hotspots in the footprint of the fire, and they addressed those with day shift," the county update said when explaining containment and mop-up work.

A disaster-assistance center and the long-term recovery group, along with partner agencies including the Red Cross and the assessor's office, opened for intake and coordination. Staff said the long-term recovery group completed intake for three fully burned-out families and that ongoing assessments will determine insurance coverage and further needs.

County officials urged that recovery planning continue through coordinated local, state and federal channels; no county action was taken at the briefing.