OWYHEE COUNTY, Idaho — The Big Grass Fire is still burning in eastern Oregon and Owyhee County, but ranchers are already confronting damage that could affect their operations long after the flames are extinguished.
For ranchers, the scorched landscape was not empty land. It was months of feed for their cattle.
“We had to have the grass for our cows,” rancher Chris Johnstone said.
Johnstone said his herd would normally remain on the range until October. With much of that grazing ground burned, he may have to bring the cattle home months early and begin feeding hay.
“We’re going to have to go home, feed hay probably for—and we’re usually here till October sometime, so we’re a few months away from that,” Johnstone said. “So it makes it tough, and it’s gonna be expensive.”
Johnstone still does not know whether the fire killed any of his livestock.
WATCH Ranchers explain how the Big Grass Fire could affect their operations for months
Jordan Valley Mayor Sheila Quintero said locating surviving cattle is only the beginning.
“The cattle are gonna need hay, obviously,” Quintero said. “We’re gonna need water and pasture, and they’re also gonna need a lot of people to help build fence back up in the spring and the fall and probably year-round till we get all these fences fixed.”
Quintero said grazing allows ranchers to feed cattle for a fraction of what purchased hay costs. The fire also burned some of the hay ranchers expected to use later.
“Next year, all of their hay is in that black,” rancher Dave Smith said. “All the feed.”
Owyhee County Sheriff Larry Kendrick said individual livestock and hay losses can determine whether a ranching operation survives.
“Every haystack that gets burned up can make or break a rancher and—or a farmer,” Kendrick said. “We have them all here. That’s what this county is made up of.”
Officials have not released confirmed totals for livestock killed or grazing acres burned.
Quintero said that despite the long-term need for hay, pasture, water and fencing, the most immediate need remains more people helping extinguish hotspots.
“If you see a tree on fire, go put some water on it. If you see sagebrush on fire, go put some water on it,” Quintero said. “If you see a rock on fire, go put some water on it.”
