Fire investigators and law enforcement believe the Cow Valley Fire, Bonita Fire and other small wildfires in the Malheur Reservoir area are “human caused and suspicious in nature,” according to a press release of the Bureau of Land Management.
The Cow Valley Fire had grown to more than 133,000 acres as of Thursday morning and was nearly 80% contained. It is about 10 miles northwest of Vale, Oregon. The Bonita fire has grown to just under 3,000 acres and is 90% contained, according to a press release from the fire department. All of the fires started on July 11 between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., according to the BLM.
“A monetary reward is being offered for information leading to the identification of the individual(s) responsible,” the BLM said in a statement. “Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to call We Tip Anonymous at 1-800-47-ARSON, online at wetip.com or at the QR code shown.”
Farmers lost their food because of the Cow Valley fire, according to a GoFundMe created to help donate hay to “hurt farmers.”
Multiple agencies are investigating the fire: the BLM Vale District, the Oregon State Fire Marshal, the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police.
